Sweet Sunday Stooge

Quick chuff up on the Stooge tonight.  

Cruised up the road, lovely mild late afternoon after a morning of working, and tired laziness after a late night.  Dropped down into Sleepy from DPCP and cruised up this, then up to 19th, backtracking to pass over the top of it, then through Skidder and took the 4wds across to pop down Cool Runnings.  Some funnings, then straight into Up-rooted, all the way to the top of both, then up to the carpark at top of Vic - basically saw no-one in Vic Park the entire time (there were a couple people rode down through Macros as I climbed, but no-one else on the trails).  Some ladies in the carpark were the first I'd encountered.  

From here, dropped off down, first jump, then down rabbit, into rocks, pines, gums, nicely nicely, then cedars, through to 19th, into Heavenly for a lovely buzz down through here.  

Out the last and up straight into the lower half, good flow, Sleepy Hollow then climbing, attempting a little bit of line building in the climb to the pylon, then down oldskool 235, new line, around onto old, drop, oaks, and final blast to H'Ell.  Clamber, road, home - in other words, all the usuals.  

A nice local schmooze about.  A needed, and welcome wee blast of 6.77 kms and 285 climbed

Wednesday Evening Local Loopies

Mellifluous spin tonight taking in all the tight (and right) local singletrack and putting together a nice loopy pattern. 

So cool tonight to realise the various works being done in the below-dog-park-carpark-zone have made a sweet wee extra loop.  Basically, the bit I've been diving into recently, before heading up the Sleepy Hollow section, is actually meant for climbing - and loops around under the pylon to head down what was the 235 - I'd been puzzling the nature of the curve under the pylon.  This now turns left before dropping down the rocks towards the wetzone, peeling back and dropping into the lower new section just below where it peels off above.  It's very cool (and reflected in the end of tonight's ride).  

So, headed up the road and dropped down into the oaks and up across the wetzone through the bypass track I'd cut (which is drying out, seemingly (finally!)) and that's where I found the new connection from the rock drop.  I headed in this, meeting and chatting with a runner and dog, climbed up into Sleepy, meeting and chatting with another walker with dog, then out and up the forest track to pop out at 19th.  Back along the road here, up and over 19th into Skidder, and into Upper-rooted, a bit more work done in here, then up to top of Thompsons #1.  Dropped down here, nice flow, down into the #2, with a good blast here too.  

Down through Dyers and up the Summit to the Nun saddle.  Left off over onto the Governor's Bay track for an interesting wee blast down here.  It's becoming a little overgrown in places, the natives are doing too well.  Across the level bit and into the techie climb.  Did really well for a start then started muppetting, cleaning some, walking a little, and clambering out the top.  

Dropped then, over onto lower Nun, finishing this off then back through Dyers and climbed up into the Thomson twins, topping out Vic.  Brief puffing loop around the carpark, much to the bemusement of the groms up here, and straight in, down for the jumpies, but!!! my brake hose came unstuck and started buzzing (grinding, more like) the tire.  Grahh!  Semi-repositioned it, but didn't trust it, so rolled down to the drinking fountain and asked some young'uns here if they had any zipties...  nope, but one girl had some excess electrical tape!  Yuss!  

Sorted, I headed down into the rocks/pines/gums for some fun times, then across Skidder and into Dazza's-start, peeling right into Razza's (bazzas) and popped off down these steep droppy roots, across the 4wd into the continuation, down through Macros and up onto the sideline, stopped to move a tree, down some newly cut bench (part of what turns out to be a walk track they're building from that new bridge Nelsie and me encountered), and straight into the bottom and into Uprooted ahead of a couple of young women.  Clamber clamber here.  Once up to the first corner, the girls had started and I felt their pressure (even tho I gapped them) all the way up.  Young and fit, obviously - cos they were chatting away.  Up at the Rad zone 4wd crossing a group of fellas entered the next section of Uprooted ahead of me and I followed them the rest of the way.  2 non- plus one e-bike gapping ahead, and another non-e rider struggling to stay ahead of me.  

