Wednesday Coupla Livings Laps Sprung.

Nelson collected me from mine, and we headed over through Gov's Bay to Allandale. 

On the bikes, and up through the farm, into Totara Valley, climbing away, and gasping.  Warm and humid.  At the top of what was Rhymes-with-Orange we decided to head up above the Outdoor Education Centre, climbing up this technical, onga-onga infested steepness.  I walked a bunch.  I feels like a different section of trail every time I ride it.  Eventually out the top and we headed up to the big cabbage tree to take in the view.  I didn't feel like climbing higher, so we decided this was the top.  I could hear shining cuckoo below us.

Down, dodging a badly placed gorse bush and then on the edge of the forest Nelson clipped a nettle with his hand, getting him through the glove.  Through the gate and tech, tight, narrow, glorious descent.  Such a lovely wee piece of trail, tho hard!  No time flat back to the Outdoor buildings and back into the main loop.  Around, wending through Mississippi then climbing (ugh) up to top of Zanes and dived in.  Very fun.  Neither of us were ready for the tight turn into steep climb half way down and I nearly ran into the back of Nelson.  Got going again and flowed on out.  

Around the bottom and climbed back into Totara, slightly slower this time, but feeling okay until the last of the steep.  A harrier was making a lot of racket above us, and further up we saw it hassling a pukeko.  around into Mississippi, slightly smoother than previous lap, then climb to Zane's and dropped in, faster still, fun fun fun, both of us prepared this time for the brief climb and cleaning it, then flowing out the end.  Around the bottom, into the start of Totara Valley and as we swooped into here I felt like my back tire was going flat, washy washy, but it held and we blitzed out the bottom back to the car. 

Less kms and only very slightly marginally more ups than Tuesday's Stooge ride.  8.06 kms, 370 m (Nelsie's said 381 m)

Sprungday Livings

Found myself with an opportunity to ride so I bailed over to Allandale, parked, and went for a couple of laps hoon of Living Springs (blimey, 2 years since last time!).  It's not feeling very used, tho there were some skids in Zanes.  Climbing is steep but manageable and nice surrounds, bellbirds glorious, and fantails everywhere.  Up the forest and then into Mississippi and around to Zanes.  Not very fast, anywhere, not being in chase mode like usual, I was being quite careful and not quite trusting any grip anywhere, even though it was alright.  Fun down Zanes, more fun the second time.  Should have pushed a 3rd lap, but I'd been very tired all day.

A measly 6.4 kms, miniscule 235 m climbed...

Wednesday Night Living Moonrise Heavy Nettle Springs

Great, albeit short, ride at Living Springs tonight.  4 years since I'd last ridden in here. (and first ride with lights since September)+ 

Nelson picked me up and we jetted over the hill to the Allandale carpark.  A little bike maintenance, and a couple other cars pulled up and guys got bikes out of them.  We got rolling, up the valley, a couple new sections of trail and lots of new plantings (thanks Hannah!) all around the place.  Across the face and into the Totara Valley climb, all the pines gone now and a new line on the true right of the valley (where it used to be on the other side for a while).  Greasy clay/dirt down low, but drier higher up.  Up into some very dark Manuka, line changed from memory up here.  Eventually out to Rhymes With which was waaay more grown than the past.  Sat and admired the moon just risen and barely visible through clouds, then headed over the gate and up behind the Outdoor Education Centre, making our way up through the gums.  Steeeep, my first bit of walking where Nelson managed to ride.  Through the gate and dodging onga-onga, trail pretty neglected.  Cleared a log in the bushy gulley, and found the creek eaten out.  Tech riding with a lot more walking than I remember having to do in the past.  They've replaced the ladder-stile with a gate.  Up into the open to the cabbage tree, where we found the track very well sculpted.  Climbing, me walking again, climbing, walking, climbing.  Nelson rode all but one or two short walks.  Did I say it was steep?  Fiiinally got to the bench, pulled up a pew and admired the (almost) full moon, that we'd seen rising   

Rather decent descent begun.  Full on speed, careful carefully, down down down.  Through the gate, then Nelson kinda overshot the cabbage tree, but I holla'd him down.  Back across into the bush, through the gate (i oiled it cos it was super stiff).  Techy as, winding our way down, auto-checking for (h)Urtica, and having to walk through the creek washout (where I spotted my second weta(?) for the night).  Survived the close encounters with the nettle, and Nelson had the high gate open.  Through the gums, behind the Outdoor Ed Centre and down to the gate.  Spotted a light around the corner into Mississippi and got chasing, seeing it below all the way.  Fun weaving back and forth down this then around, easier climbing to Zanes than I remembered, and seeing more lights below.  Then diving into Zanes and bombing catching the tail-ender a wee ways down, and us managing the tech all good.  Out of the forest and found 3 more (2 of who were the guys at the carpark) waiting.  They were on their third lap.  We took off and around into Totara Valley, minding the grease, and Nelson slid-crashed at the bottom, one foot left attached.  Final bomb across and down through and back to the car.  

