Dan track is a winner

Ok we had tossed around a few different options but we started with a lap of Dan's track. Clint warned us that it was very boggy and the run down the fence line would be suicidal.

In the dry I give this trail a difficulty rating of 7 out of 10. It's tight, technical and has a lot of off camber corners into hard pinches. Nothing impossible but you have to work the bike even on the downhill sections. It's a real mountain bikers trail.

In the wet the difficulty went through the roof.

It's amazing a k or 2 down the road Lidsdale is in sandstone country 1/2 an hour after torrential rain stops and the trail is good as gold. Up here we're getting into Granite country and the loamy soil was soaked to the bone. The trail still holds up to the little traffic it get but it was slippery as a buttered pig.

the first half of the lap went.:
Ease around the off camber corner
pedal 5 times to move forward once to get to the top of the pinch.
Drop down to the next off camber corner
Repeat.

The run along the fence line was a lot better than Clint had suggested. So long as you controlled you speed at the top and lent the bike way over to hit the berm at the bottom all was well.

More tight, twisting traversing follow with some tough but doable climbs mixed in and then we're at the to of the long down traverse.

You might think a long downward traverse would be a good place to get a rest but not on Dan's track. It's off camber all the way baby and in the dry at race pace it's a struggle to hold the line and ride the beast. A couple of little dips and scallops along the way keeps every one honest and leads to a little white knuckle fever. In the wet we took it easy to the big grassy corners that finish the traverse off, feet out 2 wheel drifting fun.

some more little pinches lead to the final DH and again it's a balance between controlling speed and staying off the brakes so as to not break traction.

All that's left is the long grueling up hill to the finish.

Puffing and panting and with hearts thudding large in our ears we through around ideas for what was next. Drive back to Lidsdale for a lap? Ride down Bonnaventer(?spelling) rd then across to the pines and back along the highway.

Screw it we went for a few more laps here.

First lap I managed with just 1 or 2 dabs the next two had considerably more as we began pushing the limits of traction on the Down hill section.

In the end we did the 3 laps with a bit of a detour on the last that through in an extra hill that was just rideable (well Rich and dan rode it I had to get off and walk)

Lot's of fun on a trail that is a real test of skill, leg power and fitness. tough but doable and thoroughly enjoyable.

At the end of the night there was talk of doing poker runs and trails type stuff where each tiem you dab your foot point get deducted.... Ah the options