Sunday, Mount Grey Stooglist

Excellent loner ride today. Did the Stupidmarket shopping, dropped it home then hit the road for "Lake" Janet, making good time up there and finding a pretty full carpark. Given all the cars parked, I saw surprisingly few people.  There was one guy here either getting ready to walk or having just finished. Up the road (rather than the zigs), meeting no one. Climb climb, a slowly-becoming-annoying clunk or clack on each pedal revolution, just past TDC on the right crank. Stopped and tightened possible culprits to no avail. 

Detoured to the Lookout then rode and pushed up to the road and hit the singletrack climb. Techknuckle af.

Walked a bit, rode a bit more. Met 4 ladies, who were duly impressed. Walked a bit more, rode some more around the top corner to meet a couple. "You've done well to get up here."

Hit the technical drop-over to the wee saddle, across down to the trail where I hung a right, to climb up to the trig peak, 933m.

360 degree view. Headed off down the ridge back towards the saddle then down to the trail again for the left turn, into the groove... Mucky, rutty, and do much fun. Pigs have really fucked up the track in places, including just before the rock roll. Into the bush for Switchback City - usual foot plant pivot method, jumping off for a few tighter ones. Exquisite riding.

Stooge SO good.  As usual, the longer uninterrupted sections were flow-stage vibe enjoyment.  It's just so beautiful in there.

Into the pines, and then the muckfest section, definitely some of the worst I've ever seen it.  And it continued into the forest below, with big wallows and dirty dirty times.  Back out into the dry sunny beech face then into the bottomlands for lovely lovely flow and groove, ending, finally out at the road.  Next 2 people, a mum and kid on the other side of the river here, 

 

Now for the grind up the road.  I was half expecting to meet at least the woman in her car coming up behind or some other random heading down, but nope, had the whole road to myself all the way back to Janet.  Took a brief detour up a side track just for a look.  Found well rotted carcasses of a possum and a pig or deer at a turnaround caused by fallen trees. (ie, the track continued, but you couldn't pass).  Off back to the car and done.

The usual 13.5 kms and 720 odd m climbed.  Nicely nicely.

Saturday Morning Mount Grey in the Grey

Nice ride today with Nelson and a dude he's met locally recently, Harvey.  Harvey kindly drove, through quite a lot of rain, which buttoned off as through Amberly and up Cramptons Bush Rd, down to a shmizzle at least.  We headed all the way in, up and over past "Lake" Janet, down to the bottom end of the Mt Grey track, where the blown-out ford is.  

Rode up the road from there - very overgrown and narrowing with gorse. At the "Lake" we didn't head up the zigzags on account I didn't think my knee would handle any walking, and Nelson pointed out that the overgrowniness of the trail would be very wetting, instead, staying on the road the whole way to the top, including from above the lookout.  We were immersed in clouds from a bit below there, all the way to the top with some a couple of smatterings of drizzle on the way. I kept getting left behind cos I was climbing really slow, all sorts of excuses really: post covid, not enough riding, my knee...  and they're both super fit.  

Started into the down and it was a bit sketchy, tho stuff came at us seemingly quicker than usual. Hairpins, already? Rock roll, already?? Then as we headed into the forest the sun came out. Still very wet in the there, and the roots and moss were slippery, rocks about the same.  Hairpins?  Boy, the Cotic is long... After climbing slower, I wasn't as fast descending as them either, but it was all very enjoyable taking my own pace.  Fucking mucky lower down, especially in the muckzone.  Passed one or two walkers. Was sweet sweet ride, but my hands were getting sorer and sorer the whole way down.  I think the MeatyGrips are okay on non-tech...  have switched them to the singlespeed, and put the (brown) Burgtecs onto the Jeht now - colour coordinated!

Washed our bikes in the river under full sun and blue skies for the drive home.  Coupled with my commute time from home to Nelson's and back again, (not to mention Harvey was about 25 minutes late), made for a surprisingly long day...I'd left home at 7.40 am and it was 2.40pm by the time I made it home.

Slightly toilsome 13.7 kms and 690 m arduously climbed (by me).  Interestingly, this trip was 2 hours 25 minutes of ride time, vs at least the last 5 times we've done it have only been ride time of 1 hour 40 or so...  I'm wondering if I really was that slow, or if the climbing from the bottom slows down the higher steeper stuff... turns out my MMR was set Auto-Pause Off...  that explains it, I didn't think we were 45 minutes slower.

Sunday Mounting Greyness

Picked up Nelsie, headed north to meet up with Pete and Alistair at Stalker Park, Woodend, to convoy to "Lake" Janet.  

Hot day, 28 or so.  Nelson's brilliant idea was to ride the walking track.  Scorched earth policy had been through, no trees lower down now, we clambered in up the steepest shitface of the trail and zigged our way up. Hot and hot, tho the breeze was coolish once we were higher up.  Met various walkers and runners and dogs various spots on the way up.  Stopped for a breather in the shade of the look out tower, then hit the singletrack from here.  Much better riding, less steep, but techy and balance-requiring, spectacularly clear views all out everywhere every direction.  Took it all in from the top and then it was time to head down. 

Glorious descending, glorious single-track. Rutty near the top, and man the pigs have rooted the shit out of the open land before we headed into the forest.  Techy switchback city in the trees, nice and cool.  What a blast.  So much fun.  Mucky section not so bad, much drier than last time.  Heaps of tree carnage lower down too, tho the biiig one of a couple times back is fully cleared.  

 Followed by the grunty wee gravel thrash back up to the cars, noticed one area where the trees have been hammered by the big winds of a few weeks back. 

All up 676 m clambered and 11.74 kms. Steep!

Sunday's Mucky Mount Grey.

