Thursday, September 14, 2023

Poachy Thursday Night Solo

A solo night's exploratory ride, riding some new stuff, and some old poaches poached before...  

Up from home, good pace, struggling up the usual bits and into the Thompsons down to Kiwi.  Up Summit Rd from here, with a roadie on my tail the whole way until the corner before Worsley's when he pulled up alongside and we chatted.  He said where are you headed? and i said not sure yet...  He peeled off up Worsleys and I continued to the next carpark and over the stile and up the hill from here, walking track no bikes signs ignored.  Nice sunset happening out to the right, and the descent was through flaxes, thwacking my face all the way down.  Onto the road at the next bit because there was a ute parked and I figured they might be on the walking track.  

At the saddle (old top of Kennedys) I took the section of Crater Rim I'd had a look into a few rides ago (on the Troll), but hung a right up through the gorse climbing around above the road - pretty sure Nelson and me had ridden this before).  Got pretty steep towards the top and, unable to clip out in time, I fell over.  Then sidling along above the road (skirting above Kennedy's Bush), some nice rocks and flow, down to the saddle.  Here I hung a left and hit down the trail I'd set out to explore - completely new to me.  Mostly pretty good, but with a few chunky unrideable rock sections, including, within a mahoe forested tallus field, a U shaped section of steps down and up.  Around out of the forest and plenty of exposure (a black void to the right) with one or two more small rocky sections, then final flow out where I'd walked that time leaving the Troll.  

Down across the saddle and onwards along the walking track.  Lots of interesting rock features, clambering and cruising over through bush back to the next saddle.  Decided against going back up through all the flax so headed along the road.  Onto the Crater Rim at Worsleys and down this, many years since last time.  Then, at the Nun-meets-Rd I crossed and headed up onto the walkway above road for a nice bomb down, then down steps, then onto the final bit that squirrels out behind the Kiwi on the Dyers Pass Rd side.  Fun!  

Up the Summit Rd to top of Vic, down round the jumps for smooth air then down to Rock garden, bombing through gums, over 19th, down road, into 235 taking the left line down through, then out the "To Harry Ell" track to Vic Park Rd and bomb to home.

Poachy 14 kms with 535 m escalated.

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