That’s what you thought. No medical card yet. Elevation as in 11,200 yesterday & today.

Yesterday After a quiet night in the Best western parking lot hard under east bound exit ramp of I-70 and subsequent exit traffic perpendicular to I-70.

Did wash @ 8:00 in only laundromat in Frisco. Ate a big pecan sticky bun that my body didn’t make peace w/ until almost the end of the climb later today. Laundro filled up while my stuff was in the dryer.

Drove out to Dredge TH on Swan river road for another go @ part of CO trail. I moved my saddle a bit further forward that transfers more  weight onto my hands which keeps the front end out of the sky which had been a curse on step ups. Should be able to pedal better also. TH parking was plugged, I snagged the last spot. Headed out. Caught up w/ Bruce who was riding w/o a map. Texans! He’s younger and maybe a bit stronger. I give him directions. He stays w/ me. We turn onto ST CO trail. He’s ahead, but he stops to grab a breather tree. I pedal slowly by. I tell him I will wait @ ist intersection. I grind upward. I might be ready for a new saddle as the padding has been sat on for 2 plus years: sore butt parts. I pass other riders walking their bikes or resting. I’m not on fire but I am the one pedaling. I stalled @ the same spot where the previous rider passed me. Gasped awhile, just about 11,000. I make the intersection and waited a good while. I allow Bruce to lead on DH and I stay back a little content to fly on just coasting.  Rain starts to fall as we start up the short climb over a ridge for the last downhill. I pull on my rain jacket and  pack raincover. I pedal back onto trail almost into the path of a flying rider, I stayed ahead of him w/ Bruce leading. The 3 of us flew down last downhill. The guy behind stuck to my wheel but didn’t ask to go by. We stopped @ intersection & trailing rider complimented me as he pedaled away on a hard tail. He was pretty good.

Rain continued till parking lot. Put bike on rack & covered them & climbed inside van. How nice it is to be inside out of nasty, able to stand up, and change into dry clothing. Hung in parking lot for awhile. Parking lot emptied during rain. Skies cleared bringing several rigs for beautiful late afternoon ride.

Drove back to Frisco where I parked in an approved over night parking spot behind Wilderness sports. I walked to shop and asked the 2 young wrenches in  the shop tricks for adding more Stans to my tires. Gleaned 2 small tips. I set up the bike stand from Price Point and set to. Easily added Stans. I pulled the brake pads and emery papered them. I raised my saddle about 1/16″.

treated myself to mexican dinner out. Parked back @ same parking spot. Walked main street down to brew pub for a pint of Porter. Lasted till just after 10:00. Walked back to van; crawled into bed by 10:30.

Woke this AM almost 8:00. Drove up to Breck & stopped @ Elevation to listen to ride ideas. Dan greeted me. Visited for awhile, He is a contributing editor to DirtRag his card says. Used to live back there. I asked about the Firecracker 50 course. He mapped it as he could. It is confusing. I settled on big climb up Beaver Creek to Wheeler Pass ridge trail. After putting my front wheel in the fork I gave it a good spin. Noise! possible dry bearings. removed wheel & spun again w/ same results. Ignore it for ride or seek service? Ride won out. Ride is up county road inside ski area. About an hour of pedaling I just about made the peak 9 day lodge @ 11,100″. I spun the wheel again, same results.  I had about another 1200′ before start of sweet ST. Clouds were showing storm signs. I turned around & cautiously descended back to TH.

Hub maintenance took me back to Elevation. Dan didn’t know how. Called 2 bike shops seeking knowledge. What si known shops don’t work on high end parts. Drove to Silverthorne to meet w/ wrench who sounded like he knew King hubs. A waste. Learned of Rec center nearby for shower. Clean again. I researched King on line. Lubrication needs to be their special lube. I call several more shops seeking lube. Opinion comes back that good bearing grease should work. Back @ Wilderness w/ King instructions on line. The shop turns too. Wrench filled bearings w/ grease. When seals were reinstalled the wheel did not spin freely because of too much grease. He removed some which lessened the drag. Got to find the King special lube.

Parked @ approved overnight  parking lot like an alley off Main st.

Tomorrow I have a ride scheduled w/ Dan from Elevation, our ride is what I attempted. Tops out above 12,000′

Rebecca from Green Bay is in town this week. Her time is tied up w/ bike shop business. Might catch a social meeting.

Maybe Wed move onto Granby / Winter Park / Fraser, CO.

Tuesday I drove back over Divide to Loveland for frige install. Big climbs on I-70 from 9,000 @ Breck to 11,103 @ tunnel then down to Loveland @ 5000′. I left sleep spot up Swan river rd, wake up it was 32 degs. Left in time to ride Devil’s Backbone outside of Loveland. Wanted to earn what 4 days of higher elevation riding and moving my saddle a bit forward. Worked great: I rode the anticline rock @ slower pace while keeping my front wheel on the rocks. Was satisfied.

Made DM RV for 2:00 appointment. About 1 hour and new frige correctly installed was in van. Called Suzy for shower & conversation, she had a gig going w/ her kids and needed to leave her house earlier than frige install.