Excellent solo ride today.  Hooned up to 'Lake' Janet and rode up the road, grinding wee climb that it is.  Missed the lookout just sticking the road for a change, then veered right onto the singletrack climb.  Seemed a lot harder than it has been in the past - sort of slipped a little in places making the riding very tricky.  then super wet for a lot longer portion than usual up out of the forest.  Wind was howling in the tower above, but was nice and calm where I was, most of the time, with occasional gusts popping over the ridge.  Parked up for a rest facing east, and then got into it, heading over the edge of the ridge, the wind making it very hard to stay on on the tech.  It became quite urgent descending, being buffetted, to the singletrack here, wind galing around.  Singletrack a bit rutted and mucky, but settled down after the worst of the wet bits.  Foot-plant method for the switchbacks, then nice roll down the rocky corner droppy bit, and not long later into the trees, foot-plant nearly all the way.   Lovely stretches of good sections, across the creek, on down, around.  For the first time, I headed up the 'lookout' track that veers left, and climbed it all the way up.  Not so much view, but a nice dry rocky ridge.  Back down and left onto the main track.  Good trip down here, passing a couple just before it got mucky.  And then muckier, and was mucky as all fuck for a good while down through all the mucky shit.  Out of the worst muck and trail gets dry again, babyheads and cornflakes.  Hairpins and met a dad and two kids and alsatian.  Clear run from here, lots of fun. Bridges, then out to the road, and the grinding climb back up round to the car - didnt meet any vehicles whatsoever til I got back to the car and chatted to a dude who'd just shown up.   

Mint. 13kms with 700 odd climbed.  I was feeling it in the evening.

Queenie's Memorial Grey Monday

One-off public holiday, a foul gale easterly day at home, so I took myself out of town North, (briefly stopping in Woodend to check the DOC site on whether the track was open or not) peeling off SH1 at Broad Rd and up through Balcairn to Douglas and Crampton's Bush Rd, ending up following a couple of cautious Colins up the usually fast gravel straights and then up to Janet. Almost three years since I'd last mounted Grey...  SO many cars in the carpark so I stuck to the road for the climb, rather than the zig zag.  Met a couple walking their way down the road then, at the lookout, a couple more plus a dog, and a solo woman.  Sat here and lubed my chain, which had been a bit noisy on the climb and I should have taken care of it earlier. 

Up the short steep then continued left onto the road again (figuring, again, to leave the singletrack to the walkers today). Passed the couple with the dog and found my way to the top; one xc-style young cyclist passing on his way down.  Sheltered just over the eastern side of the top and ate a little breakfast. Another couple (who I'd seen earlier from the road below them) and the solo woman passing by here heading for the trig, where there were multiple groups and couples visible. 

I launched off down the techy goodness, getting down onto the traversing singletrack for the trip down. Moar tech, ruts, rocks, tussocks, carefully careflly.  I carried over a couple of mucky wetspots, passing one family group in the process, then another a bit lower down ("you're keen"). Good flow but never too quick, taking it safely. Hairpins, all the way down, I was out of practice. Into the forest and a few corners down was a young family.  Beautiful flow of trail between clusterfucks of hairpins. Not too many trees down and nothing blocking terribly. Lifted over a couple. The mucky bit was not too far off the worst I've seen it, tho had solid(ish) enough edges to get down ok, walking a little, balance-biking the rest. Root-tech followed, with mucky rutty holes in that lower run. Moved a couple logs out of the way.  Another family turned up who told me about the big treefall. Then I met it. Bit of work carrying/pushing/lifting/balancing/threading the bike thru ahead of or beside me.  Nice bomb from here, pretty only a few corners down to the bridge, nice through to boardwalk, one log, and then done. 

To finish, nail in the coffin style, the slog up the road and over to the car. 

Grey(t) ride, 13.35 kms with 705 m climbed.

Boxing Day Mounting Grey

Sweet ride today with Nelson and Pete. 8.30 or so pick-up from mine... Jetted up and parked at the usual 'Lake' Janet, and got toodling up the road for a start.  Pete's first blood appeared when his leg caught the warratah at the gate. Turned off into the singletrack, stopping to clear some branches, then hitting the steeeeeeeeeeeep.  Gasping, no asthma remedy so gasping all the way.  Pete had a tumble getting going on one of the stretches, heels over head below the track, blooding his leg good for the second time.  Got to the lookout and some walkers turned up.  Got riding again, up the singletrack, best way to the top.  Up, pretty much in the clouds by this point

Dropped in and the down was magnifique.  Stopped and Pete went ahead and got the drone up, pulling in some footages, and onwards down, meeting some walkers on their way up.  Into the forest and switchback city.  All getting better and betterer the further we descended.  Somewhere along the way Pete blooded his nose on a lawyer too.  I led a lot of the lower stuff, all the way out to the end.  Nice.  Another drone flight over the river and then we were off up the road back to the car. 

Usual couple hours, 665 m climbed, in 13.35 kms...

Saturday Solo Jet Grey

Nelson organised to ride Mt Grey on the weekend.  We (and I invited Derek) were going to ride and Kirsty was going to run.  Then she pulled out.  Then Derek said he couldn't make, then Nelson decided he had too much to do at his old place, so I decided I'd just go do it myself (with Jet).  Left home just after 9 and took about 45-50 minutes to get to the "Lake." Only a couple of months since last time, and a year (almost to the day) of the previous to that

Left the car at 10 and cruised up the road, not detouring to the singletrack this time, just sticking to the gravel climb.  Met one woman riding down.  At the Look Out I stopped and took a couple pics

 and then walked the steep singletrack to the road above, crossing over and riding the upper singletrack sidle across what, if it isnt, should be called, Sunrise Face.  Gorgeous day up here.  Warm, sunny, windless - mostly.  Tight in the trees, fun climb.  Wind over the top was howling in the towers, but so sheltered on my side.  Fantastic views.  Got to the top at 11.

Took the immediate descent track to the saddle, a few very steep techy rocks to start, then the wind was absolutely blasting across the saddle, nearly pushing me off the bike.  Quite tricky.  Around into it, dropping down the guts to the singletrack the other direction, around the face, wind lessening a little but still strong in places.  Wetspots were still wet, but not bad.  Met a quite a few couples walking/running up this section.  Switchbacks, then rocks, and then into the trees.  Jet on my tail, happy as anything.

