Warm night, Didn’t sleep well.
Up @ 6:30 to get ready for 8:00 ride w/ Randy. He called @ 8:00 to say he was still working a shock issue w/ his bike and that he would be late. That gave me the chance to install the new The Captain rear tire. I gambled that the slime tube would still seal all the thorn holes from old tire. And it did. I counted over 15 thorns sticking into tire, many were on sidewalls. New tire for riding slick rock on the mesa.
Randy arrived. His shock is a 5th element and the dampening sucked. he bobbed horribly so he pumped up other chamber to calm his suspension.
He lead and I followed the white blazes on the rock. Gooseberry is like Sedona in the technical nature and slick rock but different in the color is sand and there is more slick rock and riding is on established trails. Sort of like Sedona.
We ran into a couple from SD and they were experiencing something they don’t see in the plains. We all rode along to The Point. randy, for being off his bike for 4 years still has the moves on the tech stuff.
I made a climbing move transitioning to a hairpin turn into a wheel trap and stuffed my front wheel and fell over downhill and smeared myself onto rock to keep from falling down a rock face. Putz move.
At the Point we encountered 3 other riders. One was a chiropractor. I am seeking an adjustment from smashing my head into the cutting board all those times. I said I needed a treatment but he wouldn’t pick up on it and do me on the rock. I searched my insurance coverage and found a clinic in Hurricane that I will try tomorrow.
Clear bright blue sky and high temp. Water was consumed. Randy is not in riding shape and the long ride took its toll. Not many miles but minutes spent riding the tech trails. 14.65 miles 1411′ on a mesa.
Randy split for home.
I filled the solar shower before the ride and left in sun. Upon return the sun heated the h2o to almost scalding. The first time I used a solar shower was here @ Gooseberry back in ’98 to same results. Hung shower from tree branch and I am now clean w/ 2 gallons of hot h2o.
Sat in my chair in tree shade. The darn biting gnats returned and chewed me up. I put on long pants, buttoned the collar of my shirt, put my hat on, and sat reading. the gnats were biting up on my scalp. i put a bandana on my head under my hat to keep them @ bay.
Open this link to learn about Gnats:
http://watchingtheworldwakeup.blogspot.com/2009/05/road-trip-part-3-all-about-cedar-gnats.html
I am camped @ edge of mesa. 20 mph gusts blew the gnats away until late afternoon and they seemed to disappear.
Pretty sunset out over peaks towards Zion NP.
Tomorrow I drive back down this rough road and will ride the JEM trail and swim in the Virgin River. And several other days of riding b4 Bootleg Canyon near Vegas.
Solar panel recharged the batteries during the day. great.
My knees liked the day off yesterday and experienced little pain on today’s ride.