Sweet ride on the Stooge on a bunch of new-to-me trails. Tombstone is really fun and perfect for the Stooge. Left the bach with T just before 8am, dawn - pretty much, and headed up Lucas Lane into the new to both of us trails. Grabbed CV Express and I left her here rolling ahead faster than her fast walking speed. I kept passing above her on all the switchbacks which was nice. Eventually I lost sight of her and then not long further got to the top of Tank. Good climb, will be nice once all the trees grow back up.
Dropped into Tank, which was a hoot. The Stooge performed really well, no sketch, no dice. Climbed out the end and then into the Yankee Zephyr climb, which was longer than I remembered, maybe because last time I did it was 2019 and the trees have grown considerably. At the kind of skidder site I peeled into the new (to me) Tombstone, which has a very nice climb. Some nice native under the larches and patches and generally a good grade, never too steep, but steady. Eventually got to the top of the climb, nice view up to Isabell, and it was time for the descent.
and what a descent... Glorious flowy trail, just brought joy to my headstate. It was mint. Some of the most zen fun I've had for years. Super fun, able to get some speed, then some nice tech sections that keep you on your toes but aren't terrible. So much fun! Out the end and down onto the Dog Stream trail, where I headed back into the bridge (and noticed that the old descending line to the bridge is now closed. Headed up onto the road and up towards Big Foot.
Dropped into Tank, which was a hoot. The Stooge performed really well, no sketch, no dice. Climbed out the end and then into the Yankee Zephyr climb, which was longer than I remembered, maybe because last time I did it was 2019 and the trees have grown considerably. At the kind of skidder site I peeled into the new (to me) Tombstone, which has a very nice climb. Some nice native under the larches and patches and generally a good grade, never too steep, but steady. Eventually got to the top of the climb, nice view up to Isabell, and it was time for the descent.
Actually started into Big Foot but then looked at the time and thought, nah, I'll just take the Fir Trail. Well remembered from the 12 hour event many (25?) years before, it's obviously changed a bit since then. Nice flow down, then left for the last few corners of Big Foot. Down from here, across Dog Stream for a waste of altitude loss down to Joliffe Rd, climbing up here who should appear but T, running! Hi!!! We parted ways again and I headed up to Red Rocks, all changed up here with the whole Timberlands face logged (and a new trail in there for descending). I peeled onto Red Rocks and rode it, thinking I'd take Eeny Meeny, but found myself heading all the way out to the end. Around onto Western Link and climb cruising around to bottom of Timberlands and into Swamp. Long climb up here (the road would be so much shorter!) and out top over onto Flax for a start then into Lower Flow, for a flowy groove, with again, lots of good speed and zen mind state.
Nearly 16 kms and nearly 500 m up. Hanmer always feels way more climb than it ends up being. What is that?
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