Switchback City.  Cleaned some, didn't clean some.  Usual percentages.  Awesome descending.  One corner I went round, quite quick, and there's a woman down in the forest below the track.  "Hello!" I said, and was onwards cruising, popping and weaving downwards.  Creek crossing, more switchbacks.  Met someone I knew (Rowan) and her partner(/friend?).  Descendy McDescendface.  Another couple in the thick of the busiest switchbacks, then good rolling cruising down into the pines and then into the open usually very muddy section, was a bit muddy, but there were greasy 2-wheel-slidey dry enough bits to stay on.  Passed a couple of young girls walking up here.  Blasty lower sections, stopped to move a few branches off the rutty rooty part, and flowed out the lower half no probls, no more punters.  Big drink for Jet in the river at the bottom.

Time for the road.  Grindy McGrindface, climbing climbing up and around, met one guy riding a bike down hill towards me at some point, and finally back up to the car, just after 12.  Hit the road, and was home by 1.

A very enjoyable 14.14 kms of country riding 729 m climbing

Sunday Mt Grey with Jet and O

Had chucked on a new front tire, Surly Dirt Wizard, 3.0 inch, on Saturday and, also, first ride on the chainguide I'd got from Josh - so was ready to test.

Headed out of town with O and Jet in the Roomy-On(-the-inside)-mobile and we bombed on up to "Lake" Janet.

2.11 pm, headed up the forestry road then cut into the 'new' single-track link to the walking track zig zag climb.  A few wind throws messed us about at the entrance, which was mildly annoying, but was all clear once we were on the proper track.  Met a couple and a small group and a solo woman as we climbed.  Bloody hard work this climb, reflected in our 7.9 kph average speed.  Still ill, but on the tail end of a cold, I nearly died several times, thought I was gonna have a heart attack at one point.  Felt like absolute garbage.  Eventually we made the look out tower and headed up the road instead of the singletrack.  Not much easier, I don't think.  And the upper km was all in a freezing northerly foggy cloud, quite bitter, and here was us both with insufficient layers.  Brrr...  Jet enjoyed every inch of his journey.  About an hour to the top.

Into the descent, fun down the first steep and onto traversing benched singletrack; all the fun.  Bomb bomb bomb, wet spots, hairpins cleaned or not cleaned as well as last time.  Down the rocky bit and into the forest for switchback City.  Jet loving every minute, O not quite as convinced, not really enjoying the corners but loving the rest.  Vaguely warmer down in the forest, but still pretty chilly.  Close encounter with a kereru at the creek crossing.  Then around onto the ridge, and bombing through the pine bit, then switchback City again, and around through the mudmire, which wasn't nearly as mucky as I'd usually expect it.  Was actually pretty good, with only one dabby bit near the bottom.  Into the lower beech, fun exposure, and bomby roots, all pretty dry and smooth sailing.  Finally, out the bottom reaches and onto the road, mission accomplished, bar the climb back to the car.  About an hour from top to bottom, maybe less?

Climbing.  Road.  Ugh.  Painful this was, long and slow.  Took us a while, but got there in the end.  Back at the car maybe 4.30ish? 
One happy pooch!

On the road a fair bit before 5, and home well before 6

Totals, 13 km, with 653 m climbed, 1 hour 38 minutes total riding time.

Grey Sunday under a Nor'west Arch - Happy 1000 blog posts!

Firstly, let me welcome you to post number 1000.  This is the 1000th post posted to this blog by me since May 2005.  Not bad going, eh!?

Looked to do something a little more interesting than a bash on the Port Hills, so this morning Nelson picked me up at about 8.20 (new time) and we hooned out to "Lake" Janet. Straight into the steep, we rode (and walked) up bastardly steep walking track from the 'Lake'.  We had a wee explore out the recently opened trail to the road that we've always thought must be there, finding and identifying the landmarks as to where it comes off the road.  Turned around and headed back through it.  Future rides will most certainly enter this way up the road first, methinks. Back on to the main singletrack and on up huffing and chuffing all the while, past some guys walking with dogs. Zig and zag, there's always one extra dog leg on this climb that I forget about. Got to the Lookout and looked out. Haze over the city, planes tracking in for the nor'west runway, and massive spectacular nor'west arch overhead.

From here we headed up the walking track, nice climbing now between the broom, through some scrappy beech, with a better gradient than the zigs below.  Usual tussock trickiness higher up and we stopped for a perusal of the view and rest out of the wind.  We spotted some other riders struggling up the scree to the trigpoint top across the way, and they hung out up there for a while.  A few photos

Nelson's bike and foot, Arch, and people on the other summit

Out towards Amberly...

and

Over the other side, looking west. (trail below)...

Nelson set up his gopro and gimbal and it was time to head off down.  I led the way, and we bombed it... cleaning more of the switchbacks than ever before.  Our new switchback technique is unstoppable.  Made for one of the fastest trips, if not the fastest trip, down, Nelson on my tail pretty much the whole way filming.  Met one walker in the switchbacks right at the top of the bush.  After him, we had a mint trip down, speed carried through so much, and more clean corners than ever before.  Stopped at the bottom of the most numerous pile of switchbacks and rested our fingers and hands, and had a snack.

Got going again, and fanged the rest of the way out.  The (usually) boggy muckhole was pretty good, some new looking drainage finally having been inserted.  Much much lower down near the bottom we met a dog, followed by his people, and that was it for other trail users.  Finally out the bottom, hands aching from the brake control, massive grins on our faces.

Into the road climb, once again, several sections we always forget about before landmarks loom, like, after the beehives, I always think it's just a corner and a straight to the ridge, but no...  and from the bridge after the brief descent, not far up to the level of the car from there?  Nope, way further, lots of corners, and a couple of side roads I feel like I've never noticed before.  Finally onto the level and slight descent back to the car.  Loads of cars in the carpark. We dropped off packs, pocketed phones, and headed up the road (~7 minutes) to the new singletrack entry for a wee bonus.  Another minute or so up this and it was into the descent, steep skiddy section to start, then under the big trees over their roots, across and into an old DH track, a few jumps, lots of loose tree litter / bark and a couple of stops to look at stuff, and after carving a few corners, we were back out to the car.

