Tuesday 19th March

I headed off and collected the Cook on Ensors Rd before heading up to Sandals place.  Here I met Bugs, Tinkerbell, Silverfox and Dozer.  The 7 of us were prepared to risk howling rain, big winds, huge lakes of water and getting our bikes dirty.  We of course know someone who did not.  Fortunately for us the weather was wonderful with the sun shining even if it was slightly cooler.  We headed up the Dyers Pass Road hanging a left onto Hackthorne.  Bugs and Tinkerbell setting a steady pace so I pushed to catch up.  Steady little grind with a rolling regroup at Sign of Takehe before grinding up into Vic  Park.  Bugs still sitting in the front so I rode with him pushing each other along.  Regrouped for a Pitstop before heading around and up the 4wd steep section.  Lungs burning we rode up here in good order then up to the landing site and then up through the pines to the Traverse Track.  I led off from here.  The tracks were in mint condition with half a  dozen puddles that hardly got your bike wet.  But then only Cotic's can not handle that.  Only 1 regroup as we went along,  seeing a few riders coming towards us.  Headed straight across the road and over Mt Vernon Highway hitting everything as hard as possible.  The boys and girl charging hard behind me. Flowing sweetly on the down hill run.  Sandals had stopped to put on her jacket so she arrived last at the top of Rapaki so we made her lead off on the way back.  She hated leading in case she held anyone up so she was pumping harder than normal.  Good clip up here in the end.  Sandals purposely took the hairpin so she would no longer be in the lead so I carried on.  I then ended up leading again blasting around the traverse having a slippery whoops at the rock section by lava flow.  Continued pumping, quick regroup and then onwards.  Into the pines, dark dingy and slippery in here before heading down the 4wd track.  Blasting as quick as you dare.  Fun time and then down the road to Sandals place by 7.40.  All in all a good ride.