Still here. Tomorrow a chiropractor is working on my hip, last go. PT & strain Counter / strain hasn’t freed me of pain. I can pedal thru it but walking is not as  enjoyable. Perhaps because I would rather ride than walk. If I were on a long distance hike and had this pain I wonder if I would keep hiking?

My rides here w/o Rick and not riding MT C d’A have been easy so to speak. The forecast for Stanley, ID is now for above freezing temps, time to experience their fall.

Monday I hosted Cal & Mel on a Riverside ride. Guy called in sick. Cal captured me post ride:

Tuesday Randy LaBeff squired me around the High Drive trails and on his built trail. High Drive is mostly sand on step side hill above Latah (Indian name, white man name Hangman) creek. A bit of basalt sprinkled in, much of it cast in the dirt which made for great traction on sharp edges. Randy fed me some of his Alaskan caught salmon,let me shower, and stay in his driveway overnight.

Today was a rest day in spite of beautiful weather. Allan from Stylin Designs completed my stickie:

The start of branding JP Nuts

Monday, where did the weekend go? Was there a weekend?

Forgot.

Sat. I rode Beacon later in the morning waiting out rain forecast. Larry’s car was in parking lot, I parked right next to him. I hung in parking lot waiting out a shower hoping for a sucker hole big enough for me to get the Spot off the back and my leg over it before next drop hit. rain quit. No Larry. Rode off after a conversation w/ Dan from the local mtn bike club about their trail work.

Stooped @ BB for a shower and drove out to Mead Yokes parking lot for dinner & internet access. Part way thru fixing dinner Larry called & invited me over to crazy Joe’s for pizza & beer and jollies. Drove back into town & shared evening w/ folks I have skied w/ over the years. Us older people, some w/ kids small & big, still goofing enjoying life.

Drove back to Bill & Jennifer’s for the night.

Sunday is my MT Coeur d’Alene ride w/ Jeff Vogel, the youngest of my buds @ 38. Big strapping guy, excellent skier and great for breaking trail. Very strong. And Larry called to join us. I get to take 2 new guys on this trail network. Cool, being the local guy again. Chilly but beautiful day with high winds up higher on the mtn. The wind blew down several trees across the trail. We cleared up several that we could muscle out of the way. Rode Rick’s enhancements. Picked some past prime Chanterelle mushrooms down in the Hole. And then the 2 mile grind climbing out after enjoying the wonderful downhill single track. Larry rode the troublesome new switchback. Jeff stalled @ a root cluster and I went by. I pushed on w/ a pounding 158 beats per minute heart rate for almost 20 mins. Strong ticker but I think the piston rings are worn. Flew down trail 257. Larry is a beyond excellent skier and I spent my skiing w/ him back in the cut over powder. Today on the bike I ruled. At last I was faster at something. Jeff is riding a full suspension this year parking his old rigid Bridgestone w/ rim brakes.

Drove Jeff back to his house for a previously negotiated shower for driving him. He fed us on top.

Today had a list of things to do: Wash, PT on South Hill @ 1:30, and a ride out @ Seven Mile w/ Mel & Cal @ 4:00 to beat out sunset. Mel bought a full suspension bike after riding for years on a rigid bike. He is getting over shaken hands from the rigid rides.

3.1 gal of propane in 2 weeks makes more sense than previous 1.1 gals in same time.

Bid adieu to Cal & Mel, next year @ the Loppers Ball festival. Oh, Mel Declared me the 2009 Loppers Ball Reposado Award winner.

My hip still hurts. Arch gave me several exercises to do however the van is a bit tight for full range of motion. Just ride w/ the discomfort.

Tomorrow I get my haircut by Renee; she cut my hair the entire 18 years I lived in Spokane.

Getting cold @ night. today it was 30 degrees. Clear nights letting heat escape. Forecast for Stanley area is temps below freezing during the day and snow flurries. I will learn what I can ride there.

Spent night off Montgomery on a gravel pad @ edge of fleet of semi trailers and 2  rail lines. A bit of train noise.

Decided to check out having a stickie design made & printed. Found place on Montgomery. Young guy doing the whole shebang. “Lifestyle Rider” definition by JP Nuts is soon to be stuck near you.

Rick called to invite me on his Lost Creek ride today. Way cool. Drove to his house and I packed a bag of gear for the ride in his truck. We loaded up and drove 1 hour to TH on N Fork of C d’A River, the ride I did at the start of my odyssey. I stared changing into my riding gear i discovered i forgot bike shorts. No ride for me nohow. i told Rick to do his ride and I would wait for him. He  said we will drive back home & ride Beacon. i said I would drive him to top  for his ride down. he said Beacon. Rick admitted that he has mispacked a few things in his life and he understands. We drove back. I put on my shorts and we drove to Beacon. My hip still hurts, although not as severe, I am still pulling my punches. And Rick is just hard riding. he rode MT Spokane yesterday and was stating an easy day for him. He let me lead and he said that he would stay 50′ behind me which he did.

The 50′ concept: I don’t like to ride first because I feel that i am holding the next person back. I ride harder to stay ahead. The second rider rides harder to stay on my wheel. I ride harder to keep ahead, he rides harder. At the end of the ride both are tired and complaining how hard the ride was. The 50′ is a buffer and I never felt pushed by him. I worked at it.

Dinner, a shower, & street sleeping @ Mars & Ricks.

Planned bike rides w/ Jeff V and another w/ Mel, Cal, & Guy from the loppers.

Forecast for today was rain in AM. I visited w/ Jeff @ U District PT and shared my recovery. He agrees w/ Arch. I am doing the exercise that Jeff gave me and Arch did later. Arch’s instructions explained the muscles to contract better than Jeff’s. I have been doing them w/ gusto and find the pain diminishing.

I waited out the rain pedaling away from TH @ Seven Mile in Riverside. Working a powerful mtn bike spin. My legs are spent.

Donated half rack of Kokanee to Bicycle Butler for the good and a shower.

Visited w/ Cal @ his place of employment: his home.

Dinner @ The Elk.

Temps are dropping, fall is here and winter is whispering a greeting. I might have laid around, played around this old town too long for riding down in the Sawtooths. Snow level Sunday is 4,000; Spokane is 2000′. I ahve a PT appointment on Wed so I should head out Thurs. Need to decide where. If my ride choices are snowed in, i just drive further south.