A sweet 15.6kms looped, with 756m gained.  (couple other pics associated with this MMR).

.

Sunday Grey

8am at Rangoon, then transferred to Nelson's car and headed up thru North Loburn to Paringa Rd.  Couldn't drive the ford so parked on the corner and rode through it, getting wet feet.  Over the gate and the climb began, still nice and cool at this point, but as we rode along Banks Rd the occasional gust was full of warmth.  We diverted from our path a couple of times, looking for possible ways across the valley to the next ridge to avoid climbing all the way up to the high point of Banks/Paringa before the big descent back down to the river, but to no avail.  However, we did find lots of yummy blackberry goodness which we gorged on multiple times.

Bomb down Okuku Rd past the beehives and over the gate and down a short ways before ducking right, up onto the Mt Grey Nature Walk.  This proved fun, and nicely graded, with a few interesting features of tight corners and short steps.  Stopped and moved a big log off one place too.  Cool descent down to the camp ground.  Through this and across the ford, and up the long and winding road.  Stopped for a rest at "Lake" Janet, then got into the steep clamber.  Once into the zigs and zags it isnt so bad, cleaning most tech features if not the tight corners.  Gaining altitude quickly we made the tower in good time, then headed up the singletrack from here - broom getting a bit unruly in some sections, but a nice climb to the summit anyway.  Sat in the lee of the hill (out of the strong NorWest) and had a snack, before heading off down the trail.

Fun descent began.  Met the odd walker or runner, couples too, and stopped and moved rocks into a boggy bit while still above the treeline.  Cornering seems easier on the Pipeline than the 5-Spot, and I was really getting into the lefthand switchbacks, nose wheelying, swinging the back wheel around then proceeding onwards.  Righthand switchies, not so much.  Most of them I reverted to my fatbike technique of planting the inside foot and doing the nose-wheely then.  Still quicker than any other method of cornering those tightspots.  We stopped and cleared a couple of big logs across the trail too.  Excellent blast down through the forest, into the pine section, then back into the bush.  Was a fun blast.  Landed back at the ford splecked in muck and smiling.

Now the brutal climb began, just after 12pm, sun beating down, luckily some shade in patches.  Stopped part way up to eat blackberries, then more further up.  Finally peaked Okuku and up Paringa for the last climb, before bombing the gravel back to the car.

None of the chasing of the daylight like last time.

Just under 30kms again, with 1105 m climbed... fairly hefty.

Monday Night Big Hot and Grey

Met Nelson at Rangoon after work and we headed up thru Loburn, checking out Journey's End first, but finding lots of No Entry; Private Property; Tresspassers Prosecuted signs, so back down to Feathers and up Mt Grey Rd to park at the bottom of Paringa.  Had a brief chat with a local and his pitbulls then around 6.15, headed up the road, over the locked gate and up a bit to hit up Banks Rd.  Two wheel tracks, slightly overgrown in places, nice surface, easy rolling, up.  It was pretty hot, but mostly in the shade climbing up here, so not bad.  Then a nice rolling descent down to the Okuku Rd intersection, which then led steeper down past beehives, more beehives, another gate, and down to the campground and ford/bridge at the bottom of our singletrack.  The next and longest climb began...  Up up up to Lake Janet, about one hour in, then, instead of up the singletrack, (somewhat misguidedly) we chose the road to climb (thinking the switchbacks would be in full sun and HOT).  This road seemed to go on for ever nearly killing me, but at least it was shady.  For once I actually used my 'lock-outs' front and rear.  They worked pretty good, tho the rear had weird clunkiness when I stood and cranked.  Had a rest at the turn off to the fire lookout, and then headed up to the singletrack.  This was steep but eminently cleanable til much higher up, in the shade, good to concentrate on, and we made the top of the hill at 8.10 pm.  50 minutes left til sunset.

Into the descent.  I got super skittery on the gravel as we hung a left onto the main track, nearly losing it, but dropped a bit of air out of my front wheel and chased onwards, Nelson long gone.  Was a little careful down here, feeling super sketchy, but after the worst (of only 2) boggy bits, caught up to Nelson and we continued on down.  He was trying out his new gangnam switchback stylez the whole way, getting better (and quicker) all the way down.  I had variable luck with mine.  Nose wheelies with a flick to re-align.  Definitely the way to go...  Down through the spectacular forest singletrack, delightfully rocky and gnarly and the usual cornflakes scatterings.  Near the bottom of the pine section Nelson popped a jump and landed sideways giving massive blowout of goo and air.  From here on down, the lower we got, the more bugs Nelson was stirring in my path and the more I was having to contend.  By the last km to the bottom it was getting really bad, and I was having to ride mouth shut and blinking like crazy.  Made the camp site at 8.50, 10 minutes of sun left...

Stopped and chatted with some campers who'd asked for directions while we were climbing and then got climbing.  Long slog, but nothing on what we'd already done earlier.  Finally made the Paringa turn-off, then followed this all the way up (higher than Banks), and then bombed down.  Gravel road flying, well over 60kph and finally arrived back at the car at about 9.15 - 3 hours, of which 2 1/2 hours was riding time.  Not much mucking around...

