Warm night again with winds early during evening bouncing van around. Woke up early because it was hot.

Drove back to Bike & Bean for ride idea. Rode from shop to Chicken Point, technical red rock riding. This time the trails are established and I navigated myself. No thorn or cactus spine issues. Overcast.

From camp this Am I decided to check out more spur roads off the main road to get away from the pick up area. On the way out I passed a desirable woman @ the cul d sac. I waved and she friendly waved back. I drove down the road to check out first turn out. I did not like it as the road was rougher and I had to drive further on it to get away from hard road. I drove back and the woman was still there doing some yoga. I stopped and asked her what she knew about this place but did not know about the pick up. We engaged in a Craig conversation for long time until she said she had to leave for work. Nice.

At the finish of my ride I saw a guy in the parking lot behind my van. I watched for a moment and watched him read the stickies. I rode up and next thing I know I am in another Craig conversation with different subject matter. 2 in a day and I am exhausted.

Checked out tourist info stand for shower possibilities and he struck out. I checked a health club out but it was key entry w/ no human to appeal to.

Groceries and back to camp. I and other drivers can see my camp on bluff above road. Set up Coleman hot water on demand water heater and shower stall for first outdoor shower this year. Things still work, it takes about 20 minutes to start complete the shower. 3 gallons.

Sister Lise called and we visited for 1 1/2 hours.

More cars out here tonight but none have visited.

Tomorrow is a shop ride to experience more local trails.

Temp inside van @ 6:00 Am was 69 deg. Never really slept.

Today is a list of tasks: wash, pen refill, cooler & ice & defrost fridge, find a tennis ball for bursa massage, learn what a 25 degree knee bend looks like, & hang.

Only 1 laundromat up in West Sedona by Mtn Bike Heaven shop. Clean clothes. Hung the air dry bike stuff on the clothes line in back of van. Temp got to 93 degs and the clothes were oven dried.

Small styrofoam cooler & bag of ice where the real necessary cold things from fridge went and opened the doors. 15 mins in to open door and the ice was almost all scarped free of walls. Turned the fridge back on and the inside temp was upper 70s. Temp might reach safe food temp @ 40 degs this evening. Believing that removing the ice will allow for correct operation. 10 months since turned on @start.

Found a PT office & made an appointment for measuring knee angle. Yesterday I lowered it 23 degrees per PT measuring tool. I lowered once and measured 25 degs. Now I know the engineering value. This will be my fixed saddle height, expecting great things of climbing rougher, steeper stuff while staying in breath. Had the feel on Sunday.

Today is a rest day. I took some pictures.

Early PM ski started darkening to the East, winds came up, lightning flashed, faint thunder claps, scattered splats of rain, just showing what it could do if it really had rain. After dinner a hard wind blown sprinkle muddied my windshield.

I walked to high end of jeep road going up to peak above where I am camped.

As I was folding socks I saw headlights in  the rear view mirror, it was the law. Fit and focused 30 something USFS officer greeted me. He asked me if I knew about this place. I said No. He said it is the local gay pickup place. This will be my 3rd night here and so far I not been propositioned except maybe that was what Jack was about Sunday eve and I didn’t sense his purpose. He is a serious mtn biker also. Can’t take the law on an outlaw ride like some of Sunday’s trails were as in namesake: Under the Radar. Its like he alluded to reasons why he is not wanted on some rides. Safety meetings? Green team and he is odd man out.

Bought pack of 3 tennis balls, bursa on rt hip is tender from that over gusto stretching I did.

Hung briefly @ Mtn Bike heaven.

Lightning show to SE under clouds. Rain cooled air slightly. A meterological term describes rain that evaporates before it hits earth. Hot w/ no moisture w/ the air wanting h20, nad the air takes the moisture.

