Mountain Bikes · Public discussion

RR: Teetotal Flats

Westie · 2003-12-01T09:01:19+00:00

~~~~~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.)

Started by Westie · 1 December 2003 · Last activity 2 December 2003 · 8 posts · 1,104 views

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Original section: Mountain Bikes
Published: 1 December 2003
Last activity: 2 December 2003
Original author: Westie
Posts: 8
Discussion status: Public discussion
Total views: 1,104
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Original post
Westie
Archived post

1 December 2003, 09:01 UTC #1

~~~~~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:
img.villagephotos.comTeetotal Flats 008.jpg
Most Lakes look pretty on a sunny day. This one was no exception:
img.villagephotos.comTeetotal 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.
img.villagephotos.comTeetotal Flats 014.jpg
img.villagephotos.comTeetotal 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:
img.villagephotos.comTeetotal 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.
img.villagephotos.comTeetotal 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:
img.villagephotos.comTeetotal 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.)

Report
Sir Ride-A-Lot
Archived post

1 December 2003, 15:00 UTC #2

"Westie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
~~~~~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:
img.villagephotos.comTeetotal Flats 008.jpg
Most Lakes look pretty on a sunny day. This one was no exception:
img.villagephotos.comTeetotal Flats 009.jpg
The Teetotal Public Recreation area is just outside the park boundaries

and
Quoted message said:
it's official sounding title makes it seem more official and more

developed
Quoted message said:
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
Quoted message said:
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
Quoted message said:
bushes and spiny matagouri trees as you follow the trail markers.

Pleasant
Quoted message said:
riding with no challenges.
img.villagephotos.comTeetotal Flats 014.jpg
img.villagephotos.comTeetotal 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
Quoted message said:
riders are going to make a decent go of riding this climb. Even then, if

it
Quoted message said:
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
Quoted message said:
scrub comes in close in places and hangs over the track. There was a lot

of
Quoted message said:
carrying involved and frequent rest stops as the bike was pushed and

hauled
Quoted message said:
up most of the trail.
This is about where I ran out of puff:
img.villagephotos.comTeetotal 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
Quoted message said:
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
Quoted message said:
kilometres before ending, meaning that you had to return the way you came.
img.villagephotos.comTeetotal 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
Quoted message said:
the Teetotal Flats. Forearms were pumped and disc rotors burnished a

steel
Quoted message said:
blue from the heat of the descent.
This is one of the flat, gently sloped parts of the downhill:
img.villagephotos.comTeetotal 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.
Quoted message said:
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
Quoted message said:
park that freezes over every winter. It's mid summer right now. The

water
Quoted message said:
was cold and refreshing. Wonderful.
--
Westie Replace "invalid" with "yahoo" to reply.
--
Westie (Replace 'invalid' with 'yahoo' when replying.)
Wow! I want to go to NZ!

Report
Geedubb
Archived post

1 December 2003, 16:00 UTC #3

Westie said:
~~~~~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. snip
Most Lakes look pretty on a sunny day. This one was no exception:
img.villagephotos.comTeetotal Flats 009.jpg
Now I want to go water skiing..........
Damn you Westie, it's too cold here for that (though it'd give me an excuse to finally use the wet
suit)! <g>
Nice pix. NZ is on my 'want to do' list. Someday.....
Gary

Report
P E T E F A G E
Archived post

1 December 2003, 23:02 UTC #4

Westie said:
~~~~~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
Quoted message said:
on the shores of Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes National Park, NZ.

Skip
Quoted message said:
the mini novel if you like and just clip the pics.
Looks like good riding.
Do you have any idea what the riding is like around this area?
treetops.co.nztreetops.co.nz
Friends of ours just started running the joint and we mightbe able to visit sometime.

Report
Sorni
Archived post

1 December 2003, 23:04 UTC #5

"P e t e F a g e r l i n" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Do you have any idea what the riding is like around this area?
treetops.co.nztreetops.co.nz
No need to worry about flats (Yes! tubes or no), because you're swinging on vines the whole time.
Bill "OK, back to the monthly invoices" S.

Report
Westie
Archived post

1 December 2003, 23:04 UTC #6

"P e t e F a g e r l i n" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Looks like good riding.
Do you have any idea what the riding is like around this area?
treetops.co.nztreetops.co.nz
Friends of ours just started running the joint and we mightbe able to visit sometime.
I used to work at a couple of properties in the SLH group :-)
Very good riding in the area with plenty of variety from XC to DH. Location of NZ MTB Nationals.
Dedicated DH courses. It's, as you probably know, a main tourism destination in NZ with the
geothermal activity - hotpools, boiling mud etc. As an old volcanic area the landscape is largely
small hills with a lot of steep gorges and lakes cut through the surface. Primo mtbing landscape.
Add the thick forests and considerable trail building and maintenance from the very active mtb clubs
in the area and you've got great riding. It's only a couple of hours south of the main city,
Auckland, so it's a prime weekend destination for mountainbikers. Quite a few commercial mtb guides
in the area. A new mountainbike park has opened too, I believe. I'm not to clear on that one though.
Have a wuick look here for someone-else's description of some of the riding:
krankin.co.nzother local rides.htm
Well worth a visit if your friends haven't already mentioned it!
--
Westie (Replace 'invalid' with 'yahoo' when replying.)

Report
P E T E F A G E
Archived post

1 December 2003, 23:05 UTC #7

Westie said:

"P e t e F a g e r l i n" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Looks like good riding.
Do you have any idea what the riding is like around this area?
treetops.co.nztreetops.co.nz
Friends of ours just started running the joint and we mightbe able to visit sometime.
I used to work at a couple of properties in the SLH group :-)
Very good riding in the area with plenty of variety from XC to DH. Location of NZ MTB Nationals.
Dedicated DH courses. It's, as you probably know, a main tourism destination in NZ with the
geothermal activity - hotpools, boiling mud etc. As an old volcanic area the landscape is largely
small hills with a lot of steep gorges and lakes cut through the surface. Primo mtbing landscape.
Add the thick forests and considerable trail building and maintenance from the very active mtb
clubs in the area and you've got great riding. It's only a couple of hours south of the main city,
Auckland, so it's a prime weekend destination for mountainbikers. Quite a few commercial mtb guides
in the area. A new mountainbike park has opened too, I believe. I'm not to clear on that one
though. Have a wuick look here for someone-else's description of some of the riding:
krankin.co.nzother local rides.htm
Well worth a visit if your friends haven't already mentioned it!
Damn. That's better than I could have hoped for.
We were bummed when they left Botswana for NZ but from a MTB perspective I'm stoked.
Doing the safari thing is cool but you can't ride unless you want to be considered a part
of the menu.
pete fagerlin
::Revolutionary! Evolutionary! Yet so retro! :www.yestubes.com

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D T W .../\\...
Archived post

2 December 2003, 01:02 UTC #8

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--
DTW .../\.../\.../\...
I've spent most of my money on mountain biking and windsurfing. The rest I've just wasted.

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