A whopping 1115 m climbed, over 28 kms

Wednesday Evening Mt Grey(tness)

Knocked off work early and met Nelson at Sefton at 4.30.  Transferred to his car and headed around and up the hill.  Got riding at 5, up the steep bastard singletrack that climbs up the front. Not quite so bad once you've pushed up the steepest bit, it starts to do these biiig long zigs and zags, progressively shorter til we hit the Lookout tower.  Then I pushed and he rode about half of the singletrack up from here to the road, and then we were onto the singletrack that sidles along the eastern side around and up to the summit.  Awesome techy interesting hard and fun climb.  Took about an hour to the top where we had a rest facing the sun out of the wind (once we'd cooled down a bit) - and noticing a stickiness collected on our left arms from the broom on the way up.  This way up is only 4.3 kms, whereas the usual way

Into the down, brakes honking(!) to start with. Trail basically dry, but some deep ruts, and the usual wet bits were sloppy.  Awesome riding, down through the few switchbacks on this open section, then into the bush, and Switchback-City.  Native Clematis was in flower the upper switchback section, with sprays of it visible in the canopy of the forest - quite beautiful.  Cleaned a some switchbacks, and getting well practiced in the foot-down,-nose-pivot,-swing,-roll-on- ones we weren't cleaning.  The open boggy section was still pretty boggy, but starting to dry a bit, and the forest below this also had a lot of soggy wet bits, but also starting to harden up.  Lots of fun tho, techy rootsville.  Finally out the bottom, before 7.

And the climb began back up the road to the car, which I reached about 7.10pm. Nice 2 and half hours spent damned well.

13.8 Kms, 679m climbed, mostly steeply.

Sunday a.m. Early Grey

All the tracks in town were closed so I thought getting out might be good. Didn't put the global word out cos I needed to make it an early start / early finish, and the bigger the group the slower it moves.  Paul got to mine about 7 and with Jet in the car and me with the Fatbike, we headed out north, pulling up at Lake Janet just after 8 to find Nelson getting ready to roll.

Off up the 4wd road, 8.17, Nelson on the singlespeed honking off ahead, and me finding the fat tires tiring trying to keep up with Paul.  But, what doesn't kill you and all that, I just muscled on, lagging slightly.  A couple of times we caught up to Nelson having a wee rest, and then we'd all get rolling again.  Detoured and stopped at the Lookout, (9.06 am according the these pics) and checked out the view of the plains engulfed in cloud,

Herbert and Bradley, Fitz and Sinclair, islands where the peninsula is. 

And the rolling turbulence over the Weka Pass limestone country was amazing too, Kaikoura Mtns to the north east.

Off rolling again and up the steep section, then Nelson suggested the walking track.  Nice tight singletrack, not overgrown (like I'd checked out in the past), climbing through broom and scrub then into a nice patch of beech, before rounding out onto tussock below the towers.  Stopped for a rest in the sun (and around, out of the wind) up here, Jet antsy to get rolling again.  

Over and around and down into the descent.  Trail in good nick, having been weedeaten recently, and not too much mud - to start with anyway.  Some tricky ruts (sending Paul off the track at some point), and then the usual wet muddy spots (one of which kinda tweaked my shoulder strangely), and on down into the first couple of switchbacks.  Met a woman runner and her collie down here.  We all rode the rocky-shortcut corner and rolled on down into the bush.  Switchback City, cleaning hardly any but some, and it's obvious Nelson and me have the technique down, cos we put a big gap on Paul who was getting off the bike on a lot of them.  Excellent spin down through here.  Crossing the creek, a couple more switchies then around through the more open forest on top past the lookout turnoff, then down into where the switchbacks started to get a bit mental and you're above the creek again.  In here we ran into a big group of walkers, all friendly.

Out of the bush and into the forestry again, and then into the quagmire.  Greasiest I've ever seen it, it was insane.  No traction, sliding, front wheel taking it's own path, rear wheel following or not depending on how it felt.  It was nuts.  Lots of feet-out as out-riggers and a couple of close shaves, but then back into the bush and rutty clay rooty sections - lots of fun - and around into the nice dry forest again for a few more back and forth legs and switchbacks, and on down into the final reaches.  God these trails are good.  Finally, over the bridge, last couple corners and descending, then out to the road and ford.

Rinsed off the bikes in the river here and chatted to a guy and girl biking through, and off up the road for the final slog back to the cars.  Saw the runner woman and collie again heading to their car, and then Jet disappeared ahead, as we gained on them we found out why.  A group of riders with a female 'Jet', who my Jet was getting a bit humpy with...  Got him moving again, and then on the final climb she caught him up and we had to extract them again.  That group of riders were just riding the forestry roads, having come in from Loburn, and were turning back at Lake Janet.

Great ride, 15kms with 707m climbed, back at the cars 11am.  Went and grabbed coffee at Pukeko Junction before home by 12.30.

Sunday Solo, Fat snow mucky Jet Grey

Jetty and me, with the fat on the back, headed up country for the "Lake" Janet.  Loads of vehicles at the carpark.  Parked up and got riding somewhere around 1.15pm, heading up the usual grinder.  I've never managed to remember each bit, but as I ride it I always discover how much longer it is than memory would have it.  Snow was in evidence even as low as the 'lake', in patches, and more I found the higher I got.  Mostly it'd been 4wheeldriven through so there was a melted track through it; evidence of a couple of bikes prior too, and higher up in the shaded bits the tire tread had packed the snow down and obviously had had chains on.  The first couple of these proved quite slippery, so I stopped and relieved my rear tire of air, for traction.  Fatty handled the snow quite nicely.  Met a few people walking down, a couple, a group of women, another couple, a woman with a dog that Jet enjoyed playing with, and 2 bikers too.  Roughly 30 minutes til I passed the fire lookout, and the road above here had lots of snow, but muddy and well melted tire tracks  Very wet, melting snow.  Met another group of women up in this section, and as I approached the towers I could see 3 more down on the singletrack, slipping and sliding in the snow.  I wondered on the sensibility of riding that...

2pm here just above the big comms tower , snack,

photo

and a wee rest (that's Mt Grey proper on the right), lovely sunny day, with spectacular views of row upon row of snow clad peaks to the north and west, and smoke on the plains to the west over Nelson's place.

