Sunday Heated Head Loop

Feeling weary, took myself up thru Vic via the usuals, road, 19th, skidder, and gruntsvillian.  Across Brakefree and upwards to the top.  Peaked to the road and dropped down in, looping over the jumpies then straight into Worm and headed onto and around the Traverse to the top of Huntsbury DH.  

Dropped in, down upper HuntsburyDH, yumping the yumpies and then out onto the landingstrip zone taking the old line to the left over the rocks, and down.  New trail has been split off to the right for an out and back around but dead-ends, so back onto the dropster down to the cattlestop, and down Ali Express, attempting but failing the steepest rocky section I used to ride all the time.  Something about that wheel sized hole at the top gives me the willies every time.  On down the rest of it enjoying the tech, and around the off-camber ruts back and forth before hitting into the Old Skool.  

Nice blast down this, pumping the pumps and feeling pretty smooth.  Out the bottom and straight into the up-valley grind.  Very shortly overtaken by a young fit bastard, who proceeded to gap me all the way up the valley.  I bungled on, losing sight of him before entering the trees.  Grind, grind away, at Hospital corner I continued on up the valley.  Hot and still in here, I stopped after the bridge in a nice shady spot and somewhat unfathomably bumped into Doug. 

He's everywhere these days.  We had a quick chat and he headed down while I headed up, heat starting to get to me.  Walked a bunch and then rode the nice traverse across to the gulley below Brents.  Climbed up over the cattlestop thankful noone was descending hard, and then ground up the steepest bastard to the first 4wd section which was also insanely steep evil climb, stopping a couple of times for breathers.  Took a couple photos of cool fungi,

then ground on up the next not so bad steep to the Rad Zone.  Ugh, up to the skidder site, then easy over 19th again (due to trail closure on usual route), heat was hard... 

Lovely cool blast coast down road and into the 235 for a sweeeet descent in the shade on slightly damp dirt, jumpitty jump and oaked, then climbing granny, up road, last final blast down behind the houses and home.

Heated, nearly stroked, 11.9 kms, 502 m escalated.