Out through Skidder, across, and dropped into cedars for my usuals home.  Excquisite blast down Heavenly, it's really been trodden and scuffed, so nice and free of leafy detritus, great flow.  Out and up for the continuation, then great flow and into Sleepy and beyond, where rolled into the 'new' climb from the pines, up to the pylon (only one little section of a switchback levelling needs adding), and around into the oldskool '235' for a lovely hum down here and around and back and around the new onto the lower sections to roll down all the way through the oaks and then the last fast blast beauty out to H'Ell and my clamber to road (where I ripped out the broom bush growing on here) to rip down the road to home.

 

Transcendental 10.5 kms with 411 m upped

Sunday Trail-Clearance Stooge

Gardening and house maintenance (hot waterpanels) most of day but got up on the Stooge with the pruning saw to clear that tree. Up road, then into the dogparkcarpark entrance rolling through the overgrown pylon-meadow and finding a dead tree almost blocking the track.  So, I set to it, to bust a bit, cut a little and shove a bunch, moving it out the way - cleaned up and got rolling again.  At the fir tree section, I peeled left and headed down onto the new track to head up that.  Stopped and cut one potential handlebar-grabber branch, then continued up to the big mess.  Set to it with the pruning saw, making pretty good work of it, and getting extremely sweaty in the process.  Cut through what I needed to, one thigh-thick trunk and 3 arm-thick branches on the main tree, plus a few other broken/fallen trees all arm-thickness, pushing and pulling and shoving everything out of the way.  

Before.... 

And after....

Then I headed on up trail, riding up the nice forest gentle slope to all the way up to just below 19th, where I turned around.  Off to the left (downslope) I spotted a way down from here, which took me to the connector trail (from H'Ell to Infocentre) where I climbed back up to the trail I'd climbed.  Then moseyed down and up to the picnic table, and stopped where I'd crashed.  Here, I sawed off the tree that got me.  

Finally, down into the newby, through my clearance - in an instant, and then a nice, interesting ride down and out, through oaks and then all the way to the bottom, all with a nice bit of a flow.  Clamber to road, and home.

Nice ride, but short - 3kms, 88m climbed

Sunday Jehting about the place, and a discovery

Most excellent ride today... Left the house with Tra'y and toodled with her until the lower dogparkcarpark and then said my good bye.  Ploughed on up through 19th and over to Skidder and up the grunter, pushing hard.  Out the top of Vic to the road and wondered where to play.  Hopped off down around the jumps then Worm back up to Traverse and moseyed around here, seemingly stopping for everybody (bar a few).  

At top of Huntsbury DH I looked at T's tracker and saw she was below, so texted her and I could see her down there, so I headed down, jumpiddy flow rail and then down the more tech of the landing strip variants on AliExpress, then down all of the zigs and zags with sheepshit as bonus spleck, meeting her half way down/up.  

We caught up and then I continued my rocky way, dropping down into Old Skool and having a mighty fun fang.  Blip bloop blop all the way down into the valley and started the clamber back up into Vic.  Stopped a couple times to scoff on some berries, then worked my way up K2, steep gasping bastard.  Into the trees below Texaco, nice climb around in here then up past the jump and on up the steep bastard of a track.  

More berries up near Pono's and then up through the Rad Zone, dropping over then up a shitty steep to Cool Runnings entrance, hanging a right and moseying around and up.  This way is nearly right.  I think the way I went last time was better, but needs a little work.  Less steep than going up the usual.  Out to Skidder, and left across to the lower 'gums' track, stopping for a rest in the shade here and organising my day.  

On again, riding out to 19th, below road then back up at Tawhairanui entrance, road, DogParkCarPark dropping down checking out the mud, then realising there's a way across the mud at the bottom where it's dry.  Hmm...  back up to the rocks, found my way through and onto the lower old trail, which looked more used, and lo and behold, found and followed this all the way up back up to the steps below the Tawhairanui start.!!!  Fantastic.  Now I have no need for the road anymore, from 19th, all the way to the bottom of H'Ell.  Wonder what the trail should be called?

On fleek 12.85 kms, with 562 m climbed

Saturday Local Quick Stooge

Pumped about 40psi into the rear slow-flat and hoped for the best.  Was probably still 39psi when I'd finished this ride - so slow as to only be noticeable after several days.  