Frige is in, cost $1,000. Now the  reimbursement starts. A Northwest Norcold rep contacted me for warranty process. he wants claim number and pics taken that show Van Specialties install. Called DM to ask for claim number. I was told that claim number is created after Norcold accepts an issue. One of the parties misunderstand the claim process. Time will tell who pays & how much I get for failed frige.

Rear hub loosens allowing rear wheel to wiggle in drop out. I stopped @ bike shop in Loveland for a wrench to evaluate the hub. I was concerned that the looseness came from inside hub that i couldn’t tighten. He checked out bike and determined that just the bearing preload needed to be tightened that i can do. Hub rebuild still good. He told me about trails outside of Lyons.

Wed AM driving S on I-25 after sleep @ PUSH parking lot I read the exit sign for Lyons. What the heck, I exited and worked my way to Lyons and found Heil Ranch TH. Wet fog dampened the earth. I was getting geared up when a guy walking 2 dogs stopped to chat. He saw my van and was curious about my travels. He was just back after a 4 month motorcycle tour of S America. Perhaps we had sim experiences. He told me that he and a buddy are creating a documentary on mtn biking and wondered if I would share my thoughts. His name is Steven. I said, call me.

I pedaled off in the mist on a well built mtn bike trail. Lower part was in clay mud that was slippery: counter steering rear end after front wheel slid thru mud. Climbed up a valley leaving mud and switchback climbing up thru P-pine woods. By now rain is falling, just b4 trail junction lightning struck. I was in trees higher than me. Turned around & rode back down. Rock seems to slab off in nice paving sections which were used to armor the trail. Back in the clay mud now wetted and more slippery. I steered the front differently to allow rear to slide its own way.

Back @ TH Steven & I reconnect. He invites me to his house for a shower and interview. His buddy Barlow can’t make it. Steven & I get into some heady discussions, eventually i lost focus & energy to keep the discussion going. I invited him to dinner in my van. Steven is 28 as are his buddies. Kids. I fixed Captain Craig chicken that Rebecca renamed. We concocted a plan for ride on Thurs.

My bottom bracket still has issues causing it to wobble. Another Chris King component requiring special parts & tools. In small town of Lyons are 2 bike shops. I walked down to closer one Redstone Cyclery several blocks from Steven’s sister’s house. Small shop. Dave, the owner, recognized me from a past Moab meeting. He works on Kings. Cool. left & returned w/ my bike. He worked on it next like a destination shop. Found that i just needed a metal spacer and I am good. Fixed it for free. Great knowledgeable service.

Steven’s plan was for me to meet him @ Barlow’s house in Boulder @ 3:00. Found the Whole Foods grocery store I visited previously in Boulder. As I am getting out of my van a wiry man in plaster splatter overalls, shaved head and nose ring approached me. He has been reading my blog. He is Scotch. We talked for awhile. Spent $ for good eats.

Drove to Barlow’s house. He has a collection of early mtn bikes. Friend Steve joined the 3 of us as he had a rig to drive 3 bikes to Nederland and West Magnolia trails. We take off driving up Boulder Canyon into rain threateneing skies. As we are gearing up @ TH the skies open up. 55 degrees & rain. Not all had rain jackets. We set out in rain. Shortly it quit & skies cleared. Nice ride on mtn bike built trails. A bit woods muddy which is far cleaner than  clay mud. Steve needed to be home early making a short ride.

I found the last spot to camp. Nederland has no internet access. Another high elevation camp. Plan for today was to ride @ 8:00 from parking lot. Steven, Barlow, & Mike, a former IMBA staffer, arrived a new location was decided: Mud Lake. Back down canyon thru Nederland then up to Mud Lake. Barlow is an explorer and learned the trails. Another shot ride because of their schedule. Really liking my bike. 28 yos who can pedal left me gasping on uphills. Today i rode harder such that I had pain in m y lower lungs like racing causes.

Back @ TH Steven & Barlow get their interview.

I drove down to Nederland and parked on street. I wanted to look @ rusted steam shovel @ their mining museum. precious metals extraction was the former economic engine. Veins played out long ago. I was taking pics of actual steam shovel when a woman, Dawn, pedaled up on a mtn bike. She was so excited. She asked if I was the guy mtn biking the states. She just read the article. Yes I said and then we visited. A guy, walked up that she knew. His name is Rick and he is Fire chief & law enforcement officer in Nederland. I liked Dawn.

CO has medical pot. Nederland has like 18 distributors ( growers and sellers of medical pot) in this small town. Maybe overkill per Rick. I am curious as to the effect medical pot has on community. He said other than rep for Nederdam, like Amsterdam,  that’s it. He is sorting out legal ramifications of firemen driving fire engines w/ pot in their system. He found that OSHA does not allow for pot use. He is sorting out how to deal w/ his volunteers.

Bucyrus Erie built these steam shovels, largest land machine in its day back in the 20s & 30s, only 1 remains. Lots of precious metals mining in center part of state.

I continued my way to Breck via Central City which was the richest square mile on earth back in its day from metals. Today it is historical complete w/ lots of gambling casinos. In the town there are tipple piles among the house excavated into canyon sides.

