Nice we spin this morning. Nursing the concussion of last Thursday all week, finally had a good night's sleep, so I took the Speedbomb out for a test ride. Not coincidentally, T was out for a walk so I rode to meet up with her at Vernon. Took the road up Vic, through to skidder (not diverting over 19th). Up the guts was okay, SO much tree-trash around after the gale winds we had Thursday-Friday. Balmy, calm day today, post tropical system coupled with nor'west warmth. Spectacular.
Took the Summit Rd around to top of Lavaflow, and spotted her down just below the Huntsbury, so onwards around the road, and down the gravel, full noise to meet her just below the gapjump. Turned and rode up with her. At Summit I hit the Vernon track for a bit and she summited the peak. I pushed through lonnnng grass to the trail up the front and rode to meet up top. Shared a few dates and then turned down. I rode all the way down to the Summit trail and then left towards home.
Climbed around Vernon to Traverse, and started caning it along here. Caught some women with a dog about the same time an e-rider caught me, so I let him past then waited at the highpoint for them all to get further ahead. Then I had a free Speedbomb run down, catching up at the pond, following for a bit, then taking a rock-tech freeline just before the 4wd bit. Ebiker passed me here, then I was on his tail the whole way. Climbs he'd only go slightly faster, and descents I was having to hold back then catch him, hold back and catch him. At the last high point I could see a couple walkers and dogs ahead, so I stopped and let them all get further along. That way I got the fast blast again, down through, past the walkers on the last flat stuff, and then into the trees.
First jumpie good, then flow through, hit Brakefree - splecky muck in between jumps, off into Pines, Gums. Moved a few sticks and fallen trees as I descended through here, otherwise just a lot of scrap on the ground. Down into the cypresses and through to the CAP track, and on down to gate. Below road here, rolling nicely down around. "What are you photographing?" "Fungi." "Nice!" as I turned up towards the picnic bench adjacent to the crash last week. Here there was a steady stream of parents and children out on a big YMCA adventure. Waited a while. Then down again, noticing the tree that got me, and then down to the new, as yet uncoined, trail. In I rolled, stopping a few times to kick sticks off, then then found a blockage. Most of a big snapped off tree right across the track. I'll take the pruning saw and hatchet up tomorrow, or later? Negotiated my way around it through the bush and then continued my trail. Very nice. Tight. Not fast. A couple of climbs. I enjoy it profusely, feel like it's "my" trail, even tho someone else made it. Through the lower reaches then oaks, and last blast to the end, smooth flow.
Popped out onto H'Ell and followed, very slowly, and at a distance, some walkers down to the high point where I clambered to road, and home.
Call it 13 kms, with 432 m climbed. Brain, not too rattled.
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