Still in the bowl

As in not flushed away. Weathered 2 days of rain w/ just a small drip that will be chased down once it warms up early this week.

Quiet night behind shop. Sat is a drive to Prescott to attend an IMBA pitch to local elected officials . Local riders have an idea of making Prescott into an IMBA ride center. The regional IMBA guy, the past trail crew team spoke and audience listened and asked questions. Us mountain bikers are an older bunch, lot of gray hair in the crowd. The new trail care crew team was present in a learning capacity. They are like 5 days into their job. Friday night they were stopped @ a traffic light in their IMBA Subaru when an out of control driver T boned them aft of the driver’s door. Shaken but OK. Spoke w/ Robert whom I met at the Black Canyon trail ribbon cutting. Prescott was under about 3″ of snow. It will be more weeks before their trails are rideable. I understand there are miles of good riding to be had there abouts.

Oak Creek canyon didn’t flood as predicted. There is some snow up high that will flow down. Driving S from Oak Creek the hwy crosses Dry Beaver creek. Other drives over the creek bed it was just that: dry. This trip to Prescott is was a thick chocolate color splashing down hill. Seeing it w/ h2o was different than it’s being dry. It means a lot of rain hit the earth and it was moving down hill.

Found a seculed parking spot behind a bank right on main drag of 89A in West Sedona to spend the night. I bought deli prepared food from New Frontier which is a big health grocery store. Hunkered down in van to watch the Zags win.

When I dirtbag camp I don’t sleep as restful. Last night I lay in bed listening to sounds and hoped than none would come my way.

Chilly 29 degs @ 7:15. Sun cleared canyon walls and shone on peaks to my West. How spectacular. This place is so drop dead beautiful. Windshield had 3″ of frost telling me it was below freezing. Darn, I have a growing crack in my windshield and it is right in my vision. I am waiting for it to run to see how bad and how long I can put off replacing it. Crack started from window edge from a rock chip.

Drove over to Mtn bike Heaven for 10:00 ride. Ground was frozen so today’s ride would be muddy from freeze thaw and from rain. Ride postponed till 11:00. Small group of Rama, Doug, Kenny, Tim, & John, all regular guys and me who won’t go away. Headed down the wash we rode @ christmas only now there was way more h2o in it and the rocks had moved a bit. Cold air and wet feet and bad freeze thaw mud. Dangerous caught up w/ us @ Grand Central. Rama and he communicated via cell phone. Luckily the riding speed is about hike a bike speed so i am able to keep up. Riding here is such a balance thing that I lack. Sometimes I was on which was rare. Not a fun ride by any and it was mercifully cut short. It was just too early after the rains to be riding, perhaps all this week. Another weaker storm is coming in Tuesday.

The wash is the trail, blue trees are cypress
The wash is the trail, blue trees are cypress
Dangerous Dave holding down the bedrock in another wash
Dangerous Dave holding down the bedrock in another wash

Eye exam on Monday. Phoenix ride this Sunday.

Called Carrie, a friend of my sister Lynn’s, who lives in Scotsdale near where Sunday ride will be. She said any weekend but this coming one she would be home. This means another trip to Phoenix.

Back out @ Deer Pass rd camp, there is a pickup parked in main area, settled in and spread out. My spot was open and I took it. After dark another rig pulled in. A darn crowd, One camper ran a generator for awhile.