Only 8.57 kms travailled with a barking mad 500 m climbed.  That's a big ratio.

Saturday Sprung Hot Solo Living

Out on my own today.  Relatively limited time, and lots of heat, so chose the ride for shortness and shade.  Headed to Governors Bay and parked at the Living Springs Farm Park.  First time over here since my heat exhaustion just over a year ago...

Treadled up the valley and around into the Pines for the climb.  Nice and shady in here, so wasn't bad going.  Sure was hot tho.  Up through the Orange Rhyme, then through the gates above the Outdoor Ed centre and up through the gums into the douglas fir, climbing, walking a bit, very overgrown and lots of stinging nettle about.  Not so bad when climbing, but took note of any really sketchy bits.  Eventually made the ladder-stile, clambered over this and continued on up, into the open paddock, and up to the cabbage tree corner.

Rested in what shade I could glean and then headed downhill, back the way I'd come.  Fast blast through to the ladder, over this and bombed down, instantaneous plant recognition skills coming into effect.  "Is that a mahoe/kawakawa/foxglove or an onga-onga?" all the way down.  Ducking and weaving through them all, and positioning feet to avoid the low level ones. Not long and I was out tot he gums and down the field to the gates again.

Into Mississippi, back and forth like all the ss's in the name, around into the climb for Zanes and my back tire was weaving all over the place.  Stopped and pumped it up, then bombed on into it.  Fun and weavy, fast when I could, but visibility from all the overgrowth was tricky.  Stopped and pumped the tire again, and rode some more and out the bottom.  It was getting worse, but I wondered if I'd make it, so headed into Totara Valley (below Pines) and squirrelled my way down.  At the bottom I bit the bullet and flipped the bike, got the wheel out and chucked a new tube in.  Pumped it hard to get it seated, and go rolling, hot and bothered from the pumping.  Down down back to the car.

.  

A measly, but steep, 7.8 kms, with a hot 289 climbed.

Got home and took the two boys out to Roto Kohatu for a nice fresh swim.

Saturday Living Springs in the Heat Exhaustion Foment

Oh boy.  The ride that nearly killed me.  Heat exhaustion being the name of the game...

Nelson came to mine after work, and we set to getting the creak out of my rear suspension, which we managed to do, all the whilst I was sweating like a pig.

We headed over the hill and parked at Allandale, figuring there'd be plenty of shade on the trails.  Rode in, climbed and climbed.  It was very hot.  Into the Pines and up, I was getting slower and slower and found Nelson resting in the kanuka in Rhymes With Orange.  From here, up through some cows into the steeep climb in the bush.  I walked heaps of what I've always ridden in the past.  Eventually to the fence, over the new ladder (nice job, whoever built it), and on up out into the open, to the cabbage tree, and then up, walking up the steepness, before riding again in the regen-bush zone.  Up ever up to the first of the switchback corners where we rested.  372m.

Time for the down, I led to start with, nice blast down around and through in no time what had just taken us ages to climb.  Down the steep nearly losing it in the grass off camber corner, then around by the cabbage tree and across into the bush again.  Over the stepladder, and down down down, zig and zag, narrow gaps between trees, tight riding.  Nelson took over the lead at the cow paddock, and we blasted down here to the gate, then into Mississippi and then around into Zanes.  I stopped to check text and saw him ahead in a few corners, but never gained on him again.  Finally out the bottom and met him again, and we cruised around, did the wee 'drop' detour and the on into Totara Valley and then down back to the car.  Good ride but for the heat.

9.45 kms, with 430 m climbed.

Got home, ate 3 slices of pizza, loaded the cars and we took stuff to the new house, unloaded, then came home and when I showered it hit me.  Full blown heat exhaustion.  Throbbing headache, weakness, aching body and joints, nausea.  Tried to cool off and rehydrate for teh whole night - fever dreams, and spent all of Sunday in bed.  Sick as.

