Half way to full ghetto

Skies cleared last night and the mercury dropped freezing up the wet. Cloudless day and the sun warmed things back up.

Stopped @ USFS visitor center tracking javalina scat. A physical specimen was displayed under glass. Scat is the final product of javalina’s diet. This time of year they are eating mostly prickly pear. Still no source of what is excreting manzanita berries  in their poop. I did get the biologist’s name & number to call next week. Older woman in USFS uniform  in the center enjoined my curiosity.

At B & B Gonzo converted my front tire to ghetto tubeless. For the rear I need to buy a new tire before converting. The Kendal tires have weak sidewalls and the bead surface has all these tiny ridges that will prevent them from sealing against the rim. Must be mfg design to prevent running tires tubeless. Front tire has 23 psi making a slightly squishy feeling. Running less than recommended pressure of 35 psi stresses the tire side walls plus the bead is not as well defined to seat into rim.

Jeff called for 1:00 ride. Bit chilly. Jeff is in final stages of being a Sedona ambassador bestowed upon him by Traildoc. Talked to him about a Sedona trail confab. Rode new trail @ VOC. My Edge died tonight before downloading the ride info. Front tire stays on the ground more. We rode down a wash w/ puddles, and in the deep shade there was still ice.

Killing time before ride I walked down a store front row looking @ businesses. I saw a hair / nail salon w/ a sign in the window stating: Walkins are welcomed. I entered and tested their sign. For a negotiated fee of $23 the sole man employee would trim me up. He is bald. I told him that his fee was a good starting point and it should go down as I had half a head of hair to trim as I removed my hat for the first time. Chuckles were heard and smiles seen.

Finally, my replacement shoes arrived. I stopped @ the store asking about them. They said that they would call. Almost 3 weeks later I am wondering. The guy suddenly awakes and dives into an unopened shipping container. How many days they were there is their knowledge. The new shoes seemed to have eliminated the unreenforced piece of fabric which was the defect issue. My toe was almost out of mine. 3rd pair of replacement shoes since March purchase. Great shoes incorporating a footbed that properly aligns the knee to ankle which protects the knee from side to side deviation during pedal stroke.

Wore out my short finger gloves, again from Specialized. Picked up a new pair, blue. My pedals are blue, my glasses and lenses are light red, my helmet is white. And my jerseys are either red or blue, shorts are black spandez. Socks are many choices.

Back @ Deer Creek camp. Same spot. Tracks indicate someone stayed here last night, drove over vegetation.

Tomorrow is a MBH shop ride. Forecast is  1 day sunny, 1 day % probability scattered showers, 1 day sunny, etc.

Back still hurts

Back off the wagon

10 days of Flagyl plus extra 1 day just because possible drug drink interaction made today a drinking day. Eleven days passed w/ only wistful thoughts of completing a ride w/ a beer. Today was a no ride day and I celebrated it w/ a pint in a public establishment. Only snow fell from the sky. I never did shake. However my stool is still loose thus eliminating giardia as cause. Never did get it so my selection of drinking untreated h2o remains valid. More questions to be answered.

Last night sprinkles few several times. Just about daybreak rain fell in earnest mixed w/ wet snow @ camp @ 4000′. No riding today. I stopped for propane, only 1.6 gals went into tank. My estimate was twice based upon consumption. Guy said maybe their valve froze. Tonight temp will drop enough to warrant higher heater setting. Make it thru the night.

Hung @ B & B. Shared my ride map which sparked long running conversation about desires, impacts to each stakeholder. Seems like a roundtable of locals influential and performing members to a council. What we all share is mtn biking and riding Sedona trails. How and what trails are shared, who builds new trails, how do we define a ride by defining it as a whole assimilating all the short pieces of trail.  Then they diverge. Me call the court? That would be something.

Camping S of Oak Creek tonight.

Tomorrow B & B is ghetto tublessing my front whel. Tubeless allows for running lower tire pressure like 20psi which will further dampen the sharp edges and increase traction on slick rock. Front tire is Ardent which has a smooth bead face idea for sealing to wheel rim. Rear tire is a Nevegal that has ridges about every 1/4 inch of circumference which makes for a horrible seal. I will buy a new tire soon to make the rear also tubless. Ghetto in that this method uses a wheel that has open spoke nipples and maybe running tires that weren’t designed to be tubeless. Another Sedona ride need. $30 per tire.

Sprinkles on Sedona on Sunday

Forecast for today was for wet. Drove into MBH for 10:00 ride to learn that starting time moved to 11:00. yesterday i copied pieces of Sedona ride maps to Thumb drive for copying. Used extra time to print @ Staples. Came out OK but many pieces had to be cut & pasted for full coverage.

Back @ MBH usuals started arriving, all clad in some kind of suitable rain gear except Tim wore cotton sweat pants & like tall LL Bean shoe pacs. He left early b4 his full wetness was known. 2 riders did lay down immersions in their separate creeks. Washes had flow again. Dirt was traction tacky. Started out in rain gear but at several early stops stuff got peeled off. Group is accepting me as a non new person.

wet day break rethinking ride home
wet day break rethinking ride home

From yesterday’s trail day shortened by rain harder and more plentiful to dig in dirt. Idea of terrain trail will be on:

Dean cutting in new trail
Dean cutting in new trail

Friday Janet told Sandy to look @ Nov issue of MBA and see her in 2 pictures. I said I had the article and I would bring it by for her to autograph on Sunday. She did. Article has 3 locals signed.

Weather threatened and we blinked by riding back to shop. Broke up and headed back to desert camp. Sitting in front of computer, at least doing what i want instead of reading airplane engineering.

Weather forecast for tomorrow is for more wet, we are just under snow line. Jeff has a big ride planned tomorrow that might get weathered out.

I have a small scale topo map copied to Word that shows Sedona area and rides I have ridden. Impressive amount of trails in small area. I don’t mean Mt Zion trails in Brookhaven, MS tight. I can’t embed it in this blog. I will separately email it to you if you ask.