Then, seat down, a bit of air out of front tire, and off down, meeting the first piles of drifted snowpack on the steepest bit.  Down and around onto the singletrack, finding most of it unrideable for the first couple hundred metres.  Walking feet had packed and pushed the snow off piste, and the wheels followed the easiest path down, which meant, off the track, making it quite tricky.  No evidence whatsoever of any bikes prior this way.  One near O.T.B, but I persevered and the bits without snow were basically running creeks, meaning I got pretty splecked up pretty quick.  All the way I wondered if I'd catch the 3 women ahead of me, but I didn't see them til I got all the way down to the end of the singletrack.  Anyway, there was snow in the forest for quite a bit of the first (south facing) section, dissipating at the creek crossing, but it was all good to ride on. I took it easy, on account of being alone.  Jet was pretty chilled out, but reeaally enjoyed his time.  The usually mudy bit in the middle was supremely mucky today.  Quite remarkable just how mucky it was.  Forest sections of good flow were divine.  and the Fatty handled the trails, roots and rocks, very well.  Was even easy to maneuver around the hairpins.

Eventually got to the bottom and looked at my watch and it was onlly 1.10...  hang on.  I left at 1.15...  My watch had obviously caught on my wrist and wound itself back...  Ground my way up the road, this climb proving far longer than memory permits (MapMyRide says 382m).  Big group of women (and a guy?) faffing at the gate where it flattens out, "you're doing well!", and one of whom asking me where I'd ridden "all the way over, heaps of snow", "well, you had the right tires then!"...

Fast section along the road after this, Jet winding up to full speed, 40 odd kph, galloping along oh so happily, down and then finally the last final climb around and about then the level back to the car...

All up 2 hours of ridng, 15kms and nearly 700 of steep altitude.

Mt Greyrillas in the Saturday Mist

Jet and me jettisoned ourselves from the city in a very smelly leaking-damp Fiat, making good time to Sefton by 12.05.  Nelson turned up not long after and we transferred to the 'Rona, round through Balcairn and up the gravel to Lake Janet.  12.40something as we rode off up the hill.  Long grind, always longer than you remember, into the mist.  Evidence (fresh tracks) all the way up of a 4wd having gone ahead, and finally up in the fog, as we were wondering whether this was the last corner to round before the tower would loom, there appeared said 4wd on it's way down.  Tower then loomed in the fog, and the temperature and wind were unfavourable for hanging around so straight onto the singletrack we went, and down, taking the steeper scree strewn line from the ridge down to the sidling trail.

Feet were soon soaked through from the wet tussocks overhanging the singletrack, but the trail was sweet and we cruised at a comfortable pace down.  Jet loving every minute of it, sticking just behind Nelson who was leading the way.  When we stopped, he'd go sniffing off up or down the hill, locking on to the scent of pigs or hares or deer and having to be called back before he buggered off too far.  First couple of sets of hairpins and we were still in the fog, but not too much farther down we got under it and could see sun soaked hillsides across the valley - very local this cloud was.  Nelson rode the rocky drop that avoids a couple hairpins, but I was feeling chickenshit-cautious and rode the two switchies. From here it was around to the wee saddle and heading into the bush.  Very damp down here, with roots and rocks slippery-as, making caution my middle name.  Fun though, fun fun fun in the bits between the switchbacks, most of which had me just keeping left foot clipped, and manhandling the bike around in a couple of steps (plant front wheel, swing back round, maneuver front around...) and riding on. Nelson cleaned heaps of them, but got off on a few too and crashed on at least one.

So many different environments encountered down through here it's hard to keep their sequence straight in my head.  After the initial bunch of switchbacks, a couple of longer stretches, then finally the best long one after the step-to-rocky-corner Chris crashed on one time.  One more switchback and then the run down to creek crossing.  After this, dryish rocky bits, pungent smell of beech dew, then into an ever-shortening-distances-between-switchbacks sequence down towards the creek lower down, and then more longer drier bits onto the ridge (off which goes the track back up to the fire lookout and 'Lake' Janet and also the lookout on the ridge) and then into pine which was probably the best condition I've ever seen, and then more jungle and slick roots, and more dry beech and then open -what's normally a quagmire but was still dry-ish from the long dry summer - then back into beech jungle, more slick roots and ruts, and the eventually the flatlands and bridge and then out to the end.  All very nice.  Mud spattered and happy we emerged from the woods, encouraged Jet to grab a big drink from the river, and we were into the climb up the road that never ends.  Finally back to the car 2.40pm, 2 hours solid riding - I guess cos we hardly ever stopped..

Grey Mt Grey Sunday

Missed any rides earlier in the week due to being in Hamilton for work, so was pleased when Miranda was organising something out of town, to which I suggested Mt Grey and got a few takers.  Jet in the car, rack on the back, round the corner and picked her up, and two others, Jon and Andrew were in attendance, travelling in Andrew's car.  We convoyed north through drizzle and nearly rain, then up into cloud shrouded Lake Janet, finding Nelson having just arrived.  A cold southerly blew through here.  On the bikes and climbing, climbing climbing.  I stuck back with Miranda who was cruising nice and easy all the way up.  Eventually we caught Andrew above the Lookout Tower, and then rode together up round to the radio towers, where we found Nelson and Jon taking shelter from the bitterly cold wind, entirely engulfed in, maybe, 50m visibility fog/cloud.

Time for the descent:  I led the way, with Jet, mainly just to get the hell out of the cold wind.  Down the first wee techy descent and onto the singletrack proper where we waited and watched the others appear through the mist.  Now, on down.  Nicely groomed as per my last time, tho very slightly soggy-er, rolling round and in and out round the ridges and through the ruts and over the rocks, realising perhaps this is actually quite tricky for a rooky like M.  But, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?  She was smiling the whole way down, whether through fear or joy, who can tell.  Kinda rode down out of the cloud as we were heading into the forest.  Used all of the new 'shortcuts' through the higher corners, and I made it round some of the corners, or just did the usual dab-plant-flick-roll through others.  We regrouped several times, letting everyone reassemble, but blazed the longer stretches happily, with either me, Nelson, or Jet out front.  Great run through all the good bits.  Jon ended up hangin' forward with Nelson and me, enjoying his new found passion (having only got a proper bike recently), and Andrew and Miranda took up the tail-end charlie role.  Again, regrouping many times to make sure everyone was still alive.