Wednesday Evening Lungs Sprung around up and back

Usual pick up, traffic navigations, up Hackthorn, Dyers and over the hill - parking at the Governor's Bay jetty. Rode round the waterfront trail, quite enjoying high tide and pleasant odours, -ish. Thru Allandale, spotting kingfishers galore, and then some kereru swooping around as we headed up the road and into the bottom of Living Springs. Climbed in the valley, cross the stream a couple times and around onto the nice new Totara Valley climb into the Pines then on up up up - noticing a lot of onga-onga around the place, looking lush and vigorous.  Clamber clamber, through Rhymes with Orange and then up the grass and through a couple of gates.

Above the Outdoor Centre, climbing through the gums, through a dodgy gate, then into the forest, sidling and climbing, up more, in the bush on the awesome twisty turny climbing trail.  Stopped to pull some weeds (foxgloves), and then I brushed my arm through some onga-onga and no dock was to be found.  Yowch a bit.  Thru the difficult fence and then a bit more bush before coming out onto the open lands.  Across to the cabbage tree, and back up the other direction, getting steeperer and steeperer til I walked a bit.  Re-mounted and rode on for a while, through the gate and the trail was nice and cleared, having been weedsprayed at some stage recently.  On a particularly steep grunt I completely exploded my drive train. Got to work fixing, and half an hour it took, using rocks and breaking Nelson's mini pliers in the process, we managed to remove a couple of bent-arse links, cobble together the chain with a couple of 9spd quicklinks, and bash my granny ring out of the way sufficiently for me to continue upwards using the 36t (2nd gear).

Nelson rode most of it, but I walked a bunch of the steepest bits, and eventually we made the top, walking over the fence and up the hill a bit; observing dickhead boyracers taking blind corners on the wrong side of the road at speed.

The view from the top:

brief snackage, and then it was time to head down. Fun blast. So so good. Back down into the bush and it was exhausting, twisting and turning, avoiding bar-strike, sketchy, slightly greasy bush soils, but just so good. Puffing a lot by the time we got to the dodgy gate.  Then down past the Outdoor Ed Centre, gates, and into Mississippi, me nearly getting taken out by a couple of big lambs, but catching up Nelson, and swooping down and through the kanuka forest.  Then around to Zane's, the climb not so bad, and then down, what a blast.  An off camber root and my own muppetry made me stop briefly (without crashing) about half way down, and Nelson got a good lead on me which I never gained back.  Finishing off with an awesome floaty jump at the bottom.  

And nearly done, back around into the new Totara Gully for a super fun downhill and then around the hill and down again, funtimes, finally cruising down between the fences to the road again.  Thru the Freedom Campers at Allandale and we blazed back around the waterfront to the car.  All good.

16kms travelled, 638m climbed and descended

Wendnesday's Loving Sprungs

Nelson and me had a second go at Living Springs last night, after bailing on it the other week.  It was COLD in the valley bottom, so we layered up to get rolling, up the entry trail, across a creek and up under some gums then nice singletrack in a patch of scrub, onga-onga at face level carefully avoided.  Across the creek again and across the paddock and into the nasty steep climb up to the Pines.  Wheezing like crazy I was left behind by Nelson who jetted on up ahead.  Passed a farmery-type couple walking here, then into the trees and climbing, Nelson's light visible zigging and zagging ahead of me.  I was getting hot by the time we got to Rhymes With Orange, and was thankful to find Nelson stopped at the usual resting spot.  So, jacket off and stowed, and off around and up to the gates.  We planned on a bit of exploration, and boy were we in for a treat.

Examining a map of the area we headed up into the gums and found our way onto a reasonably recently built singletrack into first some douglas fir forest (which I'd explored once before), and then into a steep gully of bush, switchbacking back and forth, so tight you're almost looking backwards over your shoulder to see where to go next.  Sweet we area of trails, tight, twisty and steep, with a couple of nicer sidling bits thrown in too.  Then a fence on a slope so steep that you couldn't climb it easily, bikes over, backpack off, and squeeze through.  Onwards a ways, and out onto the grass and tussock hillside, ever climbing on new(ish) singletrack.  Switchback onto the older trail (quadbike size), and up towards the left, little walking, steep for a bit then mellowing off, and through a gate and more bush around, but not immediately on the track, climbing still, up into a valley and across the next slope then steeeeeep bits, walking, and more switchbacks and there's the top!  Mint.  Fence has a sign facing the summit road area saying "No Admittance, Extreme Rockfall Risk"...  Sat on the 'Memorial' seat for a bit, for a bit of a munch, and then off we went down.

