Sunday Little Fat-aloa Gravelling.

From the bach on the fatty, headed up the road and down the gravel into Decanter, then the long climb up towards Menzies, to high point Rehutai gate, and turned around and rode back down again. Muggy and warm. Jumped off the wharf into 15 degree coolness afterwards.

I gleaned satan's elevation gain (666m) in 17.7kms

Sunday Short and Slow Dog

Took Jet to Nelson's and we headed from his, up the hill to the first cul-de-sac and down the walktrack, then around Centaurus and up Holliss.  Up the singletrack below around the houses, checking out a new unnoticed-before track, then on up along the barbedwire roots into the dog park where Jetty had a nice play with all the woofs he'd met a couple days earlier.  Up past the rangerbase and up the steep skidder, past brakefree and up Worm to the top of Vic.  Into the Traverse, meeting a drone following a rider just before Lavaflow, then down the jumpy grease to the grasslands, and then down the next jumpy with some grease to the top of Hunts.  From here it was slow, down the road, and then down Vista and down the Whaka Tce track and back around to Nelson's.

12.something kms, 490m or so climbed. Good dog. Woof

Sunday 3 Lapsa th' CAP

Nelson had 3 uplifts to use and I had a couple left on my card and was needing to buy a new 10 lift before they ran out.  We met at the park, me quite hungover from a Camel Cottage party, and not having managed breakfast (dropped it, breaking the plate on the way out the door, and spilling hot coffee all over my tum-tum) and barely drank any of the coffee... 

Up the lift we went.  Taking it easy first run, straight into Yeah yeah nah, which was okay, then into Lord of the Possums.  Mostly a good run down here, good jumps on most, clearing them smoothly, tho one nearly toppled me over forward.  Bottom of this and we were into Handle the Jandal.  Handled this very nicely, excellent boost on most jumps, tho one close call where the jump landed me into the inside of a corner rut/drain that I just managed to not quite get into.

Straight into the next lift, me wanting to puke on the way up, but managing to keep it down.  This time trying out the tech.  Into Throw the Goat, Nelson doubling everything, me taking bunny lines.  I thought there was an 'escape route' from Throw the Goat across to Swingers Party before Yoda, but no, there's not (only the 4wd part way down) and so we ended up dropping down Yoda, which proved to be actually extremely fun.  Cleaned everything, albeit all the "easy" lines (they're not that 'easy' but all rideable).  Then across and into DOHC for a boosty fun blast trailing in Nelson's dust, but keeping him in check. 

My ticket had run out so went and got some kai, Nelson kindly shared some of his free burger with me, and I managed a hangover-curing smoothy (oats, banana, ginger... good!).  Down to get a new pass, and we hit our third lift of the day.  Took Summit Connector, and dropped into the Nun via the bottom droppy section of Gnarly Nun, excellent blast down here, and then a speeding Choir Boy / Old Dyers, overtaking a couple down here, and hoofing up to Capt Cooker, and straight into Shredzillaville for an excellent trip down.  I cleaned everything again, and stuck to the non-'easy' lines, no problems! 

All up a nice run, and didnt bother with MMR, so there's no proof other than my memory.  Estimating about 1200 or more metres of descent.

Monday Night, Overgrown in the Gloom

Biked home from work, jumped in the car to Nelson's, traffic delaying me somewhat.  Hit the hill just on 6pm, up Parklands, into the second cul-de-sac and up the steep steppy walk track to Huntsbury Tce.  Climby McClimbface.  Up the gravel, onto the grassy singles up, all getting overgrown, and up the sheepshit paddock, finally and up the gravel.  The climbing hurting me; probably over-tapped-ness from previous day's ride.  Gloomy skies were above us the whole ride.  Creaks from the bottom bracket not evident today, for some reason.

Into Vernon, chasing some runners, overtaking much lower down, and bombsville to and through the Rapaki-top, straight into Witchypoo.  Slow climb for me, single dab on usual pesky rock, good climb from there tho, to regroup and snack on the usual high point, before the drop through the end.  Across the road onto the singletrack, - been mowed since we last rode it, but the long cut-grass on it was sappy of energy.  My tiredness made it really hard.  Out of this and up the road to the Castle.

