This morning was time for my third ride to Mt Nimmel. For the record, this mountain had beaten me back in 1998 to such an extent that it took me nine years to return. In January of this year I came back and conquered it. Today was set to be the decider.
To be fair, this isn't a massive climb -- with a maximum height of 470 metres that pales when compared to some of the climbs I've conquered in Victoria, Tasmania, New Zealand, Scotland and even locally. It does, however, gain 380 metres in the space of 4km, including a vicious start that ramps up to 19% at one point. This morning the conditions were kind, an unusually cool October morning gave me a temperature of just 16 degrees C at the base -- just about ideal.
Having signed up for January's Alpine Classic in Bright, I'm still refining my strategy for dealing with climbs, and I'm becoming convinced that the cold, methodical approach is what's needed. I took to this today, and found it to be devastatingly effective. I rarely left the saddle for the entire climb -- despite the early gradients. It didn't seem to take very long to reach the point where I could see the clearing at the summit. There is a final kick in the climb here, but again I remained composed, my face like stone, and clinically took it apart. At the finish I was left wondering just how this climb was so problematic as I surveyed the gob-smacking views at the summit.
I opted to celebrate my ownage of the decider by taking a detour into the rainforest at Austinville on the way home. This is always a beautiful ride, day or night. I had an interesting conversation with a couple of beginner cyclists near the rockpool. They seemed interested in the idea of touring, and were looking for more climbing. I suggested they give Springbrook a dash before taking on Mt Nimmel. The one down side of the day was to learn that a few people in the council want to make this place more hoon-friendly, with some "improvements" or "safety features" by the rockpool taking away it's character if the plans go ahead. Why on Earth would anybody think a hoon suffering a spinal injury could ever be a bad thing?
The rain-washed view from the top deck of a number 23 bus today, ploughing through streets like rivers in the centre of Edinburgh. Torrential summer rain, rivers in spate, and tourists crowding into the newly re-opened and blessedly free Royal Museum of Scotland to combine entertainment and shelter. We are all drookit (soaked).
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| image borrowed from crinklecrankle.com |
A couple of weeks ago I quietly got back on the bike after the hit and run assault from a little while ago. However, there hasn't been much that has inspired me to write a post until last weekend. On Sunday I finally decided to man up and do 207km down to Wanganui Gorge (behind Mullumbimby) and back. The plan was simple enough, but I still wasn't sure about my fitness. I figured I would find out today, and that whatever happened, the surroundings within the Gorge would make it a worthwhile exercise.
Martin joined me for the first 78km or so down to Mullumbimby along the Tweed Coast. This part of the ride was surprisingly uneventful. On what was the first cool morning of the year, I searched for some full-finger gloves before setting out, but as we spend the early part of the ride 'coasting', they really weren't necessary. The most exciting part of this stretch was finding a dirt track that follows the road on the ocean side for a few hundred metres through the salt bush about half way between Pottsville and Wooyung. I'm still not sure what that was supposed to prove. Mullumbimby itself was awash with boats for some canoeing event. I'm guessing they were going to paddle along the Brunswick River to Brunswick Heads, a few kilometres downstream. Maybe I should have asked someone what was going on.
The real part of the ride started at the top of the Wilsons Creek climb, where I entered another world. The stream that follows the road is actually the Wilsons River, not Wilsons Creek, but I guess not everyone was aware of that name change. This world is one of lush green rainforests, mountain views, a few hippie cottages and a laid back vibe. Every time I come here I resolve to visit more often, but the distance from home (along with the proliferation of other places to ride) keeps me away for longer than I would like. It was also nice that the council decided to fill in some of the potholes around here, but today I had other things on my mind.
I turned south and joined the dirt at the Huonville fork (yes, I've just named it), and entered a deep gorge, with mountains closing in on either side, and the occasional waterfall cascading down the sides of the gorge. The stream bubbling away below me is actually Coopers Creek, which continues south and can be rejoined from the bottom of Minyon Falls on the other side of the Nightcap Range. Today I was taking it slow through this stretch, partly a result of being out of condition, and partly in wonderment at the things I was seeing. There is a hidden campsite at the end of this road, which I may explore one day, and there was once a walking track through the forest, but that has since been closed.
I turned and headed for home, first climbing out of the gorge before descending back to Mullumbimby. Today I would face yet another northerly wind on the way home, once again in total defiance of the prevailing wind direction for this time of year. This is becoming an unwelcome habit. It was after leaving Mullumbimby that the difficulty started. I had planned to climb over Mt Jerusalem National Park on the ride home, but first I had to get there against the wind, and somehow conserve enough energy for the climb. I managed the first part of that equation, but struggled on the climb like never before (and hopefully never again).
The good news was that at the bottom of this climb I could easily reach the village of Uki, where I gorged on sweet things to replenish some energy stocks for the last 55km. I still had to climb over Tomewin on the way home, but now I had replenished my energy and had realised the need to pace myself over the last quarter of the ride. Consequently, Tomewin posed few problems -- except that the temperature had dropped to 13 degrees C at the summit. I was glad I had brought the jacket for the descent home, to end yet another memorable day. It's clear that my fitness still needs some work, but that is slowly returning.
Hold still. Smile....
Come back here and show me your pretty face.
Atta boy.
Grandpeep checking in ageian. We're having some fun outside. I am investagating hony,s fleas thair is a bumb I found on her head. I am peting both of them and then I saw a squrrle in the tree. sam and honey saw it a muinit later. We're having a bunch of fun. See you later!