Up and back with a bit of up and back in it. Plastered up Vic through 19th, Skidder Grunter and into Thomsons #1, stopping for a bunch of floater-walkers, then back up the road and dropped down around the jumps, down through rocks and gums all the way down, then back up to Skidder and into Razza's dropping down the tech for some goodness, then climbing again back up and around, dropping down through below road, up, coast, into dogparkcarpark and biffing down through here, taking my meander and all the way out the bottom and home.  Nicely nicely, good to get some exercise before Em's wedding and our gig.

Three-quarters of an hour of paua, 6.21 kms, and 205 m pried from the rock.

Sunday Stoogin' CAP

Shortish doddle after yesterday's meat-engined epic distance.  

T was off for a walk with Megan in CAP, so I fixed the snakebite on the Stooge and took it up into Vic, over 19th, then dropped into the CAP entrance myself.   Ate a couple of blackberries on the way down the entrance track, then sidled into Locomotion for a nice wee blitz across to Loess Rider.  Fun, fast blast down here - it really is quite long, then down into the carpark.  Rolled along and saw our Leaf still parked there, so rang T, and her and Meg were up at the cafe, so I popped up to say hi.  They were largely done so I headed off to the uplift.  Very quiet still, due to so early, so solo seating for me!  Boffed off down the Summit Connector, keeping the groms behind me behind me, and catching the ones in front of me slowly.  Missed the first entrance to Nun, so I stopped and went back to drop in.  Rocky snot down through here biff baff boff, lots of work, but fun, and then blasting all the way down to the bottom, staying down to hit the Old Dyers/Choir Boy.  Disappointingly the new trail, Zero Ultra, was closed, so I continued down, overtaking a family (that turned out to be Nick S.), finally deciding on Gung-ho after tackling a few blackberries just before the entrance.  

Dropped in and railed the berms, negotiated the tech with aplomb, and blasted on down and through, biffity boffity baff.  Good run.  

The lift was a lot busier this time and so I had to share with a dad and son.  Mild chatting to them, then off down Connector again, Nun again, and out to Kiwi, up road, taking in both lower and upper Thomsons, which was more enjoyable than I usually recall, then zipped down around through the trees, popping the new jump and cleaning the usual, then down into the rocks, (possibly dislodging or newly pinching, my earlier fix - or there's just a very slow leak), through the gums, nice fun, then all the way through (tree that was across CAP track long gone (I'd noticed that when dropping in the bypass earlier)), out to 19th, below road, then rolling to dogparkcarpark and dropping in here.  Nice rail (tho was starting to suspect tire going down) and took my new line, out and down to H'Ell, clamber, road, home.

Moderate 16 kms with a single kilometre of vertical (obviously 0.8 of which was in a chair).

Sunday Summit Troll

Still hadn't fixed the Stooge flat; still waiting for the suspension part from Cotic; so resigned to take the Troll (didn't even occur to me to take the fatty or the BFe...) out for a nice blast out and back. Rode some nuts single-track and a bunch of road. 

Up through all the usual, over 19th, Skidder, short walk up the grunter and then riding the rest to the top of Vic.  Popped up to my stone shelter to see if there were any blackberries (they were all scody), then back onto the road and stuck to it all the way to Huntsbury-top, hitting Vernon singletrack from here.  Nice flowy slowy bomb down, keeping it sketch, then through Rapaki and stayed on the road from here to top of Castle.  A youngish couple arrived and I said, "You heading down?" "Yep, but we'll be slow"  I said I wasn't sure what I was doing but then I decided on the spot to head down too.  Dropped in and proceeded to flow where it was flowy and slow where it was slowy.  Went pretty well, including only one dab due to traction loss on the climb.  Onto the road and climbed back up, seeing the couple riding slower than I had down the trail...  Up the road and down, fast coasting roll through towards Witch, decided to take the Witch Hill trail and proceeded to climb up it no problem at all, bar that one rocky section.  Breather at the high point then dropping around cleaning all the tech carefully to the end, and up the road below Vernon.  Annoying head wind up overlooking Dry Bush valley.  

