Pony Ridge Trail

A day off from work and a day that was not too hot, coming to the end of summer. Drove to Belair National Park, in the hills around Adelaide, to ride the Pony Ridge Trail and into Brownhill Hill Creek reserve along the bike trail.
I entered the Park at Sir Edwin Avenue and then almost straight away onto Lodge Track, till the turn off, to cross the main railway line, and exit the park. Pony Ridge Road is about 50m to the west along Sheoak Road.

Map off Google Maps, trail marked in Red.

Lodge Track

Rail Crossing

Pony Ridge Trail starts just down the road, actually part of the Yurrebilla walking trail, and descends quickly down the slope on a fairly steep and rocky track. The trail soon turns to a zig zag down to the bottom, some sharp turns and rock retaining wall, onto the road.

Part of the steep decent on Pony Ridge Trail.

Looking up from the Switch backs.

At the bottom, there is a short ride along some bitumen before entering Brownhill Creek Reserve, and onto the trail which starts/finishes on the northern side of the Brownhill Ck Road, which follows the creek course. The trail crosses the road just near the old 'Manure Pits' and passes along the side of the road to White Bridge. Here there are two trails, one carries along the side of the road, the other through a 'gate' and along the back track. (Marked on the map as Wirraparinga Trail).

Shared use trail.

Wirraparinga Trail.

This part of the trail I use to ride when I was a teenage on a heavy road bike (I still have the frame for this bike).  It comes out onto Northbrooke Avenue, then it is a ride through the streets of Mitcham village to Mitcham Railway Station, where to catch the train back to Belair. (This day I was lucky, as the train arrived just as I rode into the station car park).

Not quite in the bike area, that was already taken.

Arrival in Belair.

Taking your bike on Adelaide Metro trains. Between the hours of 9am and 3pm, and after 6pm till end of service, it is free, where space is available to travel with your bike, along you have a valid metrocard or ticket. Outside these hours, the bike must also have a ticket. Weekend and public holidays, bikes are free, where space exists.

Health check

What has a cat got to do with riding. Dear Bertie was almost 20yo when we lost him, and on the trip to the vet, while he was having convulsions he bit my arm, which slowly started to get a nice red colour. Well better see a doctor in case it was infected, but by the time the appointment came, the swelling had reduced, but the docotr decided while I was there he should take my blood pressure.
Need less to say it was heading into the dangerous regions of been too high. Various tests later and I was started on blood pressure medication.
Who knows how high it would have been if I had not been riding and swimming. Best to get checked out.

I had already had minor diet changes, with eating more fibre in the morning for breakfast, and increased my fruit intake, (just have to get the wife to decrease my dinner portions) as had lost some weight, but more importantly I have dropped a size around the waist. Need to reduce the stomach size, as working a a position where I come into contact with guys with very large guts gives the shivers.