February 17, 2025
Fork Hut (Old Ghost Road) to Punakaiki.
Finishing OGR and riding the West Coast.
I slept last night in likely the least popular hut on the trail but that suited me fine because I had the whole place. I woke up intent on finishing and riding as far as possible on the other side.
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I thought the last 20 km would be pedestrian compared to the rest but I was wrong. It was a really technical 7 or 8 km and also some incredibly flowy trail to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I was back on the other side of the crest. It was interesting because the trail started very wet and rain forest, then turned dry and wind swept at the top, then back to rainforest.
I’ll remember that trail and bore anyone with tails of it I’m sure. Simply epic!
Once I rolled off the trail about 9 AM I headed into Sedonville. I came across a hotel with its door open but a sign saying closed. Hard to call it a hotel. It looked like a cafe. I peeked inside and saw two riders finishing breakfast and talking to a guy. I walked past the guy and then he says “can I help you?” I responded that I’d sure like whatever was on their empty plates. He obliged and made me a delicious breakfast and I talked to new friends from New Hampshire. The conversation went from bikes, the trail, the president, to moving to NZ (them) or maybe Squamish. I even asked Ben (bike mechanic) about why every CSU creaks. It was super fun and I loved all their observations of New Zealand and the trail; they love you guys!
Back on the road I’ve finally slowed down. The air is fresh with salt and I honestly can’t believe the scenery. I saw cows grazing between the road and the ocean. This was so bizarre to me. In Canada that property is worth $10 million. There are farms along the ocean!
I may change my plans. The weather is supposed to turn. And I chatted with the rider on the Old Ghost about Paporoa. He loved it but I didn’t like the stuff he was raving about. Then another report of 50% hike-a-bike for 57 km. I think I may have already pushed my bike far enough.
I already saw the Old Ghost Road and I feel incredibly grateful. But, I like to move and spend most of my time actually riding, not pushing. Currently I’m drinking 1.5 L of sugar water in the shade and sat at a picnic table. It’s part beach, part farm, and glorious weather. I may take a train to the east coast. I might ride. It’s up in the air.
I started pedalling again sometime after 1 with the goal of getting to Westport to hit a bike shop, then do more research into the train option out of Greymouth. I arrived in Westport around 3 and found a bike shop that was open. Amazing! And they had the perfect size sealant bottle where I could add 60 mL to the front and back. I borrowed their floor pump to make the job a breeze.
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Then I headed over to the library for some WIFI and managed to book a train from Greymouth to Springfield and back onto the S2S. I still had to get from Westport to Greymouth (100 km) so I got busy riding again on the highway running along the coast. It was nice riding for the most part and not busy. Near the end of my day I climbed a lot and then descended into Punakaiki. It’s where the Paporoa track starts and it has spectacular scenery with the ocean, wind swept trees and a beach feel.
I’ll stay overnight here and then pedal the 45 km to Greymouth to catch the train. I am very happy with my divergence from the original plan. My map afterwards will likely look inefficient but that’s okay. It’s an adventure and every day has not had a firm plan. I never know where I’m sleeping, how far I’ll ride, or where exactly I’ll stop for meals.
2000 km done ✅
Highlights:
-the last 20 km of the Old Ghost Road was great riding
-breakfast at the cafe with the biking couple from New Hampshire
-riding along the coast and stopping at the beach a few times
-beautiful scenery on the coast
Distance: 134 km and 1363 m elevation gain
Today's ride: 134 km (83 miles)
Total: 2,005 km (1,245 miles)
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1 week ago
That's why they are called plans, not requirements.
I remember running a 15 mile race back in the late 1970s and seeing a big not likely to overcome gap between me and the lead pack, and nobody behind, I started looking around and saw a coin and a die and a screwdriver, all of which I broke pace and picked up. Probably have that screwdriver! Which spilled over to my bike commuting where I picked up about a quart of "roadkill" coins and bungee cords and sockets and on and on. I planned on getting from A to B fast as I could, but modified my plans. Makes life more interesting!
1 week ago
1 week ago