We'd gone to the Mapua Easter Sunday Market for a good portion of the day but were back early enough that I figured I could get a ride in before the forecast rain hit.
Jumped on the Fatty and hauled my weary ass down the Locking St walkway, Kawai, then across behind (or in front of?) the Hospital on Tipahi, onto the 'rail trail', over the Bishopdale saddle, over Ridgeway and up Marsden Valley. About a 25 minute commute.
Hit the singletrack (a walktrack section I'm not sure I've ever actually hit before) and a grind began, back and forth a couple of times, one way stymied by a slip, then out onto the main forestry/4wd track - and granny for a good 45 minutes, following a guy walking with a german shepherd from about 200 m away, most of the way. He turned back at the last switchback before the leg across to Widdershins. I called Doug up on the phone and the rain was starting.
Widdershins was longer and had more climbing and more tech than I recalled of it. Awesome riding tho and the rain wasn't really getting thru the vegetation around it. - Cornflakes
Finally made the top, about an hour of steady climbing since I left the road, and it was familiar to me.
Into Involution, whoooeeeee.. What a descent. The Fat bike handled it so well. Roots rocks switchbacks repeat. About half way down a large bird flew across in front of me. I was like, "huh!?" Stopped, walked back up and there it was, a ruru sitting on a tree fern frond under the shelter of the rest of it trying to stay dry and giving me a sardonic look. Another was calling nearby as well. Nice!
It got wetter and greasier the lower down the hill I got, spat me out onto a 4wd and across into the jungle section around the creek, not very long. Then fast blast down gravel to gate, and onto the road again. Rain really setting in now and as a result (and due to the time) it was starting to get dark. Long haul back to base finishing with a steep walk up to the house, tho faster than the way out (due to more it being 'all down hill').
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