Into the Traverse and hoofed it around here pretty nicely.  Love the standing-in-the-pedals-cranking mode on the rigid machines.  It's a very lithe bike.  All the way around the Traverse I was slowly winding in a rider ahead.  Caught her and a few others right at the end.  Into the trees, dropped down through, onto Brake Free then peeled left into the Pines, and dropped down through the Gums, exiting at the Skidder (figuring the trail below to still be blocked).  Up towards 19th and passed a guy on an interesting looking rig. "Is that an Evil Sovereign?" "Nah, it's a Marino" which I misheard as Merida and was surprised, until I realised what he'd said.  It was one of the Sick bikes of the recent past.  Slack and low, sweet steel.  I realise now I've seen it out there before.  Anyway, we chatted for ages.  Then I headed off down and through, into the DogParkCarPark, overgrown to start, and a little damp.  Peeled onto my new line, and appalled to find the water in the woods emerging even higher up.  Bloody Council slack-arses.

Lithely provocateured, 20 odd km, and up 710 m

Wednesday Stooge Local Descents and Climbs

Out the gate and immediately turned left, up behind the houses to get me lungs going.  It did.  Then, it felt easier the rest of the way, the usual to 19th and Skidder and up. Top of Vic, right into Thompson's #1 for a nice wee blast, then back up the road to drop-in, down around the first jump then hard right into Worm, climbing back up to Traverse and wondering where to go...

Decided to drop down Upper Fence line, biff baff boff, out the bottom, around to Bridges. Bombing through here I heard a shout, "is that a Stooge?!"  "Yes, it is!"  I stopped and chatted, then got rolling on down into the valley, Nu Bridges, so smooth and flowed, then down valleybottom and straight into Hidden climb towards Old Skool.  Stopped and scoffed some blackberries, then followed a dude who'd just passed through.  At the start of Old Skool I added a a twist, heading up from below the pylon, grinding up the zigzag 4wd track.  Cleaned it, which I don't think I've ever done before, but then had a go up AliExpress as a climb. This was not so good. 

Out the top, and up the Huntsbury gravel, an emtbike passing me at the castle stop.  He headed into the Traverse while I was still below, and then I headed onto the Traverse and I'd lost sight of him.  A nice tail wind around here.  I spotted him on the climb above hidden valley as I came over from Lava-crossing, and by the time I made the pond he wasn't far ahead.  Reeled him in the rest of the way and caught up to him at the top of Vic. 

Down rabbit paddock, rocks, gums all the way, below road from 19th then road coast into DogparkCarpark for a nice blast.  SO MUCH WATER in there now, took my line zigzag up and down above the wet, then all the way out to the end, clamber to road, home

Assuaging 11.56 kms but surprisingly only 510m climbed

Saturday Terrible Timing

Left it too late and only managed to get out the door on the Stooge just as the rain started.  Thankfully, it wasn't too heavy, initially, so I figured riding under trees might be dry enough for a time, and indeed it mostly was.   Climbed up the road, and dropped off down from the lower dogparkcarpark into the Oaks, then up through my new route above the wetness, I peeled through the wee zig-zag and my rear tire picked up a stick which flicked through the frame a couple of times so I stopped, and had to physically pull it out of the tire...  Seemed to be holding so I started riding again and then a couple of corners up the rear was getting decidedly soggy.  Bugger.  The stick I'd pulled out was from some of the stuff I'd cut the other day, therefore a flat tire caused by my own handy-work. Flipped the bike, got all my stuff out, chucked on my rain-coat, and got to work.  Last patch in my box, so patched it, it held, pumped, reinstalled, and got riding again. 

Continued up through to Skidder and decided to drop into Shazza's.  Swoopy groove down here, through the 'new' bit and then out to the 40footer, along a bit and dropped down into the continuation below Razza's dropping down thru here into Brent's zone, across, baulking on one untidy offcamber dubious traction piece, then across and down the new bit eventually around and climbed back up Corporate Ladder.  Back up out past the 40footer again, then instead of turning right at the Radzone, I continued up towards Cool Runnings entrance, right back across through to Skidder again and up the Grunter.  Through Brake Free and up into the top pines.  Before I made the very top I checked where T was at (shared location) and observed that the rain at the top of Vic was getting a bit too much, so I bailed down thru Brake Free, into the gums out to Skidder, over 19th, dropped below road, swooped through, considered Tawhairanui, decided agaisnt it, and coasted down the road, spotting my grrrl T walking along side the top of Dog Park.  Stopped for an intimate moment, then I dropped off down into the woods, flowy flow, took my new line, lowspeed zig and zag, then down, out into Oaks, and onwards all the way through to the bottom, clambered to road (thinking I might see T, nope) and home

Sullied 5.9 kms and 243 m climbed

Wednesday Quick Stooge Before the Storm

Up many of the ways down, with drizzle slowly increasing as I rode. 

