Riding in the clouds

It may seem difficult to believe, but I was actually at eye level with that shot today. All of the so-called "normal" people will be very disappointed in me right now. I'm 30 in a little over a month, and they're still having to tell me to keep my head out of the clouds and both feet on the ground. Does it count that both my feet were on pedals?





Springbrook turned on yet another amazing morning on a day which really promised nothing. On the coast it had been hazy, humid with a slight sense of bushfire smoke from somewhere. It's amazing what heading into the mountains can do. I opted for a slightly more cruisy approach to the climb, pacing myself for the 8km drag through the switchbacks and keeping something in reserve for the steeper sections near Lyrebird Ridge. Along the way I was passing all manner of wildflowers in bloom.



It was at the top of the Plateau that the "action" really started. First a sneak preview of what was to come rolling across the distant Lamington Plateau...



... Followed by the touch of the mist on the forest providing an almost mystical appearance...



... And of course the flowers were still in bloom.



The ride home was less exciting, except for the fact that one of my tail lights smashed somewhere on the descent. For those who have forgotten, on my last visit to Springbrook some weeks ago, the light mount on the rear of my rack broke when the metal snapped. I built a replacement from spare parts, which held together. However, the light that it was holding in place wasn't so robust. The clip was only held in place by plastic, and it snapped. So while my handiwork did it's job, apparently less can be said for the standards of the manufacturer of that light. Blinkie tail lights are fairly cheap to replace, but it's still annoying.