Took myself out to Slumner with the Jeht on board and parked up in some shade before Scumnervale. Headed up the OG Captain and it was hot. Really fucking hot. Many times I thought, "it's too much" but each time I continued. Scorching, bit of walking right at the start then not so bad from there on out with the usual rocks needing the foot-use. Sumner Triathlon was on and there were cones and signage and people all over Evans Pass, with Godley Head Rd closed to traffic, I headed out there with the knowledge there'd be no cars. Climbed up the grass onto the trail - utterly surrounded by a kaliedoscope of butterflies (or was it a whisper of moths?). Breather at the top here and chatted to a bloke on a Santa Cruz here (that I'd seen from below the wondering whether he'd been through or not by the time I got up there). He asked about the trail, it'd been a while since he'd been on it, and then I gave him the lead off and waited a bit longer. Off down after him and had a nice blast. Then at Livingston he was waiting at the big gate, opening it for me but (to him) I'd disappeared behind the rock, and was at the small gate (where the old cattlestop roll-over used to be).
I felt better from here up and over, cleaning all the rocky tech on the up, nice flow down around, over pfmtbc rock to Breeze, then took the Breeze Bay walking track around the back, with literally a good breeze coming up off the sea round here. VERY Needed. Caught some walkers before the stile - giving the guy a heck of a fright. Over the stile ahead of them and bombed down to the carpark where I filled up my water. Then, around the front on the OG Godley section, enjoying, and crossing paths with the Santa Cruz dude again. At Breeze I intended to head back on the road, started out that way but where the top Anaconda entrance is I climbed up the paddock to the Godley trail again. Nice from here back in this direction over the techy rock and missing the wasted descent on the road to Livingston (which would have been a nice rest, I guess).
From Livingston stayed on the trail and climbed it. My figuring was, it's the same altitude gain as if I'd ridden the road and up track. Hell of a lot more effort tho. Oh well. Received a compliment from an American-accented woman who'd stopped to let me tackle the wee bridge thing at the head of the gully up here. Impressed with my body-English manoeuvrings methinks... I didn't know what to say I was so toasted. I said, "no worries" like she'd thanked me! Then realised my error and said, "thanks, heaps" and continued on my merry way, then wondered if I should have stopped to chat...build some community, like?? Looking back a little further up I could see someone following me, way back, who'd pulled over to let her by. He was present in my mind, chasing, for the rest of my ride (but didn't catch up til I was on the road next to my car). Blasted the tech rock all the way back to Evans, tho one sticky situation near the end that resulted in a nice lump on my shin/ankle. My right foot was violent smacked out of my pedal by a rock at almost exactly the same time as my left foot hit a bigger rock, all-but stopping me in my tracks. At the second foot-strike the pedal from the first intersected with my ankle... ouch.
Through the pass and straight into Captain Thomas for a rip snorting descent. Had an audience in a couple of the crucial moments, a trio of walkers and dogs above the two rock dropdowns, and a runner who leaned out of the way with a big grin on her face as I dropped down the second of those. Cleaned all of everything except the short climb after the rocky techs, but made it higher on that than I have in a while. Down in the OG section I stopped to have a single chat with Doug at the bridge and T rang wondering where I was. Cleaned all the rocky roll-overs lower down here, and had a lovely lively jaunt down the trail. Dusty finish, and across the road to the car.
An efficacious 18.4 kms and 765 m climbed, unanticipatedly.
Resolute to ride more as this climbing lark was hurting me... My playing-up knee survived nicely too.
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