T was out for a walk so I kinda thought I might run into her somewhere.  With that in mind I headed into the To Harry Ell track and then climbed on up my usual downhill route into the oaks, dabbed through the (now) wet spot in my cut-through, then clambered up the steep rocky bit then through the swoopy corners to the dogparkcarpark.  Up around and onto the where I'd usually come down through the trees and there was my grrrl!  Gave here a bit of a fright too...  We were both staying on the west side of the hill due to the howling (and increasingly drizzly) easterly.  Took my leave and headed up out to road below 19th and up to skidder, climbing the grunter through and up, around to Thomson's #1, then down into #2 for a nice blast.  Turned around on the road here and dived back in, climbing back up

the both ways I'd just come, a surprisingly good change.  

Top of Vic, popped out to the carpark and back down around the jumps, down to drinking fountain, then turned back up to drop into Brake Free, swooping through here to peel off Sesame-top into the Gums for a sweet descent through the usual ways, all the way down and out to 19th, quickly turning around here to pedal back up to Skidder, and peeling left up onto the 'over 19th' track, falling in behind some other riders.  Struck up a convo with them, and stopped with them at the top.  We discussed ways down from there (they were heading over the pirate trail into the valley from here) and one of them looked at my bike and said, "nice stoogie" (with a hard G, which I didnt correct).  I peeled over the top towards the Ranger Station then dropped hard left down off the road into the forest just there, dropping to where I'd met T on the way up and then sweeping through into Tawhairanui, flowing nicely through until I spotted some dog walkers, so I pulled up and stopped to wait for them to exit before I rolled out through the carpark into the trail, buzzzzing pylon, and swoopy swoop down through.  Stopped at my corner to have a look at another line, tentatively cut a few branches a wee-ways in, but then gave it up and rode up the zigzag line I cut last week.  It actually flows quite nicely once on the descent.  Final flow through and down all the way to H'Ell, then clamber, road, home.  Bike was a little splecky and damp from drizz so I gave it a sprinkle down and now it is clean.

Gratifying 6.43 km with 200 climbed

Sunday Stooge Trail Cut

Rode up to top of Vic, Thomson's #1 and dropped back down, stopping in the oak-flood forest to cut a new line in. It's a weird one but it's a start, and avoids the wet spot - with a bit of work and some riding I reckon it could be something...

Minimalia 5.8 kms, 201 m climbed.

Quick Saturday Morning Stooge Pre-Heat

Limited time and fixing for 30+ degrees.  T had headed off on a walk earlier, and I needed to ride before the heat, but had Paul coming at 9 to get his brakes bled.  

Headed up the usuals thru Vic.  Took in both the Thompson's, nicely flowed, then back up road to top.  Down around the jumpies, Worm back up to Traverse.  8.35am, I thought, I'll ride 5 minutes each way on the Travers, see if I can see T.  Headed out around to the first high point, stopped and rang her, no answer, rode a bit more then spotted a black figure walking up.  Cool.  I'll ride to her.  Stopped to let a rider through around towards carpark stop and it was Fiona from work, brief chat then I jetted to T just below the pond.  8.40, left her, bit of Traverse - 8.45 at top of Vic, jumpies, into the pines and gums, all the way down, Dogparkcarpark, brief look for new line, nothing that didn't need lots of cutting, then all the way out and down to H'Ell, clamber to road, 8.55, rolled back down to home a couple minutes to 9 - to find a text from Paul just come in saying "i'll be 15 minutes".

Continuing the 8ish km theme of the last couple, 8.76 km and 292 m climbed.

Loopy Stooge, 1st Tuesday of the year

First ride for the new year, after a couple of weeks no riding, minimal walking, lounging in the Koh Samui heat, with uncomfortable plane rides at each end.  Nice to get out on a short(ish) mega-loopy up and down in Vic Park tonight. Up some sections a couple times each but seldom down the same way.  Fun times and tech-levels increasing for the Stooge too.

