Met John, his wife Lynn, and 3 other people for ride. Some of them were Boeing employees or past. Tourist type ride in that we would ride for a few minutes & hit a junction and allow everyone to catch up & a brief rest. Ride pretty much out in open 7000′ desert. I rode by a rattlesnake I didn’t see but 2 riders behind me saw it and one almost ran over its tail. Whew. Rode a trail section maintained by WOMBATS, Jacquie Phalen’s girl’s mtn bike club from back in the day.
Went to dinner w/ John & Lynn @ an India restaurant they like. Splurged for dinner out. Very well spiced food for complicated taste treats.
Drove back to Cedro XG for late bed.
Sun rode, another beautiful blue bird day: no clouds, clear skies and rising temps.
Drove out to Sandia Crest National scenic byway and Doc Long TH for ride on Faulty trail wander. Technical ST w/ a bit of climbing. Arrived @ a free flowing small stream sourced from a spring just uphill. Rode down drainage and in short distance h2o probably went underground. Riding on a buff piece of trail when I rode around a blind corner and started a mama black bear w/ twins about 100′ away. I did some talking sternly as she left the trail and crossed over to other hillside of stream. Not far but w/ a smooth shallow grade downhill I thought I could out ride her if she took an aggressive interest in me. She was mostly cinnamon colored. She didn’t move quietly thru trees as she made many pieces of wood break. Made a keyhole ride. Saw 1 other person, another mtn biker.
Working on my pedal stroke in keeping my heels level which lessens knee pain. Did more stretches during ride. Hot day. Back @ van I repeated the stretches. I pulled too hard on a hip stretch and now I have an issue w/ my right hip. Some felt good, more had to feel even better.
Drove to Hostel. No caretaker but a resident let me in for shower. Washed gloves out in sink as they were getting mighty stiff.
Groceries & h2o @ Albertsons and then onto I-40 over to I-25 and heavy traffic. I thought I left early enough to miss rush but maybe Friday afternoon strikes early here. Exited off I-25 into a big box store parking lot. Cruised until I found shade from a building wall. Guy pulls up and asks if he can ask some questions about my rig. I shared, he shared a camping spot w/ permission at a casino just up the way. He stayed for a week in a trailer w/ no problem. Will check it out as it might be better than TH @ White Mesa.
Tomorrow is White Mesa and then on to Los Alamos and Tuff riders.
Trees are leafing out. Faulty trails were in dougfir, smells & sights from home albeit many thousand feet higher.