Hadn't been down this for a while, and it was fast.  We were bombing through it and approaching the first hairpin I was hot on Nelson's tail when he jumped, landed, and POP, hiss, hisss, hisssss, hissssssssssssss, goo spraying everywhere.  Bloody bacon-strip and dislodged from his rear tire.  15 minutes later, he's attempted to continue with bacon, failed, and resorted to put in a 29er tube, squeezed in.  I dont think it was bulgey at all...  Onwards down Castlerock, the climby section nearly killing me cos I's cold, and off up the road.

Before the top, we lumbered up onto the 360 walkway, to climb up to the Tors Track.  Then it was an awesome blast down this, me cleaning the one little rocky-over that usually catches me out.  Yippee.  Back onto the trail above the road, around to where a fenceline comes in from the right, where we climbed over and headed across through the long grass, onto the climbing track to get to the top of the Mary Duncan track.

Into this, picking our ways down, bit by bit, cleaning lots of the rocky-droppy bits, Nelson taking at least one extra bit (wooden droppy bit), then up onto the fun razorback ridgeline, down down, techy goodness and fun, under the pylon eventually, and through the gates, and around into the trees, a new way, skirting the top to the left.  Followed down through some droppy sections, a couple of bits of flow, and around then pushed back up and checked out one or two other features, re-riding the droppy flow again, and then out.

Back around the road, the nasty climb around Glenelg Spur and speedsters down Centaurus, around to Parklands and back up, to the car.

We managed 18.43 kms, and 807 m of climbing.

Sunday Posse to- and in- the Park

Met Andy, Wayne, Robin and Paul at Steve's (he'd left at 8.30), and we chased Steve up Ramahana, Aotea and Huntsbury.  Hot work, with Robin struggling in the heat and all of us feeling it a bit.  My bottom bracket area was having a whale of a time, creaking away on every pedal stroke.  After the grind up the gravel, we found him (and his old flatmate VJ) at the top.

Into the Traverse, a good pace apart from getting stuck behind rookie slowbos, who (being the lead) I'd stop to let get ahead, and my team to catch up, before setting off and reeling the rookies in.  At the usual sugarloaf pullover they pulled over and I was chasing another semi-rookie again, catching him in the dipper, where he struggled with the 'tech'.  I got the lead then and blasted the rest of the way round to Vic.  Regroup in the shade.

Up and into the Thomson and Thompson, freaking some walkers in the 2nd one.  Then into Choirboy/Old Dyers, good blast down this, tho lost my chain part way down (first time on this bike).  Treadled around to top of park and when the others rolled up Paul was showing signs of a crash - front all dusted, knees and elbows scraped...  nice.

Into Captain Cooker, and we split up a little, with Andy, Wayne and me taking Shredzilla, the others Loess Rider.  Excellent bomb down Shred, with me in the lead for a start, then Andy stealing it and leading the way, quite fast, down the rest.  He baulked slightly in the steep rocky, which I cleaned for the first time, but kept the lead and I followed him at speed the rest of the way.  Awesome fang, with our rear shocks quite hot at the bottom.  The others all lagged in in dribs and drabs, then up to base, VJ bought a pass, and off up the lift.  I sat with Andy, Wayne and Robin.

Andy, Wayne and me hit Swingers Party, my first time down here.  I led.  It was fun.  I enjoyed it profusely.  Then Robin and Paul and Me hit DOHC (while the others hit Jandal), which was also super fun.  And I did it fast.  It's heaps smoother than last time.

Twenty-five after 11, so Paul and me decided to bail, but the others all headed up to the lift for another go.  Put me home about 12.15...

28 kms all up, with 975 m climbed (albeit, (a smidge under) 400 of those on the chairlift).