Usual climb over 19th, skidder, gutser.  Hard work on that, given the long break off the bike, all the Pad Thai, Pad See Ew and Chang beers consumed over the past fortnight.  Tried a wee jiggle of an approach just below Brakefree, that didn't really work, but no matter.  Up to top and into Thomson's #1 for the flow and back up the road.  

Dropped into and around the jumps, flowing all the way down Brake Free and then out the bottom of it (rather than into Sesame) and across back up to top again.  Down around the jumps and into Worm climbing to the Traverse to drop down into PedalFine, bailing left off that and climbing back to the track across below the see-saw, first section of Brakefree again, bailing out to drop down the rocks into the Gums, taking my right hander down and out to Skidder again.  

Into the middle entrance, dropping into Rad to Razza's, trying out the new line to the right in here, baulking and walking two drops (which shouldn't be a problem next time) and then continuing down below into Brentzone trying to work out how to get down across to the new bit next to Corporate Ladder I found last time.  Didn't quite get it right, but now know where to go next time, down this, then back up Corporate Ladder and up the usual around Radzone back to Skidder.  

Back up the Gutser just to the Sesame turn-off I (jiggle-)climbed earlier and flowed on through into the Gums to take the left hand line this time, dropping down through here (rutty!) and then all the way below to the road at 19th.  Below road from here, flowy flow, coaster to Dogparkcarpark and flowy fun down through here.  Took my line to the right to avoid the wet and it's fucking worked its way up into my trail and is mucking that up too!  (will have to get up and cut a higher track...).  Nice flow from here though, down and out to H'Ell, clamber onto road.  

Rather than dropping home from here, I headed back uphill, dropped into the 'To Harry Ell' track, then back up to the climb-exit to the lower Dogpark carpark (by the comms tower) and headed down into Charles' track, tight(!), then out from the halfway point, behind the houses for the hoon home.

Well wreathed 8.3kms, with 362m scrambled

Steep Sunday's Stoogin'n'Snakin' Around

Sweet ride tonight. For a bit of a change, first off was up the steep behind the houses to the dog park, chuffity chuff.  Then the usuals, road, 19th etc. Into Thompson's #1 for a quick blast, then back up the road, straight into down around the jumps and straight into the Worm, up to Traverse to cruise around to Fourpause. Bumpy! (therefore slower - it's really rutted and chunky now). 

Into the landingstripzone, taking the left (older) line, chunkier rocks and more mileage than the direct route, Ali Express, dropping down around and through the fence then following the vague sprayed/worn grass into a new flow path, looping out through the sheep shit and piss zone and back, and all the bumpy rocks the way down onto Old Skool.  Bit of a rest at the usual spot.  

Dived into the biff baff boff of Old Skool, some nice flow regardless, then straight into the valley and upwards, stopping at the bench where the steppy walk track comes out.  Up this wee valley, walking the steepest and riding what I could and up the steppy walk track to Hidden Valley / Bowenvale Bonus, in reverse of usual direction, down then peeled left onto the walking track up into the valley.   Lovely narrow bushy singletrack.  Up valley and a right at the sidle, little bit of flow around into the MTB valley /bottom of Brents, fenceline, etc.  Up Corporate Ladder, checking out a new line back down briefly, then back up Corporate out top of Sneaky, around past 40fter up the usual way thru the RadZone.  

Finally, over Skidder out the single-track, below the road, into DogParkCarpark and 235, blasting down through here, ducking well below the lowered tree and stopping briefly to sort-of leaf-rake my new line (so people will notice it), then riding, down through the oaks, and final fun blast down to end, clamber to road and home

Steep 12.4 kms with 543 m snagged.

STuesgeday Night Nun Spin

Off the back of doing the Abel Tasman over the weekend, my legs were recovered somewhat, so I headed out for a fun wee chuff up and back last night on the Speedbomb.  

Quite hot evening, headed up the usuals, not really knowing where to head.  On the way up the road section, I stopped to snap-send-solve what appears to be the top end of the waterleak in the oaks.  Onwards then to head up over 19th, through skidder, up the gutser and beyond.  Chatted with a dude at the Thompsons #1 turn off - he was interested in my bike (he'd seen the Kendallweed session in Whistler on it).  I headed down Thompson's-both and him up.  

