4 range horses kept me company during night, one dump was all but in the grill. Pleasant night w/ wind & mild temp. Almost a full moon.
I woke just after 6:00AM by a slamming car door. I looked out and a pick up disgorged a rider and he split for the trails. Short while later 3 rigs arrive and riders split. i am dallying as I have all day and the forecast is for lower 80s. I needed to be back in Santa Clara about 1:30 for a shower and whatever else.
Desert riding: not even sage, no trees, and rocks. Trails well made to mtn bike standards. Barrel Roll is the main fame. Fun riding desert ST. Not as tech as Hurricane Loop, it was more open and spin type trails except for a few tech features. Ran into a guy riding an old Pro-Flex elastomer rear suspension and a Girvin fork. That bike hung in the garage for a long time. During my ride I had views of the parking lot, there was a turn over of riders coming & going but never a crowd of more than 3 riders.
I timed the drive down from TH to pavement: 1.4 miles & 12 mins. The van has been over some rough stuff.
Made Anytime Fitness in time for shower. Chatted w/ manager & trainer about my ride and adventure.
Stopped @ Rock City bikes to learn about the new eggbeater replacement clips. I put my new ones on for this ride and was bothered by a looseness sound. The pedals never prereleased which is good but they didn’t have the tightness sound. We looked @ their replacement cleats and they are the same as the ones I bought in Hurricane. Somethings has to be figured out.
Headed to Las Vegas and on to Boulder City for Bootleg Canyon. But a side trip to REI for Smart Wool socks. I took a GPS tour among all kinds of glitz & casinos. Lots of people & freeways to support. Scored 2 pairs of wool socks.
Last night research for Bootleg Canyon yielded All Mountain Cyclery and I GPSd their address. More freeways and aggressive drivers I parked in their parking lot. I walk in and there is a dog laying in doorway that yielded after some scratching in his secret places. Drew greeted me and laid out some trails @ Bootleg that is virtually behind their store. I asked about Chris King hubs, they said I-9 is the better hub. I asked if they could service my hub. No active bikes were in a stand and Joey, the wrench said OK. He cleaned & greased the hub. He said that it really didn’t need it. I am content that new grease is where the old grease was. The rear wheel needed some truing. Michael, the beer man, discovered my crank arm was loose that might have been the creak i had been searching for. Good to go.
I started my visit staying on customer side of counter. I am talking to Drew and trying to watch the hub service. Finally I did an end around of the counter and watched Joey work. A non shop employee was behind the counter and he was drinking beer. before long I was offered one and I was in the thick of it behind the counter. More stories all around and more beer. What a hoot. Passed on 3rd beer because I needed to drive up to the TH and there were no gutters to drop the right side wheels into.
Drove up to TH passing several signs saying closed after 10:00. If I stay here I might be rousted. I am above Boulder City that stretches below me. Free hot showers @ TH after tomorrow’s ride.
Clean body, new wool socks, waning snoot of beer, good time @ bike shop, cool evening: life is good.
ST George sits on a plateau. I-15 drops down Virgin River Canyon. What an engineering feat to squeeze 4 lanes on interstate traffic thru and then spit out into desert.
Time zone is Pacific Daylight that I left back in July.
Explanation: This blog offers a chance to share my life and it also captures for me my history. I write these blogs in the evening usually or whenever I have internet access. At times I would rather be sleeping or whatever other than doing this speed writing. I hardly edit it for which I am embarrassed. Posting pictures takes minutes per picture. I am pressed for time and I nix the pics.
I am tired living on mtn time in Pacific time zone. I liked Arizona as they do not do daylight savings.
I should probably drive out of park. But then I can gamble and crawl into bed and see if tghe rocking of the van is the brisk wind or the percussion of a night stick.