Slow and steady to start, not letting speed get the better of us on the steepest stuff, tho not going that slow.  Sweet run down down down, hanging a right at the cabbage tree, and taking the now narrower trail across towards the manuka scrub.  Into this and weaving up and down for a bit to the tight fence.  Then into the best part.  What was walking on the way up was now techy, low speed enjoyment, blanched with bouts of handlebar scuffing speed.  A lot of fun, winding down the corners, back and forth, across, then all too soon to the next fence, then douglas fir to the badly hinged gate.  Gums, poppy jumpy down across above the outdoor centre, and back to the gates to climb and head for Mississippi.  Thinking about it now, the way to do it, if you weren't keen on climbing all the way to the top, would be to ride up the older trails up the paddocks, and come into the top of the manuka forest for the singletrack descent...  hmmmm - definitely next time.  Makes riding over there more than just a couple of laps...

Usual fun in Mississippi, twisty turny down back and forth, tiring (for me) climb to Zanes and blast down this, me feeling weirdly off my game and taking it really easy.  Meeting Nelson at the bottom, I discovered my rear shock was on 'Climb'...  AH!  Switched it up to 'Trail' and we got on with it, heading up the new entry across to the pines for another loop.

Much more comfortable this time, rear wheel sticking to the ground, grinding up to a rest in the Orange Rhymes, and then across to Mississippi and blasting this much betterer, staying tighter on Nelson's tail, even on the climb and not far off down into Zanes until a stick went clickity click in my rear wheel.  Cleared that and chased, but never gained much.  Out to the bottom at a much more comfortable and rapid speed than earlier, and around again, this time checking out an as yet unbuilt trail from the new entry to the pines downwards (would be the way up to the pines in the future) onto the usual, then across to the paddock, across to where we'd climbed in at the start, and down through the creek, gums, creek and last blast down between the fences to the car.

... A steeeeep 600m climbed, all in 13kms. 

Thursday night Hack Porse and Spriving Lings

First night lights ride tonight.  Nelson usual pick up from work and trafficking across and up Dyers then around the Summit looking for the top Livingsprings entry.  We think we found where it was, stopping first too early, then second obviously past it, so the bit we'd seen before that had to be it...  Parked down at Gebbies and headed in 6.10pm, last of the sun going and giving spectacular nor'west skies and freaky light on the hills.  A car passed us as we gasped up the gravel road, and proceeded to park at the end and the occupants got out, a young couple heading in to the hut for the night.  We said 'see ya on the way back'.  Up the trail and over, lights on for the first time as we headed down the rooty steep into the forest.  It's been so long since I've ridden this bike I forgot to drop my seat, making the descent sketchy to say the least.  At the bottom, staying low under the low trees and climbing up the roots was hard work.  Then up the fence line and over the stile and on up.  Greeted at the top with a MOST spectacular view of Mt Bradley and the basin surrounding the Packhorse lit from reflected off clouds set-sun light.  Utterly amazing.  Down the road, and into the dark dark fir forest for to climb.  Walked the switchies, rode on, past the 'bach' through the open, startling a rather large cattlebeast, then on up up up.  In no time we reached the next switchback section, me thinking they were way further ahead. Had another breather at the top, then hit the last gasp climb to the fenceline.  Next it was round the narrow sketchy ledge, through the Dykes and into the wind.  Howling gale of a thing over the leading ridges, pushing us both off our bikes for dabs before reaching the hut, where we found a bunch of very windswept tents, and a few bods to talk to.  50 minutes from when we set off, dead on 7pm.

Off back down, I led the way, easier riding with momentum, into the wind.  At the Dykes we met the walking couple from the start (they'd made good time, we thought), and proceeded to get cow shit all over our tires and bikes, as we traversed the techy ledge.  Over the fence and into the woods, flowing, wafting, drifting around corners, fantastic descent through the forest on the soft pine needle surface.  Pure bliss riding.  Short climb around the tricksy tree, then down again, at times with much speed, others cautiously keeping grip.  Into the open, brief climb where the cattlebeast had been, and back into the forest, across and down the switchies, then ballbearing fir cones, and out to the forestry road climb.  Nelson took off up this and I plodded on up behind.  Over the stile, up, then down the paddock trail, Nelson out front using his newly acquired DH mojo.  Over the next stile and down the barbed wire edged rootfest, then barbed wire edged rootfest climb, then steeeeep, both of us walking eventually, to the open and back on for the last over and down to the road, for a dusty follow into the little trail below the road which was fast and grippy back to the car. 

As always, surprisingly only 450 odd metres climbed (always feels like more), over a round trip of just over 11kms.