I crawled into bed around 10:30 with the inside temp of 86. I fell asleep. Temp dropped during night but nowhere close to down comforter great sleeping temp.

dashed thru bfast to get to Mtn bike heaven before ride left that I did not knowabout other than it left early Sun AM. Arrived just before 9:00. The shop was closed, there was a white board in window announcing ride and said that slimed tubes are mandatory. I don’t have, will the shop open in time to buy tubes and make ride? Guy showed up w/ a bike looking for ride also. He told me that AZ does not do daylight savings so I was really early. The shop did open & I bought my slime tubes and caught up w/ 8 riders, 2 were outsiders and then me. Several of the locals were wearing leg armour & riding platform pedals & big hit bikes. I asked about the leg stuff and I learned it wasn’t for falling necessarily but for protection against sharp things in the desert. I said OK. As we rode into the desert I learned that leg iron avoids consequences of bad line choice with cactus spines. Shortly I made my mistake and stuck maybe 25 spines into my right forward ankle area. Ouch. Shortly,  after the 2 outsiders bailed we stopped and I learned lessons in pulling the spines out: Pull @ the same angle that they went in on; need tweezers.  Several were buried deeper and drew blood after extraction. I believe it is the yucca that has sharp spine at then end of each leaf? They puncture & scrape. My lower legs are beat.

I got a ride of all rides in this incredibly unique desert w/ these local guys. I had the image of a shop ride w/ a smattering of abilities but mostly riders of my ability and would last maybe 2 hours, stops along the way, beer afterwards kind of ride. The armour & bikes and lack of my eke of rider were not comprehended right away. Several exposed shelf sandstone crossings and the first “downhill” Wow, walking down was challenging, several of them rode it. Big bikes. I received a tip that I should lower my saddle, which I did but I did it for being able to get behind the seat better as i thought that was what the ride would be like: Butt behind saddle to put weight over rear rear for controlled braking and lessening the dreaded over the bars fall.  I lowered it maybe 3/8″ and the first pedal stroke was like, where have you been all along? What a stoke & controlled ride, the suspension floating and being able to pedal more, and most importantly lowering the center of gravity. John in Vermont was correct that I should have lowered it back then. My breathing became controlled and I had stamina: I climbed longer and rougher stuff. Some of the ride was actually first track in the red desert.

When we rode we rode. I took hardly a picture.  Before I leave I will take pics and put a few up. This is the most unique different place i have ever been. The reds and the landscape.

My rear slimed tube went flat. Short story, pumped it back up. The slime is to ooze out the puncture and coagulate sealing the puncture. Normally reinflating  a flat seals the leak. Later in the ride the tube was down, pumped up again and the tube remained riding pressure full. Slime tubes are necessary for desert riding. Shit, left plain tubes @ shop.

Group split up after a road climb that I spun with a break away, then my flat and I was out alone w/ a slight idea how to bail for road ride back. Dean arrived just in time and he, the ninja of bike handling, brought me home. There might have been other guys in ride like Dean, I have never seen a bike ridden like he did. Dean is custom making a unique flat platform pedal that has more engineering features than I imagined. Way cool reasonable reason for design.

Dean invited me to his house for beef stew. i said i have beer for the cause and may I have  a shower. Yes.

Successful green team refill.

Drove back to last night’ camp spot where i left the carpet and folding chair out to connote I am camping here signal. Knowing that my spot was “saved”, I could stay away longer. I arrived and my spot was mine again.

Still hot but cloudy. The van thermometer read 99 degs at ride’s end. Its a dry heat, it just evaporates sweat before it dries on clothing. No cramps or body failure. Best ride ever!

Fridge is just barely 40 degrees. Ice is built up meaning I should defrost it, will borrow a cooler tomorrow and do it.

The riders all know danny, he lives behind bike shop. He has a VW Vanagan synchro westfallia like mine @ his house. I put my card under his wiper blade. He is in Spokane visiting his girlfriend.

Rode w/ Bob who was in the Fruita gang I met.

Just an incredible ride today. The shop has a Wednesday ride that i plan on doing. Today total time was 5 1/2 hours in desert heat. We stopped for h20 2 places. Dean said it is important to know the location of water holes. We rode form shop in West Sedona on the main drag and dropped into the desert all the time not far from town. 18.28 miles of mostly challenging ST. The rock moves and it is flat sided and hard so it moves. I made some firsts moves today. The local leader is of great benefit. This was what Blue Mtn in New York was about: the locals had it dialed for the trail network

Using mosquito netting across side door opening as flying insects are seeking the reading light.

Forecast for next several days if for 20% prop of T-storms. I would like to experience a desert t-storm.

There were several NODs, knarly old dudes, membership is 50 and older.