yesterday I rode w/ Dave & Monte @ church rocks, my first challenging ride. I walked some spots still. Confidence is getting better. Chilly clear day. Some mud, no snow on trails. A couple of deep red sand traps that we walked thru. Sucking up riding patches of sandstone while it lasts.

Too soft to be staying @ Jem th. Still sleeping in town parking lot. This AM a tractor trailer was parked behind me waiting to get deliver to a customer. There might have been a disconnect between the 2. I experienced the driver starting the noisy diesel and letting it run for several minutes & then shutting it off. I suspect he was keeping warm.

Last Monday during the rain before snow watewr leaked in around the exhaust fan. Today I visited Mike Duffy again. His helper smeared some good sealant all around vent & over S’ patch. Thank goodness I am not worried about weight or aerodynamics.

Today Clint Eastwood’s new movie Invictus opens. I am in a movie theater parking lot waiting the 4:15 showing.

I visited the book store hoping to find the tattoo woman to no luck.

Snow is still forecast for area. Next week the temps come back up to 50s.

Blood pressure is way down low 115 / 70.  Heart rate on ride yesterday is still too high. Not getting riding in because of weather. Cold is OK it is the wet trails that tires mess up.

Slept in parking lot between the 2 highways leaving Hurricane. Some traffic noise but was left alone. Cold again, 19 degs.

Last night I invited Dave in for a beer and then we went dinner shopping in town @ Mexican spot for $6.00 meal.

Today back @ bike shop. Hung in the warm shop. Around noon Dave made a comment about riding Hurricane rim trail just above town as out & back that I would be free of mud. Its lower down & I thought a bit in the sun that would make for warm riding and that the snow would have melted  and any wet spots would have dried. Well, it was 22 degs just 300′ above town. Long underwear tops & bottoms, booties, warmer gloves & hat, tights, & long sleeve jersey, and wind shell. Trail was still snow covered in spots. Huffed & puffed up the starting hill. Plenty warm. I had pretty good traction up & down. Around 2 miles out and back around a ridge I accepted that the trail was never going to be snow free. I needed to turn around and get off the slippery because I couldn’t afford to fall.

I drove out past the upper Jem th where I had been staying to see what the road back in looked like and if I would have gotten stuck. Ground was surface soft & wet in places, frozen snow & ground in others. I know I was and am safer dirtbagging in town. Tonight it will be same parking lot.

Had a wiggle in my bike’s rear end. Dave diagnosed it as loose adjustment in free hub. He tore the rear hub apart. He also replaced the bushings on the chain stays that were original still.

Watched Zags win parked on street in front of shop sucking their wireless internet.

Got invited on Dave & Monte’s ride up @ Church rocks tomorrow @ high noon. May the snow be melted out & no mud.

Yesterday spit rain enough for regular speed windshield wipers while on I-15 to ST George & back. Late in afternoon up in Hurricane the temp dropped both because of time of day and 600′ higher. I am staying @ Jem TH @ 4200′. Late yesterday afternoon when I drove out to camp it was snowing big wet snow flakes. Rain was mixed in. My ventilation fan in the ceiling leaked for the first time since 10/26/08 when it was roofer sealed by old school buddy S (that’s his nickname from school days). Leak ceased when snow only fell. Sky lightens almost 7:30. Saw pristine dry snow all around. Mountain sides were dressed in white hiding the reds & yellows of desert.

I walked out to the highway to learn of its condition to drop into town. Hwy drops down a steep wash on no shoulder cranking turns hardtop. I did  not want to negotiate the downhill unless conditions were in my favor. Before i reached the hwy an suv drove in. I now had a track to the cleared hwy. I decided that I needed to go into town to at least buy propane that I figured I needed to fill up on Wed.

I now have a solar panel to charge the rig battery for sound system usuage. I still hold my breath when I turn the key after even just 1 late day, night, & early morn radio usuage. I beleive I drained the battery after 2 days of flat out sticking in the van listening to sound draining the battery. The radio was played so long because I was healing & not leaving the van. The solar panel gives me comfort that I putting power back. I wonder if I am keeping energy up.

Question to my readers ( read Les). Under ideal conditions the charger puts out 5 watts per hour. The van stereo does not state it’s power requirement.  How many hours of 5 watts per hour will I need to make up for stereo consumption?

Drove out using the suv tracks. No funny business to check out traction. I figured if I didn’t make the hard road I could be stuck until snow melts & road dried out. Hwy was bare, wet, & dry making wash drop safe.

Bought propane, 5.3 gals; 5.8 is max. I would have run out before dinner if I would have stayed @ Jem waiting out drivable dirt road.

Today i hung out @ bike shop and later the city library, no Cosmopolitan mag. Tonight I plan on dirtbagging here in town. Forecast temp is 9 deg. Jem would be colder w/ slippery condition.

Hurricane is just outside the wrath of this strong winter storm. Hurricane got about an inch of snow. New Harmony near Cedar City about 40 miles north got 19. Route to Flag is affected by this storm.

Church Rocks is outside of Hurricane along I-15 is a good ride when wet as it binds the sand together. Tomorrow could be primo condition. I plan on sampling.

Using OTE wireless @ 230 megs vs my card @ 56 ks. Pictures still take time, almost the same annoying slowness.