The order of the different sections all seemed different to memory, amazing how that happens.  The muddy section, must be about 2/3rds to 3/4ths down, was muddy as hell, tho maybe a tad drier than my last.  But the lead in to that muddy bit, and the bit after it both were entirely different to what memory held.  Lovely lovely riding tho, all the way through to the end.  We regrouped for a while on the big wooden bridge, before fanging out the bottom section.  Awesome.

Washed off some of the mud in the river then hit the slow climb back to the cars.  Again, I stuck back with Miranda while the other three powered off ahead.  Jet stuck with us.  All the way up, my front wheel was making a weird 'gloop, gloop, gloop' sound - water in the rim...  Hit the road and we were home about 1.30.

Gave the bike a jolly good wash when I got home, and lubed the chain good.

Huntsbury with O.

Then, in the afternoon, O said, "can we go for a ride??"  Not one to pass up my 10 year old son asking to go riding, we hit the road and parked up top of Huntsbury.  Rode up, him climbed well really well, and rolled up to the top of the landing strip, then headed down this, over the fence and onto the singletrack.  Blasting down, through the next gate, and he followed me right over the first jump (impressed!), and then followed me down all the singletrack, popping and bypassing each of the jumps depending.  On the lower couple, the drop leading to the wee double, he bypassed the drop then rolled over the double and went straight over the bars.  We rode back up and did it again, this time he cleared it but didnt quite have enough speed, and the back wheel hit the landing, but he made it...  sweeeet!

Sunday's Grey afternoon Jet

FINALLY time and conditions allow me to get out and ride after 2 weeks of weather and commitments getting in the way.  Hit the road from home in the Subie some time just after 12, and was on the bike just up hill from the first gate above "Lake" Janet at 1pm climbing, Jet the happy doggy running ahead or along side.  Good climb, thinking to myself at the beginning, "oh yeah, that's right, I always forget how long this climb is", but in the end, not finding it too bad.  Made it above the bushline at 1.30, and then probably the very top, in the bitter southerly wind, less than 10 minutes later.

Across a few remnants of snow and straight into the singletrack descent, pausing briefly to switch the shock to Descend.  Someone's been down with a weedeater, evidenced by broom and spaniard and tussock scrap all over the trail.  Singletrack a little rutted in bits, but the worst of the wetspots has a couple nice drains draining it now.  Usual tactic on the switchbacks, foot or feet down, parking the nose, flicking the back-end around and getting going again.  Not balanced, but with feet down...  Jet did his usual, getting in behind when I was haulin' ass, and scoping out front leading when I wasn't.  Met some people just at the top of the bushline, Jet saying gudday to their mutt, and us continuing on down into the switchbacks coming thick fast.  A few new lines in here for bypassing the corners, all of which I missed and didn't go back for, one or two chutes to tackle next time.  A few stretches of nice long blissful flowy trail between the corners, crossed the stream, a few more stretches and then it goes on for a while longer flowing on, which had me thinking- THIS is what it's all about!, past the turn off back up to the Fire Lookout (and "Lake" Janet), and the turn off to the close Lookout, and on down, trail in perfect condition and then into the switchbacks that become so dense there's one bit you just walk down.

Once these were done we had a nice long section of sweet flow, then left the safety of the beech forest and out into the open, greeted with mud, (not-so-) glorious mud.  Mucky filthy soggy treacherous mud.  Slopped and slid down through all this and then it was back into a beautiful leaf-littered section of beech again, the mud on the tires fast becoming covered in little beech leaves.  One or two more switchbacks and down into lower forest, mud holes and roots, mostly pretty good tho.  flowing on down and through and eventually over the bridge, down a bit more and out to the road.  Awesome.  Now for the climb back up the road...200odd metres over 3-4kms back to the car, Jet obeying me well for good road sense.  Half way up, amongst the beehives, a bee collided with my left eye, bouncing right out again, no harm done.  Little bit of smarting, but it never got worse than that...  so, total of around 700m all up.  Felt gooood to be on the bike again, and the Spot is a joy to behold.

Sunday Mt Quite Grey - BFe's First outing

Well.  Assembled the BFe Friday night and finished it off on Saturday night, ready for this morning's early start.  Left home about 8.10 and got to Sefton just after half past, waiting about a minute before Nelson showed up.  Transferred to his car and we zoomed round to Cramptons Bush Rd, noticing a Lake Janet access Closed sign early on...  Figured we'd just ride up, and did.  Parked at the gate (closed for fire risk) down low around 280m alt, and treadled up the road to Lake Janet at around 460m then on up Mt Grey Rd to the top in around an hour.  Bit of rain about, really quite refreshing.

Top of Grey (radio tower - 929m), could see a a fair bit of rain out over Waipara basin, and so we hit the singletrack down, gnarling our way round through the tussocks and spaniards (one spiking my hand), boggy bits nearly dry, but still with some bog to them, and on the last section before rounding over into the bush (700m) the rain came down.  Switchback-City ensued, and we cleaned some and dirtied others.  Seemed to get down in no time at all, getting to the wee ridge with the look out very fast.  On downwards from here and loving every second of the trail. Out the bottom of the singletrack (~280m (again)) we flew, and before heading up we snarfed down a bunch of blackberries for a rich fresh antioxidant blast. 

BFe seems more planted, firmer, power transfer is more direct, i guess cos the frame is less flexy.  Seat feels a bit more solid, which shows how much flex there was in the old Soul back end.  Otherwise it handled exactly the same - excellently.

Climbed back up the road to "Lake" Janet, where we started up the road (as if for a second lap) and hung a hard right just before the gate, into the fir forest and down a nearly invisible singletrack.  Found a bunch of big holes dug, the fill of which had been used to make jumps nobody would want to ride...  several of these til finally out the bottom, back onto the road for a (i would say) 80kph+ blast down the gravel back to the car.

