Mountain Road Bike Circuit 16 October.
Eight members rendezvoused at Evansdale at 9 am this Sunday. The forecast was not promising a great day and small spits had appeared on the windscreen on the way down.
All ebikes on this trip, we set off towards Seacliff and deviated to Truby King Memorial Reserve for a quick look and a coffee stop for some. Then back to Church Rd and up over the big hill to cross over SH1 and towards Mountain Tracks Rd, called Steep Hill Rd on some maps. Only light traffic, a couple of horses and a bunch of motorcyclists. Under the first gate and no traffic at all. An early lunch was called at a spot overlooking the Waikouaiti River, steep country with rocky escarpments. We enjoyed watching a karearea family flying amongst the rock faces. Sunny warm conditions at this point, no sign of rain.
On along Mountain Tracks Rd, under the next gate, all of us have been there many times on the way back or to the Philip Cox Hut track, trudging this hour of road walking. Good to bike it on ebikes though, enjoyable.
Lots of cars parked at the track entrance to Possum Hut Route, OTMC on their mission of 100 trips for 100 years. The surrounding hills were all freshly harvested, and mega million dollar gear was everywhere, good views without the pines.
We found the right forestry road leading down the hill back towards Evansdale. It was very challenging with loose large gravel, very deep and loose, especially the uphill bits were tricky. Finally on smoother roads the last steep bit back to Evansdale and right on beer o’clock we found ourselves at Arc Brewery for a beverage and debrief.
A very pleasant day’s bike ride with great company, great weather and quite a few laughs.
Those there were, Ross, Maurice, Phyllis, Bill, Noel, Jane, Graham and Robbie (sorry you couldn’t make it Uwe)