Found KOA @ top of hill for $5.00 shower. Filled h20 tank that was almost empty. The sink pump seems to loose prime when tank gets about 3 gal low. When real low the pump runs trying to pull left overs into pressure tank. The pump will turn on & run even when i am not around. Today when i returned from my ride the pump was running. This hurts the pump & burns electric.

Made Frisco which is N of breck for internet access. Rebecca from The Hub bike shop in Green Bay is only able to make it to Keystone. Husband Dave is swamped @ bike shop & stayed behind. Hope to meet her SAT or Sun during her stay.

I pull off I-70 and park ion a Best Western parking lot for internet access. John, the facilities manager checked out my van. During the course of the early conversation he asked if I was going to stay here. I hadn’t intended to but I asked him if I could just in case. he said yes, the trick he said is to ask instead of poach. He is 77 and is very physically active in motorsports and skiing. He still flies his 4 person Piper. We talked, mostly him for almost an hour. He wants to exit life w/ a well worn body.

Today is the 2 year anniversary of my first day of living in my van. I had to be out of my house. I left on a road trip around WA state. On the 14th I was recovered from my left rotator surgery repair so i could start riding again. I left officially on  my mtn biking the states on the 18th.

The motel is right under I-70 and main drag up canyon, going to be traffic noise. Might stay here anyway.

Towards noon today Grace’s gang broke up for points known to them: Grace & Mike back to a small TN hamlet and Grace to Huntsville, John & his partner to Albuquerque, me, a rest day hanging around Breck. John & Mike ea have Sportsmobile van 4X4 conversions. While they sight get a person back into trouble further, they are not comfortable to live in. My Sprinter solution works best for me. Took some group shots.

I rolled into town seeking Squirt chain lube as the offer from the local distributor fell apart. Checked back in @ Elevation Sports looking for local rider ride info. Spent time in deserted shop talking riding. Strolled up main st seeki9ng used book store. Lots of tourist traffic on streets & many more on the road returning to the grind. Found used book store. Wonder how he stays ahead of fire code. I asked about book Massacre @ Mountain Meadows, he searched his mental data file of almost 20,000 books. Then checked his computer ; yes he had a copy but sold it back in March. What a depressing time in the store: So many books to read and benefit from and little time. I have not read like I thought I would. Computer gets my time.

Stopped to visit w/ gelatto guy again learning about medical marijuana and pot environment. He said prescription price is $15 less than street. I think I might have a pain that a prescription will treat. More research.

Sun was the Breck Firecracker 50 race that attracted Grace’s gang. They went their way to the start. Tom, a non racing member, and I attempted my misnavigation ride on Sat. This time I read w/ glasses and studied intent of route. We nailed it. A bit of a climb on CO trail lead us to marvelous descent on almost buffed hiking trails. My Turner Spot w/ PUSH tuned suspension kept a sweet smile on my face all the way down. Not like fall line skiing in powder put close. My line is determined by line in a narrow trail. Could drift a corner just a bit. Straight line over small roots and rocks, the bike was rock solid. The climb up had it’s rewards as I finally rode slower and kept up w/ altitude affected air. We rode to 11,700. Except a rider on an Ellsworth caught up and passed me. I heard him and took several big spins that put me into gasping mode and he passed me as i grabbed a tree for recovery. Tom dug it.

Back into town for groceries, a shower, and catch up @ race finish. Tom & I each drove into town & parked @ rec center for shower. The rec center is down canyon from uptown. I convinced him to take bus. We arrived @ stand to learn we missed bus by several minutes. We started walking up river and saw the bus pass us. More walking to another bus line stop to catch bus that took us to outlying areas of Breck that I never would have looked for. Dropped off many blocks from finish. Good exercise walking city streets @ 9,600′. Racers were still crossing finish line. Free beer line was long. As I moved towards the beer Grace arrived. She said that is was a tough course, she missed the cut off and was officially DNFd. She said she might have had the stuff to  beat cutoff but not for rest of race.

Back @ camp @ Peak One XG on Dillon lake outside Frisco. Fireworks for entertainment. XG is a popular palce to watch such that XG is closed to non campers. Very windy, concern fireworks would be canceled. Into the wind the exploding star shells climbed into the sky for a spectacular light show. The best show seen so far. Advantage was the lake to capture the hot debris.

Chilly last night that needed the down blanket finally doubled over.

Grace’s gang members were all on vacation. I am living on the road w/ life chores. My living is different than vacationing. I fell behind on my solo time.

Software is driving me nuts typing this.

Breckenridge is tourist summer time and ski season. Back in ’97 or ’98 I spent 2 week christmas vaca in Summit county. I spent the first week camped on a traffic island betwen the east & west bound lanes of I-70. I learned about Summit Stage which is a free bus service among mtn communities. I skied Breck 1 day then in low snow. Old buddy from Puget Sound joined me for 2nd week and we skied back and climbed Snowmass Peak, a 14,000, in winter, a worthy accomplishment. Big mtn to ski.

Riding is OK. Will be back here perhaps later this week to join Dave & Rebecca @ Keystone and later in Gramby w/ Todd.

I’m done. This software won.