Crew: Stunt
Route: MC, zig zags, charity (tarmac), hacked way lane, back into the forest at the gate, witches cottage, main trail/road to Leathers, home via Clarke lane and town.
Conditions: Gusting 40mph winds, above freezing, light rain, recent snow.
Notes:
Weather warnings a plenty as a big low pressure from the East comes across cold air and triggers potential snowmaggedon. It’s all about the temperatures, and a day of roaring winds and rain in Macc is blizzards and havoc in Buxton.
But there will be snow on them thar hills, and someone really wants to find it.
After an amusing poll of which excuse for not riding tonight, it seems there is only one who is determined to go and find the snow – and sets out a single lap of the forest option for those who might want to brave the conditions.
Well wrapped up in waterproofs over many layers Stunt sets off and posts arrival at Muller Corner on time, it’s Billy no mates time. No snow here, just wetness and mud on the zig, but only a few meters of vertical height later at the start of the Zag some rapidly melting white stuff is evident, and by the top it could just about be called snow, and covers the whole of the track.
The winds is strong and in your face, probably the gentlest descent from Windyways (aptly named) to Walker barn to avoid being blown over.
Charity offers shelter – by being a sunken lane, the lower tarmac section is slushy, some pushing is needed when grip goes as a result. Part way up its proper snow, and pedalling can resume – mainly in the tracks of a 4×4 that has come up recently. Wonderful sinuous shapes on the banks where the vegetation has been covered in smooth curves. As the lane flattens out the wind is again roaring across the fields to make life difficult, at the start of Charity proper there are some big drifts, but going up will be into the teeth of the weather – probably not a good plan whilst solo riding.
I decide to head down Hacked way lane, and immediately spot two sets of tyre tracks – it looks like there are at least two other madmen in the forest tonight.
A couple of inches of snow makes for nice riding all the way down to the gate, and it’s more of the same on the trail – there is much more shelter from the wind here too.
On the long track down from Witches cottage to the road – it’s speedy, and not slippy, but the snow is getting wetter the lower you go, and the last section is just mainly meltwater!
Route one home, and passing the Leathers the road is clear, and just the odd bit of slush at the sides.
The wind is now my friend, as it blows me home for an early bath, and I can report a proper TNR has been completed 🙂