Wind Affected

Thursday after creating clean clothes and buying groceries and loading up on water I drove up to Horse Thief XG, a BLM paid XG, costs me $7.50 per night and I will have an assigned camp spot. I drove the loop where I have stayed in the past and grabbed the first open spot which was prolly the last open one. OK spot.

I saw from the posted trail map that a trail goes from the XG over to connect w/ Mag 7 trails. I found that out previously, today I hiked it out and back. I added more to it by bush bashing to pick up Chisholm again on the far side of the butte. This pic shows a piece of that trail which is typical of the purpose built mtn bike trails, just so well done and it just speaks mtn bike talk. It plays the contour and uses grade dips to get water off the trail very quickly. Very sustainably built.

Fixed dinner and cleaned up. Internet service is inconsistent w/ one moment 4 G the maybe 1X. No on line connection. Fell asleep riding my tomorrow’s ride.

On Friday I rode from camp and did Mag 7 trails. Chisholm over to Mustang connecting to Get away piece to Bull Run start, down it passing Gemini arches, connecting w/ great escape to start the climb back, this was mid point of 12 miles. Arth’s corner back to Get away and back to camp. 25 miles pedaling 3 hrs 20 mins climbing 2265′. This was the biggest ride to date. Almost ran out of water. Big ride.

Back at camp great not having to move. Spit bath to wash off the salt and dust.

Friend Joe from Flag will be joining me for the night. Our plan is to ride Navajo Rocks on Saturday. Nice night for sitting outside.

Forecast for Sat is a wind event. Like 20 to 30 mph winds, gusts to 45. Joe sleeps up in the fabric poptop on his Sportsmoble van. He said overnight winds snapped the fabric. I didn’t notice. Winds were definitely increasing in speed. I found the weather report for the Moab airport which is exposed, a 47 mph gust had been recorded. I said it was way to windy for me. Joe said he was going to give a short ride a whirl as he didn’t know when he would be back. A text message from his said he didn’t know which was worse riding his bike or driving his van. He hasn’t told me of his ride. I just hunkered down inside. Van rocked so hard that the pad I was writing on  moved under my pen. Wind blew all day into the evening.

Forecast for today, Sunday, was for just 10 to 15 mph winds in the AM increasing later to welcome in another wind event for tomorrow.

I left the XG at 9 and drove down to Middle Earth of the Navajo Rocks loop. There were just a few rigs in the lot at my start. I chose to ride Big Mesa, Big Lonely, and Coney Island to Middle Earth. My body did not like the effort it was being made to do and rebelled w/ nausea. I bailed at Middle Earth. Ran into a group of 4 men older than me just finishing a safety meeting. Oh yeah.

The place is just plugged. Horsethief XG filled up early afternoon each day. The camp host hung the Full sign at the entrance but still rigs drove the XG hoping the sign was in error. XG roads are graded gravel, wheeled traffic stirs up dust, faster it goes more dust. Lookers were not slow pokes.

Today I drove back into town. A shower, water loading, and grocery shopping then dash back to Willow Springs. I arrived before 2 again to first spots taken. I’m in a smaller big open area. Rigs are still driving back past me. The place is plugged.

I get stressed when I don’t have a place to sleep as a result I forgo hanging in town socializing to drive out to place to camp to assure a spot. Willow Springs has 3 bar 4G.

To me the thing about track cross country skiing is really not cross country as the ski equipment requires the skier to ski only on a prepared ski track. And there is usually pay to play price. I chose the freedom on making my own tracks. I have struggled with riding on these trails purposely built for mountain bikes comparing them to the ski tracks. I hiked hiking trails and some of those were what I rode. I realized that the hiking trails were purpose built for hikers to get them somewhere and back.  How wonderfully built these trails are for us bikers. But some of the trail systems remind me of XC groomed trails because of the high density of trails such as Brand M trails. So riding has become just an exercise, riding  a loop then going home. SO, how does Monarch Pass compare? It is a point to point on the hand built CDT ride. It goes somewhere. But at then end of the day it is a beer at the end then back home. These purpose built trails are so  much fun to ride. I do really like Moab for the miles of trails and their slight variations.