Tuesday Night Rambling Sneaks and Climbers Before the Squall

Met at Nelson's after work and we rode around Centaurus not really knowing quite where to go yet, but formulating a bit of a plan as we rode.  Turned left into Rossmore Tce, riding up this with my bottombracket creaking like a mo'fo.  Pushed up the steep steps and then rode out Whareora Tce, across Dyers into MacMillan, and up the Whisby 'Rd' walky-steep.  From here it was up Dyers Pass Rd, left into Hackthorne and I grabbed a drink from the fountain at Takahe (cos I'd left my backpack at home).  Up Dyers around a few bends, and we dived into the Sneaky-35 trails.  Last time I kept right, this time we dropped into the left (which proceeded to swoop across the right hand lane).  Back and forth we dropped, swoopy swoopy.  I lost my front wheel momentarily in some loose loam, but kept it together.  A couple of quite greasy spots were interesting.  We travelled further down and to the right than I did last time.  Eventually tho into the lowest section I'd experienced then, and finally across the bottom of the valley, over the log, and up onto Loess for a flowy fun finishing finale.

Across the bottom of the park and straight into the bastard Uphill track.  Nelson motored away, as usual, and I just plodded away as good as my legs could handle.  The whole time we were in the park, from 35 through to this climb and beyond, a helicopter was hovering over (probably) Lord of the Possums.  Cleaned all the zigs and zags, no dabs, and by the time I got to the easier 4wd section, Nelson was miles ahead.  He waited at the top, before the quick speed down then climbing again as the chopper flew over and away.  Around and up to a locked gate, so we pushed around the fence, and on up Worsleys.  Nelson totally gapping me again..  Ambulance and CAP quad came down the road while we climbed.  Up the Body Bag, a couple of guys ahead.  I managed most of the way up, whereas Nelson obviously cleaned it.

Up to the Nun, and we decided on Gnarly Nun.  First time since the scorched earth of yesteryear, was vaguely overgrown, but we picked our way down, cleaning everything very nicely, including some good rocky droppy sections I probably wouldn't have on the Turner.  Then across the 4wd track and onto the super gnarly rocky dh descent down to lower Nun.  One non-rollable, pop-the-front-wheel jump that I mastered perfectly, and we zoomed through the first swoops of lower Nun.  Nelson pulled up with a flat, leaky pig of a tubeless tire that wouldn't seal.  Pumped, rode on down, up road above Thomsons and pumped again at top of Vic.

Could see a big squall making its way across the city towards us from the northwest, so we bailed quickly, straight down to the rabbit paddock, rain and wind howling in as we flew into the rockgarden, and around through the gums.  Felt like trees could come crashing down with the wind thrashing around us, and indeed, a couple had lower down before the last sweep across to the skidder site.  Straight into Shazza's and bombed out the bottom of that straightlining down to Sneaky Ridge, bombing the rocks and through this, over the jump to Bridges and straightlining across and down to Hospital Corner, before fanging it down the valley bottom and out.  Road wet with rain as we made our way back around to Nelson's whereupon the weather fined up again.

Lots of climbing, for not a lot of downward rewards.  19.6 kms, and 712 m climbed.

Soaking Sunday Drenching

O was gonna mow the lawns at Joy's again, so we headed up into the clouds, and had arranged to meet Nelson there.  The clouds at that end of town had actualy droplets, and it was quite wet.  No lawnmowing was to ensue so he ended up walking their dog and doing some painting for them.

We decided to ride anyway, and headed up Mt Pleasant Rd, then up the steep wee park, and up onto Upper Major Hornbrook.  Checked out the singletrack on Britten, but it was so greasy and lots of poo around, so we just hit the road.  It wasn't cold, but it sure was wet.  Up to Summit Rd, hung a right, around down under the gondola and across the top of the Bridle Path, and on up to Castlerock.  Very low visibility, IN the clouds, and wetter by the minute.  Soaked to the skin I was. 

Turned around at Castlerock and bombed down the road, eyeballs washed by the rain, back around under Gondola, meeting the odd single or group of roadies out enjoying the wetness.  Final climb up through the cutting, standing and cranking it up.   Then, blast down Mt Pleasant Rd, left into Upper Major Horny, down through the byways - Ridgeview and Clearview - then down back onto (the real) Major Hornbrook, across Madeley, and back to Joy's.

