W
Westie
Guest
~~~~~Note: I'm trying a free photo hosting website that's ~~~~~complicated and sucks. ~~~~~I'll
repost the pics if these links don't work.
Teetotal flats are just outside the small settlement of St Arnaud which is on the shores of
Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes National Park, NZ. Skip the mini novel if you like and just
clip the pics.
On the highway (Yes, it's a main National Highway), 15km to the South looking towards St. Arnaud:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/517742/Teetotal-Flats-008.jpg
Most Lakes look pretty on a sunny day. This one was no exception:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/517742/Teetotal-Flats-009.jpg
The Teetotal Public Recreation area is just outside the park boundaries and it's official sounding
title makes it seem more official and more developed than it is. In reality it's not much more than
a large flat area of a couple of maybe a hundred hectares covered in rocks, scrub and brush with a
big beech forest covered hill in the middle of it. The Nelson Mountainbiking Club, which is 45
minutes drive away, has done considerable work on tracks around the flat areas. Good for families
and gentle rides.
I started the loop track. The trail right next to the car park provides some nice little banks and
stream beds to play around on. From there you follow the single track across the flats and wind in
and out of the tea tree bushes and spiny matagouri trees as you follow the trail markers. Pleasant
riding with no challenges.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/517742/Teetotal-Flats-014.jpg
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/517742/Teetotal-Flats-016.jpg
The Big Hill trail branches off from the Teetotal Flats trail about a kilometre in from the carpark.
It begins to climb immediately. This is a rough track in the beginning with a killer climb. Only the
fittest and best riders are going to make a decent go of riding this climb. Even then, if it has
rained recently the wet clay foil any attempt. Lots of erosion and run-off damage have turned most
of this track into a steep 30 degree clay chute with rocks and roots that climbs to the top of the
hill. In many places it's considerably steeper and traction is impossible. The brush and scrub comes
in close in places and hangs over the track. There was a lot of carrying involved and frequent rest
stops as the bike was pushed and hauled up most of the trail.
This is about where I ran out of puff:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/517742/Teetotal-Flats-021.jpg
Happily after reaching the top there was a more gentle descent into and through beech forest. After
some wet spots and mud the trail levels out a little more. One of the wets spots caught me
completely. I swooped down a reasonable slope, around a corner straight into some soft deep muddy
ruts. The front wheel sank in and I found myself launched into the air, parting company with the
bike as I endo'd. Thank goodness for the soft trail. Leaves everywhere but no damage to anything but
my pride. Where's someone with a camera when you want them?
The trail wound gently up and down through the beech forest for a couple of kilometres before
ending, meaning that you had to return the way you came.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/517742/Teetotal-Flats-031.jpg
The highlight of the return trip was the downhill at the end. Steep and fast and rough, it was white
knuckles and adrenaline as you push the speed up. A good DH bike would chew this up - as it was the
5" front and rear suspension that I had was being used to it's fullest. After a fast, furious few
minutes I skidded over the final few meters of slick clay and shot out of the forest and back onto
the horizontal safety of the Teetotal Flats. Forearms were pumped and disc rotors burnished a steel
blue from the heat of the descent.
This is one of the flat, gently sloped parts of the downhill:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/517742/Teetotal-Flats-030.jpg
I finished the ride by quickly finishing the few kilometres of the loop track back to the car park.
It was mid afternoon by now and the sun was hot. The crispy heat-baked moss and fine grass crackled
beneath the tyres. Riding over the moss made it seem like the tyres had lost pressure. The ground
cover made a natural spongy cushion that sucked up a lot of energy.
Hot, dirty and sweaty I got back to the car park for the thing that would make the ride memorable.
There is a natural ice skating pond next to the car park that freezes over every winter. It's mid
summer right now. The water was cold and refreshing. Wonderful.
--
Westie Replace "invalid" with "yahoo" to reply.
--
Westie (Replace 'invalid' with 'yahoo' when replying.)
repost the pics if these links don't work.
Teetotal flats are just outside the small settlement of St Arnaud which is on the shores of
Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes National Park, NZ. Skip the mini novel if you like and just
clip the pics.
On the highway (Yes, it's a main National Highway), 15km to the South looking towards St. Arnaud:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/517742/Teetotal-Flats-008.jpg
Most Lakes look pretty on a sunny day. This one was no exception:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/517742/Teetotal-Flats-009.jpg
The Teetotal Public Recreation area is just outside the park boundaries and it's official sounding
title makes it seem more official and more developed than it is. In reality it's not much more than
a large flat area of a couple of maybe a hundred hectares covered in rocks, scrub and brush with a
big beech forest covered hill in the middle of it. The Nelson Mountainbiking Club, which is 45
minutes drive away, has done considerable work on tracks around the flat areas. Good for families
and gentle rides.
I started the loop track. The trail right next to the car park provides some nice little banks and
stream beds to play around on. From there you follow the single track across the flats and wind in
and out of the tea tree bushes and spiny matagouri trees as you follow the trail markers. Pleasant
riding with no challenges.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/517742/Teetotal-Flats-014.jpg
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/517742/Teetotal-Flats-016.jpg
The Big Hill trail branches off from the Teetotal Flats trail about a kilometre in from the carpark.
It begins to climb immediately. This is a rough track in the beginning with a killer climb. Only the
fittest and best riders are going to make a decent go of riding this climb. Even then, if it has
rained recently the wet clay foil any attempt. Lots of erosion and run-off damage have turned most
of this track into a steep 30 degree clay chute with rocks and roots that climbs to the top of the
hill. In many places it's considerably steeper and traction is impossible. The brush and scrub comes
in close in places and hangs over the track. There was a lot of carrying involved and frequent rest
stops as the bike was pushed and hauled up most of the trail.
This is about where I ran out of puff:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/517742/Teetotal-Flats-021.jpg
Happily after reaching the top there was a more gentle descent into and through beech forest. After
some wet spots and mud the trail levels out a little more. One of the wets spots caught me
completely. I swooped down a reasonable slope, around a corner straight into some soft deep muddy
ruts. The front wheel sank in and I found myself launched into the air, parting company with the
bike as I endo'd. Thank goodness for the soft trail. Leaves everywhere but no damage to anything but
my pride. Where's someone with a camera when you want them?
The trail wound gently up and down through the beech forest for a couple of kilometres before
ending, meaning that you had to return the way you came.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/517742/Teetotal-Flats-031.jpg
The highlight of the return trip was the downhill at the end. Steep and fast and rough, it was white
knuckles and adrenaline as you push the speed up. A good DH bike would chew this up - as it was the
5" front and rear suspension that I had was being used to it's fullest. After a fast, furious few
minutes I skidded over the final few meters of slick clay and shot out of the forest and back onto
the horizontal safety of the Teetotal Flats. Forearms were pumped and disc rotors burnished a steel
blue from the heat of the descent.
This is one of the flat, gently sloped parts of the downhill:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/517742/Teetotal-Flats-030.jpg
I finished the ride by quickly finishing the few kilometres of the loop track back to the car park.
It was mid afternoon by now and the sun was hot. The crispy heat-baked moss and fine grass crackled
beneath the tyres. Riding over the moss made it seem like the tyres had lost pressure. The ground
cover made a natural spongy cushion that sucked up a lot of energy.
Hot, dirty and sweaty I got back to the car park for the thing that would make the ride memorable.
There is a natural ice skating pond next to the car park that freezes over every winter. It's mid
summer right now. The water was cold and refreshing. Wonderful.
--
Westie Replace "invalid" with "yahoo" to reply.
--
Westie (Replace 'invalid' with 'yahoo' when replying.)
