Yesterday a hurkin 23 miles in 3 hours and today a 6 mile technical ride.

Dirtbagging in the parking lot behind beside OTE in Hurricane, UT. Right @ bottom of hill of rt 59 dropping into town. Exhaust brakes are banned. I am just visiting, imagine living at the bottom of a step downgrade coming into town & trucks using unmuffled exhaust brakes? Rattle the windows and scare the kids. A trail track would seem quiet. Dave lives right on the hwy, at least I am 1/2 small block away.

Problem is with freeze thaw mud. At night temps drop just below freezing and daytime highs are in mid 50s. Air is relatively dry which blots up free water. At night the capillary action stops and the water at surface freezes. When it thaws in the daylight until it dries out is pure slick snot. The thawed soil slips over the firm underneath – like shears away. Makes for counter steering and seat waggle to keep under control

With those conditions under consideration I left for trail head just after 9 AM in the chill. The climb up Hurricane hill right at the start is a lung toaster. The rim trail is for most part dry. The trail joins the JEM trail 7 miles out. I dropped down JEM which is muddy @ the washes & other low spots. At it’s end I rode back up Sheep Bridge road to JEM intersection then turned downhill back to rim junction. Up above the JEM is soft. Join back up w/ rim for 7 miles back to beer. 3 hours some 2700′ climb. Hardest day since crash. Felt it.

Schedule today is finish ride, drive 15 miles to Washington for a shower, drive back to Hurricane to sports bar to watch Zags / Duke game @ 3:00. Made the shower & 3:00 game start on CBS. Game started early & when half time report showed the score, like wow, what happened to the Zags? They went on to lose such big time, something like 71 to 39. Bummer.

Back @ new spot.

Today I drug my feet leaving planning on a slower day and wait out the sun. At the bike shop local rider, Jack, stopped in to say he was riding w/ several 60 yo men that really tear things up. I didn’t invite myself along, my ego would have troubles being out ridden by riders older than me. I am not interested in punishing myself that badly.

Back @ the van I had a message from Tae, another local, asking me if I wanted to share a ride. He is younger and I figured he would be stronger than me w/o much effort. We decided on a new trail for me, The Zen trail just outside ST George, like right on edge of residential development. Short ride w/ serious 1500′ climb. Wow. Short, technical, & grunt factor. Rick V, we were right there when we rode Stucci spring.

Stopped @ Barista in town for some scratch made ice cream. Mustache licking good.

Staying in new place again tonight. Upper JEM th rode is dry to drive into, I chose to stay here.

Rain forecast for Tuesday. Might do same long Hurricane rim ride tomorrow.

Plumbing appears to be fixed. Carpet needs to be cleaned. Need to find a car detailing shop that shampoos carpet down in ST George.

Location: Hurricane, UT parking lot behind Over the Edge SPorts

Comfortable sleeping on BLM land legal.

Drove downriver, crossed the Santa Clara River & parked below nasty road climb up to TH. Road was just too rough to justify driving van, besides I was there for exercise. Road ride was 1.14 each way, harsh climb made for for fast suspension enjoying descent. A rig in parking lot. As I was pedaling out on Barrel roll trail 2 sheriffs blasted into parking lot, driving like they stole the rigs, or worked for the government. Didn’t want me. Trail is all single track w/ a few technical features thrown in. Still walked a rock strewn section. Working the body back in shape.

Good oranges.

Back into ST George for the rec center shower. I forgot where it was. Stopped @ Red Rock cycles and asked directions. $2.00 shower later drove back to Hurricane and my hang out.

Thurs, Dan originated a ride using part of Hurricane rim trail and a few cow paths. This ride was above the climb out of Hurricane. Goulds rim was very dry, not desert dry but a good traction kind of dry. Then I rode the section from the corral over by the boys’ school and I slipped thru the wet clay. I followed tacks by a previous rider. I rode a bit more than he did slipping and counter steering. 2 riders hit the JEM trail when it was too wet, big mtn bike ruts. ANd then joined Dan on his cow path trail. Just cow paths w/o the brush destroyed far from the trail. Everything in the desert has thorns.

Spent night in another parking lot, this one tucked behind the shop on somebody else’s property. I can access their wireless from here. Takes a country mile to get into store.

My sink plugged up while I was preparing dinner.  My sink drain is a piece of swimming pool vacuum hose draining directly on the ground. 3 angle changes interrupt the straight flow. Unfolded coat hanger wouldn’t reach full length. Took off pipe from drain and the plumbing leaked where I had Rube Goldberg duct taped a leak.  Friday AM was spent unplugging and reconnecting parts. I needed a snake but didn’t really want to buy one. At the hardware store I was told of a plumber I could use. Called him, voice mail, no return call. Bought the snake and an O ring. Snaked out a horrific plug and put the oring in the union pipe, tightened it down: freely draining sink w/ no leaks.

I was getting ready to head out on a ride on Hurricane rim when Monte arrives and is looking for someone to ride w/. I said yes and he said Barrel Roll. He drove all the way to the parking lot in his pickup. No warm up, he dropped the hammer and left me way off his wheel. I rode the hardest since my fall. Beautiful day w/ long shadows under cloudless skies, no wind and 56 degs.

Back @ shop. Dave & I ate @ new pizza place in town. Owner is a boisterous outgoing personality. He said his food is made from scratch w/ great stuff. I asked questions on his stuff. It is good. He makes his own ice cream. Yes, place to enjoy a slice of good life. Today’s hard ride burned 770 cals.

I’m beat from the ride.

787 Dreamliner finally flew today to great satisfaction. Viewed Petroglyphs from ancient ones.

Today was a rest day. Propane fill up and blood pressure check ( where it should be). I was settling down in a parking lot preparing to figure out this new Core watch when my phone rang. It was Dan whom I met yesterday. He hurt himself badly crashing his mountain bike. He was killing time while his computer was downloading all sorts of stuff @ OTE using their wireless. He offered to show me the Anasazi ruin & petroglyphs outside of Santa Clara. Cool. I can hike to see these signs.

We walked up to fractured rock cliff while he stayed up above as he was not sufficiently nimble to crawl thru the rocks. I made my way over & around rocks to view & phot a bunch of carvings. They all faced west. Just down the ridge was an site that today’s people believe was a food storage site as there were several shaped depressions in the earth. Off road vehicles had traveled thru & over the site for years before it was excavated in 2006, 07. How would a site be identified dug into the earth?

No Kokopeli glyphs.

Dan showed me a place to camp down the ways.

Drove back into Santa Clara for strong internet signal and accessed Boeing site and caught the press conference w/ the test pilots after their 3 hour maiden flight of 787. I planned a whole bunch of the plaster ducts for the environmental control system. Yes, I felt pride.

I bought oranges from a roadside stand. Guy drives a semi down to someplace in CA, buys tree ripened oranges, drives back to here and sells them roadside. Tree ripened sweet, picked when ready. He did say that oranges will get sweeter later in season. Bought a bag. I ate a large one that was delicious.

Back @ campsite near glyphs. Hiked up and viewed the excavated site.

Tomorrow I plan on riding Barrel roll trail system just down the river from here. I rode it previously back in June.

Temps are in 50s and just above freezing @ night.

Met another Dan on MTBR.com who is planning a S AZ trip. I am cogitating my involvement.

PUSH digs the new Turner Spot and the Rock Shox 150 mm Revelation fork which takes a 20 mm axle. I will need a new front wheel for the larger axle, have it PUSHed ( custom tuned), and the shock also PUSHed. Lots of bucks, little over a grand plus the frame cost. How good will Santa be to me?