Drenched, 13.1 kms, 534 m climbed.

Thursday Night Hunts the Vernon Witch Tors, with a Skooling for the boy.

I'd, inclusively, asked O if he wanted to come riding while he was mowing the lawn.  Initially he'd said no but then said, "actually yeah, okay".

So we drove to Nelson's through painful traffic getting us started quite late (6.20pm).  We rode up from there.  Steep bastard Parklands, then steep section Huntsbury, O struggling away like a trooper in his not very low low gear.  Up the gravel, and a right-hander across the fenceline, then up the singletrack.  Next, up the old landing strip, sheepshit everywhere, then up the grovelly gravel to the top.  O was stuffed, and didn't want to continue, and he was happy to wait for us, out of the wind and in the sun, so Nelson and me headed off down Vernon, pulling over for quite a few climbers, before bombing the descent to Rapaki Top.  Through here and into the Witch, climby climb, both stalling in the same place, tho he kept rolling while I foot-downed outright stopped.  Oh well.  The rest of the climb was good, and then we hit the descent, seats up for some reason.

To save time, we took to the road, heading for Castle.  Met the boys on our climb below the Tors; Robin, Wayne and Wazza, and couldn't convince them to turn back uphill to ride the Tors with us.  Castlerock was too wet, so we climbed up and headed down a very overgrown Tors track.  Hard to find the way.  Fun descent, with a couple of dabs in the usual spots.

Harder still was the singletrack above the road back towards Witch Hill.  SO overgrown was very slow and therefore more technical than usual.  Back into the Witch, me slowing on the climb, but racing the descent, and then off up the road around Vernon, legs tiring, back to find O, roughly 40 mins after we'd left him.

About 8 pm now we headed across the Traverse, and straight into the jumpy fun descent.  O doing well to keep up with us mostly, me hard on Nelson's tail.  Down the 'landing strip' attempting to avoid the crap, and then struggling to find and see the trail off to the left.  Well overgrown, bloody tricky, but we got to the stile alright.  Over this, and down, all the fun sections more difficult on account of not seeing the trail, and thistles smacking needles into our knuckles all the way.  Owie.  Dropping over the rocky sections, all good and fun, then in the off camber corners below, thistles of last time all cleared off, nice - what a relief.

Into the Old Skool, all breathing a sigh of relief at the lack of thistle action.  Good fang down this, O keeping up pretty good.  We'd gapped him a bit, so after the dip (after the back and forth pumpy section) we stopped and watched him proceed to jump, then crash into a rock and over the bars to disappear down behind/into a gorse bush!  Yelled out, "you okay?" "Yep." "Injured?" "Nope." I went back to him and his knees were a bit garked and the blood proceeded to trickle down his shins for the rest of the ride.  His hoodie was all full of gorse needles too.  Brushed him off, joked a bit about it and off we rode.  Good blat for the rest of it, then down the road and back around to Nelson's where he cleaned up under a tap a bit before heading home, 8.40ish.  LATE!

18.8 kms for Nelson and me, with 705 m climbed.

Sunday Hunted the Duncan

Parked and rode again. Parked off Centaurus on Hillsborough, and headed around and up Ramarama and Aotea, and on up Huntsbury.  Gravel grovel, into an uneventful (but fast) Vernon and a good clean Witch, catching up to some guy on the road (on a mtnbike), across the road and riding on the singletrack up to the gate.  Over the gate and the grass is very long, up the steep arse farm track to the bit of fence you climb over, then up through the tussocks to the top.  Everything super overgrown and hard to find the trail.  Kinda stayed on it most of the way. down the Mary Duncan steeps, cleaning lots, and taking the more technical version below the rocky knob.  Kept the flow on all the way down, and cleaned stuff I'd not before.  Finally the steep arse slope down to the pylon, new signage here talking about the Summit Road Society ownership and that it's public land and there are no trails but cautious transit is acceptable.  Never seen it so overgrown tho.  Into the trees, and there's new jumpworx in there, fun descent weaving down through these and then out to the road and the tarmac return to the car.

