More Woodland Wanderings.

I see that we are now being advised to eat ten portions of fruit and veg a day in order to live a longer, and healthier life, instead of five. I was in Tesco last week and picked up a bunch of Bananas that had a sticker proclaiming 'one of your five a day'. Who the hell eats five bunches of Bananas in a day, let alone ten? These people must think we're stupid...

Ahem...

And so to Sunday, yesterday as it happens, another blustersome day, and another portion of my own life enhancing medicine - a short ride around Ladock Woods.

This time the wind was a bit softer, gusting to a barely bouffant bothering 40 mph, but more overcast and with the threat of hefty showers. Being a rufty tufty mountain biker, I wasn't going to let the threat of being lashed by a bit of horizontal rain put me off, so I donned my over trousers and pointed Fatso in the general direction of Ladock.

 Pot holes in the lane from Five Turnings near Boswiddle.

They've just resurfaced the road either side of the ford at Boswiddle. Why they didn't wait until the water has retreated below the road again, and resurfaced the lot, is a mystery.

On Christmas Eve I rode past the entrance to Ladock Woods I normally use as an exit, and saw signs that suggested that the woods were now closed to the public. Thankfully that is not the case, it's just that one particular entrance that's out of bounds now. The main entrance remains open, so I was looking forward to a good old mooch about as I stood Fatso on his back wheel and and promptly got wedged in the kissing gate, again. I always get stuck in that one.

Heading off into the woods at Ladock. Even at the modest speeds I go biking at, it's still good fun, especially slithering and sliding about in some of the muddier sections.

Anyway, having extricated bike and body, I set off to boldly go where this Back Road Bimbler had never gone before, and check out some paths I'd not yet been down. This might not sound very adventurous, but these woods can be dense and the locals a bit strange. Or is it the other way round? Anyway, they're a funny lot round Ladock way, drink their own bath water n' stuff like that I suspect, so I didn't want to end up getting murdered by some wild haired, wide eyed, club carrying, man of the woods.

These woods are always wetter than those at Idless, thanks presumably to the not inconsiderable hill the latter reside on. So I splashed and slithered my way along familiar tracks until a junction where in the past I've stuck to the main drag and gone left. On this occasion, I checked around for watching eyes in the undergrowth, girded my loins, and pedaled off along the more overgrown path to the right, and deeper into the woods. 

Most of Ladock Woods consists of Pine trees, but this area boasted a motley collection of varying flavours of tree, and also a lot more in the way of brambles and general undergrowth. 

It had yet to rain at all, and in fact it didn't throughout the whole ride, but I don't mind that, as the over trousers do a good job of keeping my normal riding strides clean as Fatso flings and splashes mud and water as I ride along. Fatbikes do find good traction in mud, if you're travelling slowly to begin with and keep pedaling. The wheels might not always be going in the same direction, at the same time, but it's all controllable and good fun. I know from bitter, muddy footed experience, that the Voodoo just grinds to a wheel spinning halt in such slop. Hit the wet mud at speed however and things can get very unruly very quickly, as the tyres float instead of biting, and well... face planting the mire is a distinct possibility if you can't control the bars and keep them pointing more or less ahead.

So far, so good. I hadn't fallen into any nets or man traps, or encountered any strange people, although there were a few of those stick shelters about, but they get everywhere these days. Crack on then.
At one point though I did stop and investigate off the path, as I could hear water running. It turns out I'd found the stream that runs down the Eastern edge of the wood, before eventually running into the Tresillian River. As streams go it is quite a substantial one too, but frustratingly, appears from my maps at least, to be un-named. 
It was while I was poking about the bank of the stream that my worst fears came true and I had... an encounter. 
There was an urgent rustling in the undergrowth and the bushes twitched and fidgeted as something was making its way straight towards me... I could hear heavy breathing as the unseen beast got nearer, and my bum was twitching like a jittery Rabbit's nose as a large black, drooling, muscular, four legged beast burst out of the bushes a few feet away and made straight for me. 'Yikes' I thought. 'Parp' went my bum. "Don't worry, he doesn't bite" came a disembodied voice, as the slobbering, smiling, Black Labrador came blundering over to say hello, and frisk me with his probing nose for concealed Hob Nobs or Bacon Sandwiches. A few seconds later a walking type chap appeared and bade a hearty hello. Strewth... I'd nearly had another reason to be thankful I had my over trousers on.

 Hello, another fuzzy looking photo upload... Grrr...

Beside the stream, and where I nearly found what adrenaline smells like.

Not wanting to be surprised again I got back aboard Fatso and from then on, kept moving, back onto more familiar paths once again before finally finding myself back at the entrance, and stuck in that darned kissing gate again. One day I'll learn to take my rucksack off first...

 Right, that's it, time to get a move on...

From there it was just a casual ride back through the lanes, again cosily sheltered from the wind, and home for a quick blast off for Fatso courtesy of the pressure washer, and a shower for me followed by Chicken Noodle soup.  As I was sat with my steaming lunch, it battered it down outside as rain lashed the windows. That's the second time recently I've made it home just ahead of heavy rain, and long may my luck continue.

Last photo of the day, the obligatory bike by the log pile shot. Looks like it could be more Blogger induced fuzz. Right clicking on the photo and opening in a new tab sorts these wonky uploads out.

It's always a good feeling, relaxing, post shower, and after a good ride on a windy day, as you think back to the ride and what had gone just before. A thoroughly enjoyable ride, although it might be a while before I venture deeper into Ladock Woods again I must admit...

---------------