Look at that autumn outlook over the port hills! It was a golden sunny day, not too hot nor too cold, and without wind. The bike tracks up to Summit Rd from Halswell Quarry are still closed after the big fire, so Sunday I drove around the base of the hills to access an open track further east. I haven’t explored the tracks over near Rapaki Rd much (I’m adverse to driving in order to exercise) so I’m exploring most of these for the first time. This time I tried going east from the summit. I’m not a “black diamond” mountain biker, so not too far along this particular track I gave up hefting my bike over the rocks, instead climbing straight up through the dry grassy seed heads to the summit of this little peak. There’s something about getting to a high outlook that’s super satisfying.

Turning the other direction, you get a king’s view over the city. “That’s right,” you think to yourself, “all those people down there are breathing the smog, going about their daily lives, and I’m up here above it all!” Until I ride back down, of course, and resume my own daily life like everyone else. It’s a refreshing interlude nonetheless.