Then we drove round to Living springs, to take in one lap.  In the Bamford Rd entrance, and around.  Clambered up to do that wee drop bit off the side of the trail, then found a new being-built track that takes you across the slope, through a huge new native planting area, and into the bottom of the Pines, climbing up newly formed, but as yet unfinished, track to the old Pines entrance.  Up (and down a couple times) through the Pines, having forgotten how steep bits are, then stopped for a sit in the dark on Rhymes With Orange.  Off again, and around into Mississippi, trails all in mint condition, then as we climbed to Zanes I hit the wall, and started to shake.  Sugar from earlier in the day had all run out and I was verging on one of those cold-sweat shakes, but managed, just, to keep it together and flowed and hummed down Zanes to the bottom, over the bridge and back to the car.

just over 3 kms, and under 100m climbed...

Wednesday Spriving Lings

Nelson collected me from across the road from work and we crawled through the usual muppetry that is rush 'hour' towards the hills.  Up and over Dyers Pass Rd and through to Bamford Rd, parking up under the macracarpas.  TWO years since we'd last visited!  A warm and windy evening.  Through the gate and across the creek and on around the foot of the hill with the rutty downhill and through the tight bermed corner before the first grunty climb to take us up to the Pines.  Plodded our ways up this and into the trees where it was rather dark for shades, dead on 6pm as we entered here.  Left the sunnies on for a while but about 2/3rds of the way up there was a small pine across the track, which we shifted and shoved out of the way.  Sunnies off here.  On up to the top and a brief stop for air on Rhymes with Orange.

Then we detoured around the Outdoor Camp area looking for trails we vaguely remembered, not really seeing any, and looking further up the road a bit for trails I thought were meant to be going in there, but nope.  So, back past the camp and down onto Mississippi for the swoopy loose and tight-as-tight-can-be descent before winding around and back up a bit and into Zanes -  again with the swoopiness and looseness and tightness.  We were thinking a 29r with 800 wide bars would be treacherous.   A leaf got caught in my marshguard and buzzed annoyingly, so stopped to back it out.  Then off again and down.  Out the bottom, launching nice air on the hump by the bridge.

Second lap, around the bottom sidling trail, this time taking in the wee 'canyon drop' and then turning around heading up the steeeeeeep track in the middle, me walking 3 times, that takes us to the top of Mississippi and around onto Rhymes with Orange where we stopped for a well earned rest.  Into the Pines for an, at times, skiddy descent.  But mostly nice and flowy.  Turned around at the bottom and rode back up it, me gasping more this time.  Resting again in Oranges, watching a falcon cruising the thermals, looking for rodentia.  Then across and down Mississippi again, Nelson in the lead this time, and both flowing much better.  Round and into Zanes and fanging it down here, a leaf getting stuck, again(!), I stopped to release it, and then squashed a testicle on my seat - much pain - which lasted til the bottom.  Nelson got well ahead due to my agonising pause.

Third time lucky, across the sidler again, canyon drop, and down, then up up up to the pines, me slowing riiight down for these climbings, and Nelson doing reps or sets or whatever, going hard then buttoning off, going hard etc.  Resting again in the Orange Rhymes.  Final descent, into Mississippi, really getting the hang of it this time, the trees all mysteriously having stepped back from the track to make room for us.  All tightness loosened, and way less sketchy.  Powering up to Zanes and me staying tight on Nelson's tail this time, no bollocking and no leaf.  7.40pm back at the car.

ThursNight Packhorsing Springs

Cotic'd to work, then got to Nelson's work and we trafficjammed our way to Dyers Pass Rd and Gravel road in is obviously very well used now, by lots of logging trucks.  Then the open singletrack is overcrowded with thistles that are very conveniently at handlebar height - yowch!  Sweet wee blat down into the forest, loose and rooty and sketchy, dropping a ways before the clamber up to a stile.  Over this and up the paddock edge and over to a massive stockpile of logs where once was tall shady forest.  The trail has changed here, quite good, bombs down and meets the old trail where it goes into the dark fir forest.  I stopped and got the sunnnies off in here and chased onwards, walking up the tight switchbacks then getting going again, up and over past the wee bach in there, then on into the last climb that goes on and on and on.  Over the stile and a little bit of a rest, then up round the open exposed edge trail.  Awesome, keeps you on your toes.  Cleaned all the rocky sections and we were at the hut about 40 minutes after we left the car.

Didnt spend too long at the hut, and hit the trail back, picking our way round the slope, carefully but interestingly.  Into the forest and the speed gets up quick, flowing and rolling and swerving and swooping.  I shoulder/handlebar barged a tree (that'd knocked off Nelson on the way up), and had one close call on some particularly sketchy roots that were scattered all over the track just after a fast corner.  The climbs made me suffer, but the descents were sweet.  Return to the car was 1 hour 20 after we'd left.

