50 degree dry skies days.

Grant  & I rendezvous @ 10:00 at shop. DJ suggests we ride early to ride on frozen before thaw; freeze thaw glop. Hurricane rim trail out to Chinatown wash was mostly mud free but soft which sucked speed and energy. Hit Chinatown wash for climb up to join JEM trail for down to end. Rode a lesser ridden dirt trail out of wash. Ride was in freeze thaw mud that stuck to wheels jamming my wheels and weighting the bike. After awhile we had to push our bikes. The wash climbed just a bit and we got on hard dry stuff for final out. Only miscalculation for day.

Ride down JEM was mostly mud free except low spots in 2 washes. Going down hill required pedalling. Finished back on rim trail. Grant split for LV to catch a flight home. Trail is drying out, perhaps better riding latter in day after freeze thaw has dried up? Next ride.

Picked up mail. Sorting out medical expenses.

Drove to Washington rec center for a $4.00 shower then back to OTE for socialization, dinner, and computer stuff using OTE higher speed wireless connection.

before sunup the winds blew violently rocking me and the van. A few sprinkles, the wind died down, the sun came out and the temp shot up into the 50s. Mostly clear skies.

Hung @ OTE for an afternoon ride allowing as much time for evaporation while getting the great part of the day for riding. While waiting for the right time a guy walks in. We learn his name is Grant and he is from Canmore, BC down on a riding exploration for a place to hang late this winter. Dave, Quentin, & I engaged him conversation. Dave & I  invited him on our Church Rock ride.

Grant is a chemist. I asked him to explain relative humidity. Short answer: the dryer the air and the higher the temp the greater the evaporation. The desert lacks the vegetation of say the leafed out deciduous trees on the Appalachians which transpire ground water up into the air drying the ground. There is more moisture there than here. Ever been in a humid desert?

Met up w/ Dannie, a local rider riding by herself. We globbed her on. Fund day riding pieces of slick rock. I rode a few more places today. Confidence and days of healing are liberating my reticence.

Yesterday was Over the Edge (OTE) bike shop’s 2 year anniversary. Dave wanted to throw a party for the store after our ride. He had a non Utah bottle of wine and he wanted to share it at the shop. We crashed the store and enlisted a receptive Quentin to the party. I provided munchies for Dave, Quentin, Dannie, and myself. We saluted the anniversary. Party was opened to public, we were it. Dave said that red wine & chocolate taste good.  I Bought a bag of  baking chocolate chips, 63% cacao. Wine was gone. I mentioned that chocolate & scotch taste good. Dave concurred. I brought out Scotch. The chocolate was gone before the scotch was corked.

Enjoyed hanging here. I would like to glob onto other riders going to Gooseberry & Little Creek. Weather is warmer & dry. Want to ride more of the trails before I leave.

Back @ same parking lot.

Grant & I are going to ride part of Hurricane Rim tomorrow. Should be snow free and mostly dry.

Yesterday afternoon I saw Invictus, theater was about 1/2 full, one of the miniplexes. Line was formed for next show when our show finished. Message to me: the oppressed come to power and forgive  the oppressor and integrate them into new elected leadership of Mendella. I am not a critic, I offer my like of it.

Back in Hurricane for hi speed connection using OTE wireless except computer wouldn’t recognize. Slow night.

Drove up to Hurricane rim th which is on an overlook of town, get great view of scrap yard. Temp was 37 and snowing. Back in town @ my sleep spot it was 31.

Quiet night w/ less business traffic. Snowing trending to rain. No ride today. Decided that I would hike a bunch of miles on the rim trail. Headed out in fog low clouds. Misting. I am experiencing precipitation in the desert. Hiked to mile marker 5 in hour 37 mins. Still good bit of 3 inches of snow still there, w/ varying depths. Another rider rode over my tracks. he made it to mile 4 1/2 before turning around. He rode a bit more than me. All by myself.

Zags play this afternoon on FSN. Checked out sports bar in town but they didn’t buy the coverage package. Back to OTE to use wireless. Hung in shop until game time. Watched it on my computer inside my tepid van. Didn’t have to buy food w/ my scotch.

Weather forecast is for rain / snow mix into Sun night then turn sunny, dry, & warm. Take several days to dry trails & access roads out. I will stay here a few more days to let weather clear.

Sealing job appears to have stopped the leak.