Through Dyer's and up the Summit, I contemplated dropping into the park but wasnt sure about the last lift timing, so continued to the top of the Nun.  Small rest here then dropped in.  Flow was good, only mildly jarring in a couple of places.  Good roll though, and lots of good vibes.  All the way down to the Kiwi again, and back up Summit Rd where I chatted to another dude up top here about the threatening sky, no rumbles, but heavy dark cumulus underbellies hanging around.  He'd just ridden up from the bottom of CAP - he'd been down there half an hour earlier (about when I would have been too, if I'd headed down rather than Nun!) and they'd stopped lift access due to risk of a thunder / lightning strike.  Just as well I hadn't dropped in!  I wouldnt have relished climbing back up Bengal etc...  

Back into Vic, and down the usuals, over the jumps, Rabbit, Rocks (gnarly today), and Gums (DRY!), all the way through to 19th, then below road (giving a walking woman (of a couple) a hell of a fright , even though I was coming past nice and slow), then through and out to road, coasting into Dogparkcarpark trail.  Flowy flow, detour into my new line, then "fuck!"  The little shits building jumps in there have fucking dismantled my favourite jump.  SO annoying.  They've built this dumb jump line through there, a berm of which is now part of the flood, therefore ruined, and fucking broken down was what the smoothest jump in there to waste the wood on other bullshit.  I'm fucked off.  In fact, I'm gonna go back up there and fix the fucker back to how it was.  

Marginal 10 kms travailed with 328 m climbed.

Monday Night Maintenance Machine

Quick up on the Stooge with a pruning saw.  Stood and pumped hard all the way up to the Dogparkcarpark and dived in.  Immediately after the first clearing I stopped and walked back, slashing with the saw at the long grass, first one side then the other on the return.  Back on the bike and nice flow down, down, and stopped where the branch had killed my helmet (and my brain).  Someone had snapped the branch that had spiked me, but there was still some left, and I dealt to it, and some other bits to clear headroom.  Needs a chainsaw - the heavy branch above has split and dropped.  Continued on down and stopped at the quagmire.  Took a look, semi-planned, then got to work, hacking and sawing a path through the woods above the wetzone.  Finished that, pushed back up a little and rode through.  Mostly okay, with speed it might flow okay, but it's a lot flatter and requires a little bit of tight and twisty technical weaving to get through.  Will alter as necessary in near future.  Finished off down over the lower jump and all the way through to H'Ell, clamber, home.

Miniscule 1.75 kms and 50 m climbed - but fun.

Tra'y has since walked down through my new path and came home raving about it...

Wednesday Night Hunts Traverse Stooge (with bonus Whiplash Concussion (maybe?))

An excellent ride until the very end where 2 things almost ruined it... Dived in and was enjoying the crap out of the Dogparkcarpark trail when WHAM!!! a fucking tree branch stopped my head, wrecked my helmet and kinda gave me whiplash, and maybe a concussion?  I'm just not sure. Helmet is fucked, with imprint of branch poked into one of the vents, and the MIPS ripped from the shell.  The MIPS did it's job tho. 2nd thing is the water saturating, and wrecking, the oak forest. It's worse still than last week. 

Something cool. Rounding under Sugarloaf at the usual testing spot 2 guys were stopped and one of them said, "Wicked bike!"  I said, "thanks." And the other follows with, "that's awesome!"

Anywho, the ride was as follows: up the usuals, 19th etc, both Thomsons, back up the road, dropped into Vic, down around the jumpies, up Worm onto the Traverse for the spin across here (where I encountered the love for the Stooge), dropped into Four Pause, on down across the landing strip trail (Alley Express), down to the 4wd, then back up to top of Huntsbury, back on the Traverse for a nice spin across there, dropping through the jumpies, down the rabbit paddock, rocks, gums all the way through, below road from 19th, then into Dogparkcarpark (235) where the head injury happened.  The jump in the Oaks is undoable given the landing is a quagmire.  I pushed up through the crappy sticky bushes above it (where the ground is dry), and finished off with a nice blast all the way down to H'Ell, clamber to road, and home.  Ouch.