Drove down the road and round and parked up Bamfords and headed into Living Springs.  Round School's Out, checking out the wee "technical" 'drop' side trail, then up to the pines.  Swapped bikes on the climb and i got to see what all the fuss is about these new fangled full suspension bike machine things.  Sag was a bit soft for my fat arse, so the pedals kept clipping the trail, but i liked the way bumps were absorbed...  Swapped back at the top of Rhymes with and we headed round into Mississippi.  Sweet flow motion tho lots of sheep shit.  Then round into Zanes and fun times.  Bottom of Zanes we headed round and did the droppy thing again then up the steep bastard farmtrack leading to Mississippi.  Walked a bit, and tried forks down and up, and down was definitely easier climbing.  Then it was across Rhymes With, and down through the Pines, 8.30ish, and pretty dark in parts of the forest, then blitzed down to the bottom and clambering the last shreds of power out of my legs round to the car.

Wednesday night Spring Living

Trudged the Cotic to work then skedaddled down Blenheim Rd to Nelson's work from whence we trafficjammed our way to Dyers Pass Rd and over the hill.

Parked at Allandale and had a wee explore round the waterfront all the way back round to the Gov's Bay wharf, which was disappointingly closed "due to earthquake".  bah.  looked fine to me.  Been years since i'd been out there.  Anyway, rode back round the waterfront, nicely warmed up thanks.  Headed up through the new entry to the Farm Park, on up, progressively getting less new, and wetter and wetter.  Not boding well.

Finally up and we saw that the usual paddock climb to the Pines was chock full of lambs and ewes, and cattle, and we wondered, is the place closed for lambing???  So, we made our way round to the Bamford Rd gate and found no signs, plus saw no sheep in between, so we figured, we'd just stay out of that one paddock, and slogged our way up 'mississippi', peeling off to the right across and up a big open area, then climbing a fence into the top half of the Pines.  Up we rode through here, pollen wafting through our fields of view, up into Rhymes with Orange.  Then decided to turn back and head down the Pines.

Great descent, flowy fun, all good for a long while down, then in the lower end Nelson ahead of me and he just smacked flat down on his left on the entry to a hairpin.  I arrived and the look on his face made me think it was bad.  He lay there for a while, taking stock, and thankfully received for his troubles nothing but a big haemotoma on the elbow and a couple of small leaks on his leg (one of which was a reopening from last week's Oldskool crash).  On the ground you could see where his front tire side knobs had gone straight ahead.  Front wheel right out from under him on the invisible lack of traction.  We got going again and wended our way, both a little more warily, to the bottom where we found a few cattle that'd pushed a gate open and gotten themselves where they shouldna, so, herded them out and locked the gate and turned and headed back up the track.

Largely an awesome climb, but I struggled a bit in a couple of spots.  Found the steeper stuff really hard.  Anyway, after what seemed a while we stopped up on RhymesWith and rested and OneSquared and then i led the way round under the Outdoor centre  and back into the Missississippippi manuka forest.  A fair bit of sheepshit, but the sheep messed up the dirt a bit providing a little bit of traction.  back and forth we meandered, out of the forest, round back into the forest, round back out of the forest, repeat.

Then a bit of a climb and up into Zanes.  W00t!  Excellent descent down here, traction mildly dodgy the whole way, keeping it exciting and interesting.  Sketchy, but all in good enough nick.  Out the bottom at Bamfords Rd gate we decided to pull the plug and headed down the road, back to the car.

Debated whether to stop and lap the nun, but Nelson was feeling a bit sore.

Thursday evening Packhorse and Living Springage

Worked latish and then treadled to get picked up by Nelson on Springs Rd (he'd been in Hornby for some work thing), then we 'rona'd round through Tai Tapu and Motukarara and up Gebbies to park. Probably a little before 7 we headed off up the trail. The first section of trees are felled, opening up the singletrack newly formed eventually tucking back into the trees on the steeper part of the descent. Awesome flow down through this then hit up the tight climb which was maybe the only part of this ride that i cleaned and Nelson didnt. Over the stile and up the steep paddock and over to the next stile, then the fast descent down down freshly smoothed forestry road passing this

before heading down a bit further, i think, then Nelson missed the turn into the darker Douglas Fir forest which climbs nicely at first then steeply switches back and forth and then across opening up towards that cute wee bach. Then its sweet sweet climbing a couple small descents and a few switchbacks and climbing steeper still til finally we hit the final stile. i walked a LOT of the climbs... just didnt have the climbing groove tonight.

