Queenie's Memorial Grey Monday

One-off public holiday, a foul gale easterly day at home, so I took myself out of town North, (briefly stopping in Woodend to check the DOC site on whether the track was open or not) peeling off SH1 at Broad Rd and up through Balcairn to Douglas and Crampton's Bush Rd, ending up following a couple of cautious Colins up the usually fast gravel straights and then up to Janet. Almost three years since I'd last mounted Grey...  SO many cars in the carpark so I stuck to the road for the climb, rather than the zig zag.  Met a couple walking their way down the road then, at the lookout, a couple more plus a dog, and a solo woman.  Sat here and lubed my chain, which had been a bit noisy on the climb and I should have taken care of it earlier. 

Up the short steep then continued left onto the road again (figuring, again, to leave the singletrack to the walkers today). Passed the couple with the dog and found my way to the top; one xc-style young cyclist passing on his way down.  Sheltered just over the eastern side of the top and ate a little breakfast. Another couple (who I'd seen earlier from the road below them) and the solo woman passing by here heading for the trig, where there were multiple groups and couples visible. 

I launched off down the techy goodness, getting down onto the traversing singletrack for the trip down. Moar tech, ruts, rocks, tussocks, carefully careflly.  I carried over a couple of mucky wetspots, passing one family group in the process, then another a bit lower down ("you're keen"). Good flow but never too quick, taking it safely. Hairpins, all the way down, I was out of practice. Into the forest and a few corners down was a young family.  Beautiful flow of trail between clusterfucks of hairpins. Not too many trees down and nothing blocking terribly. Lifted over a couple. The mucky bit was not too far off the worst I've seen it, tho had solid(ish) enough edges to get down ok, walking a little, balance-biking the rest. Root-tech followed, with mucky rutty holes in that lower run. Moved a couple logs out of the way.  Another family turned up who told me about the big treefall. Then I met it. Bit of work carrying/pushing/lifting/balancing/threading the bike thru ahead of or beside me.  Nice bomb from here, pretty only a few corners down to the bridge, nice through to boardwalk, one log, and then done. 

To finish, nail in the coffin style, the slog up the road and over to the car. 

Grey(t) ride, 13.35 kms with 705 m climbed.

Sunday Castle Bridle Return

Good spin across the top this morning with a bit of rain.  

Headed up the usual, 19th, Skidder, Grunter, up the Worm and then across the Traverse, into the wind.  

Dropped down (nee)FourPause Huntsbury DH jumpy, making a couple of old lady walkers step aside (I'd watched from above as another biker had had to stop because of their ignorance), just before the final gap.  

Back up the gravel clamber and onto Vernon for a smooth bomb down, dropping the mother and child who were on my tail at the start.  Good bomb down here, only having to deviate once for some climbers.  

Straight across Rapaki Saddle and straight into the Witch, with an excellent climb here, one hand-dab.  Spitty rain started here, which was un-forecasted, and proceeded to be steady from here onwards on my way out.  Up the road and into a slightly slickly greasy Castle, pinging all over the place, but kept a good pace.  Bike handing well.  Rain stopped and I headed back up the road and climbed up onto Tors.  

This was a bit scary, with the exposure lower down and the rocks all slick; I was careful.  Down onto the road and onto the wee single track above it for a techy honky (brakes) cruise around.  Back over Witch and then, for some obscure reason, up Vernon, climbing climbing and sloooowwwlly winding in a dude ahead of me.  

Into the Traverse and it wasnt until the Sugarloaf saddle that I caught him and he let me by.  By here we'd ridden into rain again too, slightly wetter than the previous shower.  He was pretty much on my tail from there.  

Into Vic, and out of the rain, I pulled up to adjust bike and he bombed off ahead, me chasing over the jumps (he bailed on second one), then holding back for the See Saw to settle, over this, first couple of brakefrees then across the rabbit paddock and into the rocks, around through gums, usual route, lifting over the log, and all the way down, bombing.  Into 235 and it's not as greasy, but still a bit mucky, as last time.  Last climb, and descent behind houses - home.

Minty slog, 20.6 kms with 790 m climbed.

Sunday Local Return (+ a short Saturday Trollclimb)

Saturday, we were going to dinner and decided to walk down, so I took the car down the hill with the Troll on the rack and parked on the 'Lombo.  Took a route of much interest, up some steps and steeps...climbed just over 200 m...

Sunday: Up and down a couple of times from home. We'd moved back home on Friday so it was time to hit the Vic Park up for a spin. 

Up the usuals, Vic Park Rd giving me a good huff, around 19th over to Skidder where I bumped into Andy and Jenna running/walking a nice doggy. Good long chat with them, then a fresh start up the grunter thru Brakefrees and up to Worm. From top of here, across for a bomb of the yumpies, over the see-saw and a righthander up the fenceline and over the next to dive straight into the top of Pedal fine.  Nicely nicely down the first bit then carefully off to the left and drippy droppy dropsville down to the sidle.  Across this, nice and cruisily to the pop down thru Razza's, which was very nice indeed. 