So, over all, a 650m climb followed by a 650m descent (one or two ups and downs in there), then a 180m up and over...  830m altitude climbed...  not quite the tonne we were thinking... but still pretty good effort well worth the doing.

Saturday Mt Greyish

Nelson finished work at 3, flicked me a txt and i departed and we met in Woodend from whence we convoyed to Sefton, deposited the Fiat, and proceeded on up to Lake Janet in the Rally 'Rona.  Parked up and i got the Soul out and wheel back on, then tootled around on it while Nelson changed and faffed about a little.  Something didnt sound right.  Like there was a stone in the frame, rattling when i wheeled it around, but not really there when i was riding it.  Tapped the frame and shook it and pin-pointed the location of the noise, only to find a crack.  And another crack, and another...  Damn.  One either side of where the down tube meets the head tube, and one right under that junction.  Figured the risk was probably too large to tackle what we'd had planned, so we settled on something much smaller and tamer, but still a bit of a ride...  Basically we went Old Skool.  Up the old track that zigs and zags from the "Lake" up to the Look Out tower.  A lot of it was unclimbable.  We took a turn on each other's bikes and Nelson's was way better for climbing...  I cleaned a bunch more than i would have, and than he did, no the last couple of zigs and zags to the top.

Considering the 'drought' that is embracing most of the country, it was surprisingly damp up there.  The top was ensconced in cloud (which slowly lifted while we were up there), and the forest and vegetation was all dripping.  Rocks and roots were slippery, adding to the 'fun' factor of the whole schemozzle.

At the top, we swapped back and headed on down, me being pretty cautious on the old loading of the front end.  But pinning it now and then. and enjoying the old skool-ness of the whole trail.  Been many many years since we rode that track, at least 10, if not 15.  With a bit of tidying it would actually be a more enjoyable and interesting way up to the Look Out than the forestry road.

So now the hunt for a new frame ensues...


UPDATE:
New frame found.  A Cotic BFe.  Picking it up Wednesday night, ready to rebuild Friday and Saturday, hopefully.

UPDATE UPDATE
New frame home...  it is exactly the same geometry as the Soul.  AWESOME.  swapped dragon_style my Stinger for the ISCG  one that mounts on the frame, also, a phatter seatpost, which i bought with the frame too, another Thomson layback just like i had on the Soul.  Mine will now possibly do time on the Troll, if it fits.

Mt Grey Sundae.

Just about a year since my last time up there; a great ride today.  Early start, leaving mine at 8ish to meet Nelson in Geisha Rd in a hard frost, outside temp reading -2 as I passed through Woodend and Waikuku.  Parked up; he turned up; we left the 'rona in situ as we headed north over the Salt Water -up Broad to Balcairn for the blat through to the fast-packed gravel approach Rds to Grey...  Passed by a couple cars parked up at Janet, down the solid frozen road, seeing some hunters en route, to the bottom end of our singletrack, parking near a Skins car, flash roof-rack bikers, obviously waaay ahead of us seeing as we hadn't seen sign of them on our road down from Janet (seeing their 'sign' later on the climb - along with some nice fresh deer prints in the frost-on-ice beside the Tower).

15 minutes basically got us the 3.5km / couple hundred metres altitude back up to Janet, then it was the usual 500m odd climb the rest of the way up Mt Grey.  We just clambered on up, ice an ever constant presence, it being pretty darned cold up there.  At about 700m there was remnants of snow about and a much much harder frost coating every blade of tussock and dusting the ground.  Puddles and seeps on the road were slick as.

 

Some spec views to be had on the way up.  We detoured briefly to the old fire lookout and this is what we saw. 

Nelson fiddling with his phone

 

   

Christchurch looking dirty out there. 

 

And Alps looking very ski-able (Thomas in the fore, Torlesse and the rest way the hell off in the distance). (- the Puketerakis looked pretty damned good today too)

The higher we got the colder it got, with a wicked wind kicking in up round 900m, a hoare frost sitting on everything in sight: tussocks, rocks, shrubs, the works.  SOOO cold.  

Just before we set off for our descent i grabbed this shot.  brrrrrrrrrr.

Descent began as a crunchy singletrack between the two peaks.  Lovely grippy greywacke chips and frost.  Evidence of the previous bikers through in their line choices left in evidence in the frost.  We left our own and hit the sidling singletrack below the peak.  Maybe 2 patches of snow and it was cool runnings.  All the usual seeps and soaks that're usually muddy little mutha's were frozen solid and not a problem in the least.


Here's a shot from not too far down, looking back up, Nelson just visible(?) there, and pylon ever present.

Tucked down the switchbacks and into the forest for more.  Cleaned a bunch more than previous efforts, even if occasionally dab-assisted; still much faster than earlier visits.

Met several walkers on their ways up, including a woman from work who had mentioned she was planning on walking it this weekend and i'd said to her "you wont see me" and lo she did...  Friendly hellos to each and every walker on account of our dubious entitlement of travel. What a fantastic descent tho, possibly one of my best set of conditions.  Even with the switchbacks, there is so much sublimely perfect singletrack in there it is just all worth it.  Total buzz, flying through gorgeous beech forest on the most perfect trail materials, it doesn't get any better, not within that drive from Chch at this time of year. 

Before the middle multi-switchbacked section I smacked a branch with my hand, grazing through the glove and giving quite the bruise, right on my left ring finger.  Yowch!

The lower sections were longer than my memory served, but any previously sloppy bits in the open were frozen solid enough to be nothing but sweet sweet traction, and fast!  Much lower down, back into the forest, things were a little sloppier, and as a result our bikes got quite mucky.  Approximately 2 hours after we set out, we got back to our start point, mid-day-ish, stuff still frozen solid in the shade, or not even.

Weird thing about Mt Grey.  Altho there's only evidence of it a few times on this blog, I feel like it's always a 'presence' in my mtnbike life.  I've ridden it a few times since very early on, (probably, similarly, only once every year or two), but it has always had a place in my riding and it always feels like i've ridden it more often than i actually have.  Every time too, my switchbacks get quicker.