Next up its across the fantastic exposure. Ledge narrow, drops to the side, 'remarkable' dykes above, risk of rockfall??? not much sign of rocks having left the dykes, one boulder, slightly bigger than an overinflated soccerball on the track, but otherwise zip. cool ride round and up, lots of dabs, keeping the left foot clipped in, and eventually made the hut. bit of a look round and we turned back down.

Here's Nelson (can ya see him?) entering the maw of the dyke...


Took that pic then rode to catch up, cleaning some of the rocky stuff he'd baulked on just before that pic. (hee hee). Then i lead from there back down round to the stile, then on down down down the blast of a trip through the forest, fantastic trail, tight trees, smooth as smooth gets. After the bach, a fallen tree caught me and Nelson detoured quicker than i clambered so he blazed off ahead of me and we nailed it down through the forest. Hit the nasty climb back up to that sign (above) then on up over stile, up a little more, then blaaasst down the rooty clay paddock's edge trail, over stile and down rooty barbedwire edged narrowness, then rooty climb and steep nasty bits of walking climb, out of the forest into cleared more climb and finally over the hump, stile, and down the road, ducking onto a newly cut, dirt track juuust below the road, encountering thistles in the fingers and calves but generally enjoying the concentration of it better than a fast gravel descent.

Great trail, like a compilation tape of all the best sections of Port Hills riding, snippets of so many pieces of Port Hills trails.


Then, was into the car, and round for a lap of Living Springs. Excellent work has been done in here, and with tape up for the Singletrack Fiesta this weekend, marking the way nicely in the now getting darker bits of the forest. A tiresome climb, for me anyway, up through The Pines, but man oh man, i dont remember it being so long, in a good way too. It just zigs and zags so nicely up, using the land to maximum effect. Would be a sweet descent too. Continuing into Rhymes with Orange and the worst of the climbing pretty much done. Caught up with Nelson here and we blazed off down the down, into the dark bush thanking the white marker boundary tape, and enjoying the crap out of the back and forth downwardsness. Round into Zanes and w00t fest, albeit and somewhat blind one. I noticed the section of trail i helped with way back when has been bypassed now, no doubt due to the slumps of last winter's wet, the detour is sweet getting out of the forest and cutting along a sidle before rounding a spur and sending us back into the darkness for the final swoopy descent. screwed up a couple of bits in there, but no offs so all was well.

Home, late.

Saturday Packhorse and Living Springs

round to pick up Chris 8.30ish and after a little faffing we cruised our way to Gebbies Pass. parked up and the southerly was already in effect, which was surprising, cos it was such a nice mild norwest night and morning...

headed round up the 4wd road 9.30ish, wind turbine revolving rapidly over the hill, and ducked into the forest, where a good noseblow got my nose bleeding. staunched that, and got on down the hill, overcooking one of the corners entirely, but having a nice blast down to the bottom, then climby climb up to stile and climby climb on up the paddock, newly dug over with a bulldozer, scrub removed, and flowy singletrack disappearing once or twice. steep steeps and then down, narrowly missing that gorsebush inappropriately placed before the next stile.

back into the forest for the wide open downhill, then ducked into the nice shady singletrack, overtaking a couple of walkers, on up the grunty switchbacks, one of which i blew, followed by Chris blowing the next one. then on up past the little bach in the woods, and on up and up cleaning the odd surprise and losing the odd one too, and on up to end of the forest.

hit the traverse, Chris losing his balance so me smacking my shin on his pedal as i squeezed past him, continued on through the Remarkable Dykes and round up to the Packhorse Hut. Southerly clouds catching on the back of Bradley, and wind howling over the saddle, but no sign of rain. scared off the hut's only occupant and took in the ambience of the hut for a one square or so, then headed back out into the wind.

Excellent cruise down the open stuff, hi to the walkers again hut side of the dykes. layered up a bit at the dykes, and then round to the forest again. awesome blast down these trails, flowy sweet sweet woot inspiring blazing, ducking and dodging trees, popping sweet airs over risers, and tucking into the switchbacks. amped by the time we got back to the wideopen 4wd climb back up to the stile, over the paddock with some cool drops and sketchiness towards the bottom, stile, then tight barbedwire-edged descent and sidle, climb back up, couple corners getting the better of us, and then a skid filled slidey fast road back to the car.

drove round and parked up Bamfords for a spin round Livingsprings. bout 11am, some guys driving off as we got there. usual trails, round to the up, to the pines, enjoying the nice new bit there (thanks community servicers!). then hit up Goodie Gum Drops (for the 1st time) in both directions, and round down to mississippi and clambering up to zanes for a final arm-pumping blast down there. home by 12.30. great ride.