12.7kms 442m wrought 

Thursday's Stooge; Drainage and a Beverage

Found the 'good' Ames Shovel in the garage, finally, and cruised up for a dig wee session in the shade of the oaks (28 degrees).  Stood and cranked most of the way up to the DogParkCarPark, dropped in and wove my way down, stopping at the jump to attempt to tidy a bit more drainage after walking up with the dog a couple days ago.  Sooo much water and mud - hopefully the Council will find the leak this time. Really don't know whether I've achieved much, as the ground is so saturated. Did what I could then cruised down through the oaks and climbed up to the road again, onwards upwards to the usual 19th/Skidder combo, diverting for a twist to ride up through the gums - instigating a fair bit of pushing... Out top of pines and across Rabbit to the sunset seat whereupon a NOV was consumed in the Norwest wind, and a Hercules from Scott Base tracked. 

Finished the tasty beverage and I was off up to the Thomson's both (the 2nd after a moment of indecision), then back up the road, into the blasty jumps, Rabbit, Rocks, Gums all the way to the gate, back up to Skidder, 19th, new tack (on old line) over dropping to Latter's, staying on this out to dog park and dropped into the 235 again. Walked the jump muck, and used a stick to try more drainage, then enjoyed the final weaving blast home. 

7 something kms, 215 m clambered. Love that bike.

Sunday Post-Poteriteri Field-Power Athwart the Tops and back

Mint ride today. On the Jeht, toodled up through Vic and across the Traverse as far as the Bridle Path - taking in all the singletrack to Castle Rock and back again. Seemed to just keep requesting power and receiving it, even on the way back... A week in the field (this was day five) really does wonders - walking through rough forest 8 hours a day for a week.  Jeht rode very nicely and I completely cleaned the Tors with no dabs.  A runner girl had gotten out of my way just where it's rockiest and steepest towards the end, and I said to her, "this is where I usually dab" and lo, I didnt!  Magic.

Must say tho.  Trail Etiquette...  for fuck's sake people.  Learn some fucking sharing skills and think before you drop in, morons.  And remember, typically, uphill has right of way.  Look the fuck ahead before you hit the downhill sections of the Traverse in case someone is just there about to finish the fucking climb.  If it's near the bottom I'm happy to pull up and let 2 or more riders through, but if it's near the top, fuck you, pull up and fucking wait, you cunts.

besides ill-mannered dickheads, a nicely trundled 20 km with 730 m of altitudinal gainage.

Munting Friday Stooge.

Killer of a ride today. Absolutely sucked every ounce of energy from me.  

Headed up to Skidder, drank some water, refilled, then dropped down into CAP, spotting Toka, which I'd never done before, and heading in, given it leads to Askins and lower Gungho, both of which I knew.  Well...  it's not very long, in no time flat you're on Askins, jumpity jump, then eventually I peeled off into lower Gung-Ho, which was more my style.  The combo should be called Tokaskungho... 

At the bottom I had a rest then headed down through the carpark and out into the wetland tracks, following my nose out to Worsley's Rd.  Headed up this, grind grind grind up then dropped off into Farside, somewhere I'd not ridden for over 5 years - long time since.  All the way into the bottom of the valley and meandered down and out to Penruddock, then over Happy Home, cruising from here into the wetlands area, finding my way across towards the Quarry park.  

In here, drinking heaps and refilling again, and up to Download, then climbing C2, Crocodile, Low-Road, Siberia and finally the long and painful grind up Kennedy's. Heesh, what a bastard. Across the Summit Rd, and climbing up the Mt Ada track, surprisingly long way to where the crater rim track crosses, peeling left here for a fun blast down to the saddle, then onto the road to cruise around and enter Lower Nun for a hefty rockstrewn descent.  Surprisingly the Park was shut by this stage, but I guess it was 6.30ish.  

Up the Summit into the top of Vic Park for the usual fun, down around the jumpies, down the rabbit, into the rocks, gums, pop and weave all the way down to 19th, then road from here to dogparkcarpark and entered the overgrown ways around and through lots of lovely bermy fun, good jumps, and nice flow out to the very bottom.  Clamber, road, home.

Substantial 25 kms with 806 m climbed - no wonder I'm so stuffed.

Off to Poteriteri early tomorrow.