WOOOHOOO!

Just come back from riding the Cannon point-Karapoti gorge loop.
Fantastic!! a bit wet admittedly, greasy downhill in places but great being back on the bike at night.
I note that the Karapoti gorge has been graded? or something, it is definately flatter, the stream crossing has been flattened out and most of the potholes have shrunk. There is a small tree down at the moment, between the stream and the concrete bridge, but ridable underneath.

bring on more night time goodness!

I'm a big fan of that loop (yes, I know there's no singletrack, I don't care) - never thought of riding it in the dark... but now you mention it...

ooh yeah, seems much shorter in the dark though.
funnily enough..

Had my first trip to Karapoti for the winter on Sunday (did the Challenge course.... the uphill from the bottom of Woolshed Rd to top of Hidden Valley doesn't get any easier). This is a favourite area to ride in Winter 'cause it stands up so well to wet weather and is sheltered from the wind.

I am a new covert to night riding, and must try the gorge some time soon.

Hey PedalOn - have you tried that loop we're talking about? Totora Park -> the Woolshed at the top of Cannons Point -> turn North, down a pine needle carpetted downhill to a stream -> along a track next to the stream -> up a almost unrideable uphill to a 4 way intersection -> hard left -> up a climb to the Challenge Course -> down the Challenge course to the Concrete Bridge -> across the Concrete Bridge to the Gorge -> down the Gorge to Karapoti Road -> along the road to Brown Owl -> across the Akatarawa River on "Bridge Rd" -> along Bridge Rd to the end -> onto the Totora Park walkway -> along the walkway back to Totora Park.

As previously mentioned, not a lot of singletrack but I fully rate it.

I often start at Totara Park, across to and down Woolshed Rd (this is the rougher downhill part of the Challenge course), then back up to the steeper part of the Challenge course to drop down what I guess you refer to as the "almost unrideable uphill" and I know as Hidden Valley to follow the stream and climb out the infinitely easier pine needle covered uphill.

I occasionally add a blast down the gorge and back up to this loop, but this is getting to be at the limit of the available energy for an old fat guy like me.

I then used to go down the walking track back to the car, but have recently learnt of some more challenging track down through the forest a little further south. Pop up to the trig and do the short greasy single track back to the road, return to where the farm track mets the road - a short distance back down the farm track (50 - 100 meters maybe) there is a track to the right - couple on hundred meters along this track there are several technical single tracks that spit you out onto the paddocks to the south of the car park.

I've heard that there is logging activity at the Totara Prk end of Hidden Valley so I imagine that the tracks will be pretty well trashed by the skidders - May be a place to avoid for a while !!!

Damn those lumberjacks! How many more forests must we loose?

I went in to Cannons Point with a local many years back and was shown many many many many bits of singletrack hidden around the place - damned if I can remember where they are, or risk the chance that they've grown-over...

...if I'm going to get lost I'll do it in the middle of nowhere damnit

there are many old tracks up there, and yes getting lost up there really makes you feel like a gimp. the worst part is knowing that if that smooth downhill section doesn't get somewhere you recognise soon, you will have to backtrack and try and remember how many lefts before that last right...........or was it straight through at that intersection? or risk that other turnoff ahead that looks like it might go in the right direction, at least at first....should have brought something to eat after all.

The lumberjacks have been very busy up there of late. I suspect that the whole forest block between the top of cannons point and the top of the challenge loop will be gone within the next couple of months. I was up there yesterday to survey the damage, there is nothing left, but now there is a lot of scope for new tracks. Clarkes creek road (the one that climbs from hidden valley) doesn't really exist at the moment, so going down there will be a bit of a mish. As long as the south block by the river is left alone for a while, there will still be plenty of juicy tracks to ride.

The one bonus of all this tree felling, is that there was a really good view to be had of the gravel sprint up valley view road yesterday.

Mule wrote:there was a really good view to be had of the gravel sprint up valley view road yesterday.

Can we amend that to "gravel grovel" for people like me?

I've just thought of a bright side - saplings will bring easier track building opportunities - after the wreckage has been cleared up of course

And the lumberjacks will have to keep the roads open for the trucks (and may even open up more roads.)

Have you guys seen this - Wellington XC Sifters group - could sort some Cannons Point/ Akatarawa rides out.