The view from half way down. (trail sightly off to the left of the bike and ridge)

Only a 13.7 km loop, with a nice 588 climbed.

Friday Solo Sneaky Park Gov Vic Skool

Parked on Ashgrove Tce and rode around and up the trails behind Princess Margaret, up onto Lady Polson Lane and on up Hack and Dye.  Above the Takahe I stayed on the road and at the 35 km sign, just out of the houses, headed down a trail someone (here at work) told me about.  Upon entering I found a gazillion trails to try from, so mostly kept right, with the occasional crossing of other trails, made my way down the steeps.  Some excessively steep stuff in here, and eventually across a log in the bottom and a short clamber to the lower reaches of Loess Rider.  Into the park and up the lift, chatting with Josh and riding with a couple of his mates (who are trail volunteer crew for the park (and who told me of lots of plans)).

Off the lift, and Slummit Connector into Nun, then across the road and dropped into the Gov's Bay Trail.  Dropping down this, it's running pretty smooth and then decided why the hell not all the way down, and zigged and zagged to the road corner driveway and dropped into the lower reaches, only my second time ever down this, first in daylight.  Good wee trail down tho not as fun as it possibly should be, considering the climb it is back out.  Which is what I did next.  Ugh.  Long bits of walking cos it was just too steep and hot.
On the way back up, looking back down.  Nice bushy shade to rest in.

Up and up and up, riding as much as I could.  Finally, out the top, across the road into the lowest end of Nun and then up the road and into Vic Park, dropping down across the rabbit paddock and into the rocks and gums, then Spazza's into Sneaky Ridge and bridges, off new bridges into old and down to hospital corner.  Then up the hidden link into Old Skool.  Finally following the roads back around to the car.  Good spin.

20.96 kms ridden (and lifted), and 990 m climbed, of which 400 odd was lift...

Sunday All Over the Show, Britten, Pleasant, Greenwood, Godley, Chalmers

Fam time visit, and O mowing the lawn again, so I rode from Joys.  Up the road, and up the walk track over the bathtub fence, then up Britten, around the front, across the road and up the zigs and zags to the top of Mt Pleasant.  Chatted to some peeps up here, then dropped into the fun down, rocking the groove.  Straight through and down Greenwood, making some of my best time ever I reckon, absolutely fanging it.  Brief pause after Gloomy, then on down, and dropping the drop properly for a change.  Down and around, keeping good pace the whole way and off the ground a lot.

Out the bottom through Evans Pass and headed out Godley Rd for a bit, enjoying the view and the nice day all the way, then thru the new bike-cattlestop at the gate we always use and up the farm track to the mtb track where I turned back towards Evans. Received a quick phone-call from Tra'y which informed me of changes of plans: they were off to Lyttelton.  I didn't commit, but said I'd be in touch when I was at a crossroads further up the hill.  I continued on down Godley to Evans, having a good bomb, finishing by passing a bunch of oldfolk walkers who were sitting down to lunch next to the walking track section just above the end/start of the track (which I was on).

Next, it was up the Summit Rd under Greenwood, good pace, watching the age old battle between a harrier and a magpie for a good while before Jollies Bush, then at the Richmond Pines, over the stile and into the climbing singletrack up to original Greenwood entrance.  Here I rang Tra'y and decided to go that way, so, rode in the old Greenwood entrance track, then up the 4wd track to the gun emplacements on top of the ridge.  Straight into the descent down the ridge walkway, cleaning more of the rocks below the stile than nighttime wetness in winter usually allows, and then at the saddle struggled to find Chalmers Track...

Found it, VERY overgrown, (closed, apparently) but headed into it, and man was it steep, at times entirely unrideable, and full of stinging nettle - every stop I'd find the nettle at face height, and millimetres from my elbows, knees, shins.

Amazingly, no stingings received, and lower down more riding than stumbling-avoiding-nettles, then out the bottom through a couple gates and the final super speedy bomb down the streets into the town for a delicious huevos rancheros at Lyttelton Coffee Co with the family.

