Still thinking

Just more of the same.

Yesterday I drove Jimmy up to west Sedona to ride Chuck Wagon Mescal et al. Joy of work week is no crowd, trails almost all to ourselves.

2 new trails drop down to Canyon of Fools from Mescal. We took the further one aptly name Canyon of Fools. It is a sustainability reroute of a social trail. Sometimes the medicine is worse than the cure (?). Bits of the old are included. The canyon is a steep walled wash ride w/ wall lines. Used to be un recognized. Now it is being hammered. The exit is on paved Boyton Pass road which we rode up to where Aeries crossed. I asked to not add the full Aeries & Cockscomb loop. This is my first time on the last 2 trails so I ride more cautiously familiarizing myself with how the trail is now. Seat dropper post, wide handle bar, and I 9 wheels. Jimmy led and I rode his wheel. Several times I stalled on a move because my nose was up his butt  and I couldn’t see the while move to pick a good line. He created a mental image that I followed. We crossed Dry Creek which was dry to find Snake to climb out of creek bottom. We read the trail side etched metal map at a junction and either misinterpreted the map or the you are here was wrongly placed. We did find Snake and climbed out to Girdner then onto start of Chuck Wagon and the van.

On the way back to VOC Jimmy treated me to a protein shake at the Hike House. Jimmy and the manager met for the first time. We were treated to a first time customer shake. My first. Later in the day I passed frequent relieve gas.

updated 1/30

As I was typing the above Jimmy rolled up. I saw head lights on the FS road then they turned onto my path to my door stop. Pitch black and a dark colored truck had me thinking about defense. My flashlight recognized him. I had a visitor @ my house.

Steve from Sun Valley rolled into town.  We had riding partners. Tuesday we rode Soldier wash as a break into Sedona riding for Steve. I made a riding blunder climbing up a short piece of rock armoring stuffing my front wheel and stalling forward progress. I flailed as I sought control over my fall down into the wash instead of uphill. I saved myself. The wild gyrations injured my repaired shoulder discovered 2 days later. I did not fall on it, I just windmilled the sky. Soldier wash is now a legal system network of trails. There are many ways to create a loop. Numerous trail improvements fostered sustainability. Our descent was down Javalina.

I burped my rear tire on a hard landing. I found that prolly 20 psi was too low for fast chunky tread. Tried CO2 to seat the bead. Tried. Learned that I should have removed the valve core which restricts the sudden pressure needed to seat the bead. Ended up putting in a slimed tube I carry. Stayed up all the way back to rigs.

Some times I can be a tourist:

Back to Bean.

Wed Steve and I took off on our ride that turned out to be too big to be kind loop. We rode Shades up then down to junction w/ HT that took us to Little Horse and a decision to ride Llama back. Shades is such a cool trail.

Head up and elbows bent he rolled right up the slick rock ramp.

Joe Murray caught up to us for a brief visit.

Back @ Bean. The hot water heater for my shower is functioning.

Hanging @ the Bean. Gathering place for local riders, beer flows freely. This is the first place I have experienced this long term camaraderie. I am the brunt of many gigs.

Thurs 8:45 was another PT appointment in West Sedona about a good 20  min drive. I managed my time to arrive on time. Rebecca evaluated my latest shoulder issue. It ain’t good. She told me I need to quit riding for 2 weeks to allow healing of possibly torn tissue.  Today I am in enough pain that I will follow her advise. Although I did ride after the treatment, one last time to last. Forecast called for increasing probability of showers later in the day. We rode out off Dry Creek. Again we shortened the loop. We arrived back at our vans just before sprinkles fell that became a shower.

Back @ the Bean. Jimmy treated me to a killer all you can eat dinner @ a posh golf course restaurant. $13.95. The food was very good. Thurs night dinner solution. Almost all the eaters were old, most of them had their own teeth.

Rain continued thru the night while I was parked on the pavement at the overlook. I listened to the Zags home game against Portland on XM. Zags won remaining undefeated in conference play. They are still ranked third nationally.

Today starts the first of my 2 week rest. I received a chiro adjustment that fixed  a skeletal misalignment to help my shoulder.

Rained all day. Hanging @ Bean. Crowd left. I’m done.

Llama from Steve     video maybe.