Another cruisy meander across past the 40footer and over into Sneaky Ridgeline for a swoopy droppy rockily  nice techfest before bombadoodling down thru the oaks and popping out into the Bridges zone.  Weird front wheel pingslap (rock? tire peel??) after the bridge somehow, which slightly put the shits up me.  Into the trees, and swooping again, never really sure which way I was intending to go, but then taking nuBridges all the way down. Short glide down the valleybottom and a rolling hop up straight into the Hospital Corner climb.  Stopped at the crest before Ugh ugh ughing up to the singletrack, cleaning the roots in here nicely, up past the 27footer and then grunting my way up across and on up through bits of what I'd come down under the bottom of Razza's, through the RadSick Zone climbing around gasping, finally getting my breath as I got to the Skidder.  

For the extra punishment I continued up the grunter to Brakefree and cruiesed across the Rabbitpaddock for the gummies descent, pinging nicely down through the rocks, around and about.  Ooop, tree across my favourite line, just before the steep corner (note to self... must wander up with dog and axe). Finished off through here and all the way down to road, then buzzing down the seal and peeled into 235 finding a mucky messy mucky mess in there. Climbed back out to the road and up to DogPark for the rush down home behind houses.

A surprisingly low 7.8 km with a moderately steep 374 m climbed

Wednesday Night Loner

Good hoon out tonight.  Headed up around Belleview and up Major Hornbrook to the end, through the park to the bottom of Britten.  Rode up under the pylons, steep getting the better of me walking a couple of the worst tech or steep.  Riding up across the reserve finding a sheeptrack on a better angle, to the mtb track then climbing up around the front and along to the Cutting exit.  Over the fence and back and forth and up and round up to the aerials at top of Pleasant.  All before needing any lights on.  6.30 or so at the top.

Into the descent, light on - just the headlamp tonight.  Good blitz down the rocky bits then weaving down through the tussocks, not quite as fast as usual, lambs scattering out of the way.  Spotted a horse rider over in the gloom near the gun emplacements, and as I rode down the 4wd bit passed a farmer looking bloke with a couple of dogs.  Around and down to the main drag, bomb bomb bomb.  Pretty good, not as fast as daytime, but still some good paces.  A little bit of slop across the flatter face towards Gloomy, but then all dry in there.  A big slip had crossed just after here, but the track had been repaired, then it was into the droppy rocky pop and weave down over the drop and around into Dave's zigs big corners.  Around into the gully, and the slip that's always been there has expanded, and been repaired.  Dry now.  Fast blast down the last and then a slow back and forth to the road.

Up the road, long drag, but kept a good pace, and peeled into the Sheepshit Alley, climbing, back on road, up to Britten and in.  Fast, around then off the corner across the hill following, just, the line all the way down then onto the main and under the pylon, much faster than on the Troll the other day, suspension doing what it's meant to.  Over the stile and down Kenton track, new, tech, rocky, and nicely edged, with massive exposure off the left, lights picking up rock then black black void.  Definitely want to explore this further as I peeled right and found myself just at top of Major Hornbrook.  So bombed down here, two stretches then into Belleview and round to home base. 

Supreme 15.43 km and 635 m escalated.

Sunday Morning Troll Rolling

Out and up on the Troll again. Up past Longridge and then up the wee zig zag (pushing) to Ridgeview, over where the bathtub used to be and rode up thru Britten from here.  Trail officially open again, apparently since last Sunday (so Karen last week was only one day out).  Hit the Summit and boffed off down and into OG Greenwood entrance, hanging a quick left into Knapsack aka Sheepshit Alley.  Nice roll down this, steel frame softening the rough and lack of tire grip entertaining.  Couple of mtbguys hanging chatting here, said my gudday and straight over the stile by the pines and back up the road.  Bumped into the boys (Wazza, Andy and Wayno (on a new YT)) just above the Greenwood entrance and had a good chat with them on the roadside.   

Parted our ways and I stood and pumped up up and around, staying on the Summit, to the Cutting singletrack entrance to Britten.  Good blast around here, tech rocks ridden carefully, around the front then bombing down 'Vee Twin' down all the way, taking the lower trail across (not from the first hairpin), across over and down the techy rocks below the pylons.  Never notice how rough it is down there on the Pipeline...  certainly do on the Troll.  From here, I bombed down the walking track to Major Hornbrook, all the way down and into the park, taking the fun techy line I took the other week, out the bottom onto Canon Hill Crescent.  Fast as hell blast down this, really picking up speed below Gum Tree Grove, rolling out onto Bridle Path Rd, and treadling up this to Greg's place, pushing up into the Heathcote Quarry Reserve steps.  

Pushed up the steps, had a wee look down towards the Quarry, but continued back up the main track, taking turns wheelying on back wheel or pushing it by my side.  Picked it up and carried one section then pushed a bit more.  Had another look up another trail, being built recently, but back to bike and on up the main trail, climbing, big time, carrying the last few hundred metres, then up the stairs, and exiting at Rockview Place.  Onto Major Hornbrook, Belleview and down to 'home'.

An enjoyable, but tough, 12.8 kms, with 540 m climbed.