An excellent, 20.5 kms, with a surprising 742 m climbed (but 900 descended due to starting the ride ~150 m higher than the finish).

Wednesday Solo Cashmere Vic Skool

Straight from work, parked up top end of Bowenvale Ave and rode back down this, left, right, left into Holliss. Stopped up the first corner and lubed my chain which was sounding rather dry.  Then into the steep going, grinding up the road to the top, and into the steps, which I rode down for the first time ever.  Don't know what I was ever so cautious about...  Brief roll, then up the first steps, and then up more steps, resorting to carrying the bike on some of them.  Then, across Longhurst Pl into the singletrack climb, cleaned all but one of the hairpins higher up under the houses.  Good ride the rest up to the stile. Then the barbed-wire roots track up to the dog park, cleaning more of the rocks than I'd have expected, then and up thru Vic Park, through the skidder site, and up K2 climbing up to and through Brake Free finally all the way to the top. 6pm here.

Down thru a few of the Brake Free jumps, then back out and down to rock garden, into the Gummies, usual left on my fave, and rocking on through back to the Skidder.  Into Shazza's, bermy bermy jumpy jumpy, and down into Sneaky Ridge for a nice bomb down the rocks and jumps and oaks, over onto Bridges, and the Nu, back and forth into the valley bottom.  6.10pm here.

Into the climb up Hidden Valley bonus, cleaning it all, climbed into Old Skool for a fun last descent which went quite well, and spat me out the bottom back to the car before 6.30.  Very warm...

Another 10km loop (like Sunday), with 396 m climbed.  Hot stuff.

Grabbed a No.3 from Noodle Canteen and headed to band practice. Gig on Friday!!!

Sunday Solo Short and Howlin' Windy

Short amount of time available to me before a 1pm band practice. Parked in Bowenvale Ave and headed down the road and around and up the Major Aitken.  Kept a pretty steady pace all the way, overtaking some dude (who I feel like I always see on Huntsbury), and up Kenmanure and on up Huntsbury to the top.  Up the gravel, still a good pace, and up onto the singletrack, then the rest of the grovelly way to the top.  Howling nor'wester on all the exposed parts.

Howling head wind across the Traverse, and then dropped into the fun jumpy trail down, wind nearly pushing me off and I definitely traveled sideways on the first jump.  Easy roll down the landing strip and left into the groovy droppy down to the stile.  Then on down, wind less of an issue, but really howling across these parts.  Cleaned it all down and in the lower switchbacks the thistles are really bitey.  Nasty fuckers just at the right height to spike the shins and forearms and knuckles.

Into the Old Skool, marginally slower on the headwind bits, and flowing across the tailwind bits.  Nice bomb in the lower reaches, tho pretty cruisy, then dropped into the vallybottom track and rolled on out.  Easy going roll down to the car.

A 10 km loop taking in 421 m of climb.

Sunday Pooch Britten Pleasant

O had the job of mowing Joy's lawn so I took him and Jet up there.  Jet and me headed up the roadways (with O on Joy's electric bike for a ways), then up Longridge and Clearview into Britten at the bathtub water trough. As I rode up the couple of zigs I saw a guy riding down above, so pulled over in plenty of time to let him by (and hold Jet out of his way), and lo it was Steve on his way down from leaving the boyz who were off down Greenwood. We chatted for a bit as a bunch of older very slow women (including my Physio - Carol) rode past.  Then we parted ways and I continued my way up.  Round the top front then along and across the road and up the relatively not un-Pleasant climb.

Bombed down into the trail, Jet in behind, tho once below the rocky sections me having to stop now and then to check he was catching up and just making sure he really wasn't interested in the sheep (he isn't).  Down across above the ruins (on the singletrack not the 4wd) and then across over onto the single track across above Jollies Bush, pumping through all this flowy stuff toward the Richmond Hill pines, holding up a couple of times for Jet to catch up.  Near the trees, headed on up the nice singletrack back up to the original Greenwood entrance, (struggling with Jet and that last cattlestop) then slowly up the road to the cafe water tap where I used the cup to pour water for him to lap up. 