Sunday Night, frustrations. - first under lights

abortion of a ride last night. picked up Chris at 7, and we headed, via mega detour petrol stations (for the 4c voucher), eventually to bottom of rapaki. 7.30, got out of car, realised i didnt have my helmet! so, drove home, grabbed helmet, and decided to go check out the new trail in Lyttelton. drove through tunnel, 7.55 parked up hill from Police Station, and got on bikes, up a bit, carried up two flights of steps, then on up Gilmore Tce.

at the end of Gilmore Tce, there's this guy standing there looking smug. "you realise your tresspassing?" Huh? From before the turn around on Gilmore up to where the council reserve (and track) starts is private land that he (Mssr Angelo) pays rates on and has to maintain and permission hasnt been granted for public use blahdeblarhdeblah, self satisfied bastard. i asserted, and we negotiated a bit, and still he refused us entry to the public land. the only thing i WISH i'd realised was that there was NOTHING saying it was a private right of way, or that it was a Trespassing area. so, we ended up riding back down to the car, and thought we'd head up evans and do Greenwood.

got back to car, through a road closed sign, into more road closed area, and then backtracked narrow twisty steep back streets of lyttelton under the timeball trying to get past the closed bit, to no avail, the access to sumner was shut last night. so, figured, Living Springs...

drove round, light disappearing fast, and parked up on Bamfords. headed into the trails. did a lap in no time flat. nice lap, fun except for inhaling all of Chris's dust the whole way. decided to do a second lap. up farm track, into pines. chris getting a bit ahead, then "OH". his light had died. this is the trouble with HID lights, very little warning that they're going to die. i followed him up the rest of the pines, then he tried following me. but in Mississippi he just had too much trouble with the trees over the track and finally ended up kinda slipping off the track, so he bailed out the escape and used the full moon's light to navigate back to the car, while i blasted on down Zanes.

Friday nite Spring Living, Saturday tagalonging

Friday night, picked up Chris Cove about 7 and drove to nelson's, whereupon Chris realised he'd left his battery at home, so we all went back to his to get it and then took 'scenic' route thru tunnel and round to Living Springs finally arriving about 8. parked on Bamford under the macrocarpas, and headed in, sidling across Skoolz Out round to the steep grunt up gasping for breath to The Pines, climbed up thru this, enjoying the nicely radius'd switchbacks and middle-ring-ability, onto Rhymes with Orange for a quick swoop through and then up to the OCC. grabbed Mississippi down, near the top stumbling across a couple freshly birthed gooey just-stood-up lambs and mum right in the middle of the trail, on with the anchors and we jumped off and carried our bikes around below them giving a wide berth. continued on down the twistiness and then across onto Zanes. excellent fang down here, only one really nasty wetspot near the bottom. fun twisty tight singletrack..

Back onto Skools Out, back up the grunt, back up through the pines, then we thought, there must be more? (cos silly me hadnt printed off the map i'd gotten off Craig and Rebekah...) so we rode the road round to the main complex, not seeing anything obvious, headed back round and headed up a trail that said Summit... took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up sidling up and across the slope above OFarrells following a cow pocked fenceline. Figured we'd turned wrong so went down to O'Farrells and followed it a bit towards Gov's Bay, but decided it was no good either (reminded us of old skool dayz of exploring trails with cow shit and holes everywhere and not knowing where to go...) turned back to OCC down O'Farrells. then down to Mississippi again, avoiding the sheep and lambs again, flowed down it but this time took the bail out before heading on to Zanes, rode back up open slope and into Rhymes and then Pines in the opposite direction to before, down to the Pines' end. Turned around here and back up Pines, Chris and me swapping bikes for the climb back up. To finish, we headed back down Mississippi (avoiding the mother and lambs again), then back down Zanes (where the leaves that are near the middle nearly threw me off) and out to car. we all rode up the road a ways and bombed back down to try to get all the sticky mud we'd just picked up off that wetspot in Zanes off our tires.

DX LED lights still the biz...

home via Dyers, stopped for a couple beers at Nelson's and would have been midnight by time i was home.

Saturday. Me Sis is over from melbourne, so, O, her and me went to bottle lake. took tagalong and singlespeed, and also O's own bike. rode first a short way into the first section with O riding his own bike. then back out and grabbed the tagalong and did an internal loop. was fun.