Finally, last little bit of road, open the gate for Jetty, and into the bomb down Britten.  Flow flow flow, stop, wait, "good boy", flow flow flow, repeat a couple times, lastly bombing down the rocky section under the pylon and over the two stiles, then down to Major Hornbrook, slow pace, him just trotting now, across Madeley, around the corner and back down to Joy's.  Thirsty puffed doggy with a happier human.

11 and a half kms, with 388m gained.  Clever doggy!

Labour Day Fatty and Skinny View Hilling

Last day of a wonderful long weekend and Nelson came over to the bay for a ride. I had the fatty and he brought the 29er. Up to Chorlton on the seal then up the gravel. Steeper and steeperer. Lots of sun and heat. A break under the big pines in the shade, then onwards up the double fenced track.  Through the gate and up the grassy steep zig and zag to the top, just over an hour and a half all up. Awesome views all around; Kaikouras to the north, looming massive, and low sea cloud below us, out beyond the heads, and banked up on Godley, Taylors and Scarborough.

Made an adjustment to my suspension (released air from my tires) and then we turned around and bombed on down. Fun, but bumpy ride down the top section, extreme speed on gravel and screaming tires on seal, and 15 minutes or so after departing the top we cruised up the drive to the bach.

18kms and around 750m climbed

Panorammed:

Wednesday, Trip, final ride on way home, Teetotals

Departed Nelson, fueled up and headed south.  At Belgrove, hung a left through to Golden Downs, and left here on a road I'd never travelled before.  A LOT of forestry through here, massive country.  Eventually, over to St Arnaud and we parked down by the lake.  Rode up, into Beechnest Ave through to a DOC built link track that switchbacked up then down and through to the main Teetotal Trails area.  From here we took Rattling Rim track along the terraces, winding in and out through matagouri and kanuka following a road now and then, then eventually big open country.  Met a couple of women who said a few tracks were shut.  We continued up the road and into Big Bush, for a long climb in beech forest (or half and half beech and doug. fir) eventually to the top of Flying Moa (which we should have gone down).  Thinking maybe we could ride the dark blues / blacks i led us down the ridge from here to the top of Kaka, where there was a big barrier saying Tracks Closed for the dark blue and black tracks (Duck Drop and Rocky Horror), so we headed down Kaka which was a bit boring, but still fun.  Then it was back to Teetotal base and across the road onto a nice smooth singletrack back to the village, through some back ways past the visitor centre and back down to the lake.

Cool ride,  but we'll do it a different direction next time...

20 kms, 433 m climbed.  Great views and some nice bush.

Tuesday, Trip Day 5, Sharlands Wiggling and Sucking

Bit of rain in the morning, so stuff was gonna be wet, so we all had a restful morning hangin' out at base and then headed into town for lunch and a wander about then headed back for naps and lie arounds.  Later in the afternoon we headed out, down into town and up Nile St and up the Maitai into Sharlands Rd.  Debatable as to whether we should have entered the forestry, but didn't look like there was any action, and it was after 3, so Wazza reckoned they'd be done and out by now.  So, rode up all the way to the old 506 trig point, waaay the hell up.  RnR had been logged which I now realise is why it's no longer on any maps.

Photos etc taken and off down the G.Effect Slingshot trail.  Now, 10 (or more) years ago, this seemed like a good trail.  Today, it's overgrown and has WAAAY too much uphill in it.  Pain in the ass.  Below this, Scottswood Wiggles, was just as bad.  Promising sections ruined by being too flat or climbing, and the flat bits were all full of water.  I punched a hidden pine cone which very hurt my hand.  Lower down, into the dark redwoods things were wet to start but sort of got better, except for dumbly designed corners that were tight at the bottom of steep downs, followed by abrupt ups.  Just bad trail design.  The lower we got, the better things got.  The Lancewood Wiggles were better, and then Waterloo was better again, and What the DOCtor Ordered better again.  And finally, out down the road, cruise cruise cruise. 

I stopped into Anthony's and him and Lynne plied me with strong Green Ginger wine and chicken noodle soup which both hit the spot, then i headed on back up to base.

A reasonable sized, 34 kms, with 905 climbed...  Considering we only went to 506, that shows another 400 was climbed while coming down.  heesh.

Monday, Trip Day 4, ride 2. Codgers - Firball, P51, Firball

From the Free House we headed back up the Brook and up the Codgers climb, and into Jack's. Split here with the boys on Middle Rd, with them heading down and across to P51, while Nelson and me headed up to the top and up to the Fireball Trig. We hit it, hell-for-leather down, getting more and more floaty on the jumps galore, having a stoker of a time. Then it was across and climbing up the track that starts with a W, up, and into the top of P51.  This gave us more speed and jumps, flying down through, into lower Firball, more old skool this, and out to the Brook and down through town and back up to base

A nice 17 kms, and just under 400 m climbed.

Monday, Day 4, Ride 1, Fringe climb The Ara Koa

A relaxed 10ish a.m. start, we rolled down Vanguard and dropped into Flamedaisy for a coffee then headed up the Brook and into Codgers headed for the Tantragee Saddle.  From here, we headed up Fringe Hill Climb, gravel road, and a good lonnnnng climb. Took a good hour or more, and finally we made the towers (after a rather rough rocky section that only Nelson cleaned.  From the top, the view is spectacular. 

Then it was into the descent.  The first section is as sketchy as fuck, with many many roots, all of them still damp from many days' previous rain, and no doubt cloud, and both front and rear tires were pinging with multidirectional madness, leaving us all pretty wary but allowing our glorious skills to be transcended.  From where the main road corner meets it (not too far down), the trail got a bit more used, tho roots continued to be one of the main factors of tech the rest of the way, albeit with less and less frequency.  Fun descent, that went on for 45 minutes, a couple of breaks here and there to let the brakes cool or for a catch up.  Brilliant ride.  Highly recommended.  Eventually, we made it down into The Brook, from whence we rolled down into town for lunch (and a pint) just before 2 at Prig and Sperm, with which we followed a pint at The Free House just after 3. 

All up, from base to lunch, 21kms, and 822 climbed 

Sunday Trip Day 3. Richmond and Smashing it

Exited our Mot accommodation and drove to Richmond, exploring our way through to some park somewhere and here we entered said park and climbed and climbed and climbed up the Escalator.  Bit of a break at a skidder site, talked to a couple of electric 'mtnbikers' (more like motocrossers) then proceeded to explore, losing Robin in the process, and climbing bloody steep firebreaks to the top of Richmond Hill.

From here it was Into Upper Slippery Rail which ended up proving pretty fricking steep, beyond the majority of our capabilities (obviously Nelson managed it).  Then across and up slightly on a forestry road to the Lower Slippery Rail, fanging it down through fun roots and yumpies, diving into dark forest in places, and around onto to some serious berminess and beyond. Eventually we found our way back on to the Escalator, riding it down and taking all the shortcuts to the finish and Robin awaiting our return.

8.5 kms, with quite a good sized 443 m climbed.

Off for lunch at the Richmond Mall (quite the experience!), and then through to Nelson and our accommodation in Vanguard St.

After settling in, Nelson and me got out for a spin (the boys followed for their own about 20 minutes later).  I forgot to write this up, so here it is right here...

Sunday Afternoon, Day3, ride 2, Smashed It.

On Sunday after riding at Richmond and after we'd settled into the units, the boys had already started having a beer but Nelson and me were still keen to ride, so we went into Codgers, climbing to the Turners/Firball skidder then down to the Smasher entry. Climbed up this and dived on in. Steep steep steep, with the usual 3 corners catching me out as usual. I blame it being a bit wet.  Ended up landing out by the Sunday Hole from whence we toodled back down river and back to base.

Meanwhile the boys had seen the errors of their ways and headed out for a ride (about 20 minutes behind us).  They went up Codgers, Jacks, Middle, Wayne's Passage (to much laughs and jokes at Wayne's expense - it never died...) and down Firball, P51 etc.  they had fun, and got back half an hour behind us.

Base to base, 15.3 kms, 389 climbed.