yesterday AM by light’s early dawn I saw wet streaks on the outside of my windshield. Forecast called for partly sunny skies, no precip prob. It was snow! Got dressed and opened the door to falling snow. I covered the bikes & fixed bfast & cleaned up. I am driving to Durango to Mountain Bike Specialists to have my Rockshox Revelation fork fixed. I might have a snow covered road to drive that I do not like.
Snow kept falling as I drove into Cortez. I stopped @ visitor center again for facilities and road condition update. Outdated info said roadway was clear. RT 160 is a major hwy and should be well attended i reasoned. Not so. I saw numerous skid offs and no evidence of plowing or sand trucks having treated the highway. Snow fell most of the way to Durango that the vehicle traffic packed down to compact snow. Slow driving, not full on white knuckle. I have almost new M & S tires that I trusted to maintain my purchase on the slippery. I used mo as my friend and kept traction staedy acceleration going uphill. I came upon a driver that was literally creeping going up the grade and I needed the mo to make it myself so I passed. Wow.
Several miles West of Durango the hwy department caught up w/ conditions and the snow stopped falling and the sun came out warming the black pavement melting the snow. Durango didn’t receive any snow.
Found bike shop. Service mgr called Rockshox to order replacement bushings. RS said that was unusual wear or problem so they are warrantying the replacement parts. I will be in Durango until parts arrive till maybe Friday. I will learn local rides while here.
Mike works @ bike shop is a certified bike fitter. We got to chatting and I told him about my leg length difference and asked how that would affect my riding. We negotiated a $30 fee for a fit evaluation. He put my bike w/ a road wheel on a resistance trainer that is hooked up to a computer that reads pedaling effort. Both legs have almost equal power. He determined that I could lower my seat a scosh as move my seat forward just a little. Both of these adjustments improved my efficiency by a small amount. I now know optimum settings.
Called Over the Edge in Hurricane & spoke w/ DJ. Enjoyable to converse w/ people who remember me friendly.
Today I ride w/ Mary I met @ Phil’s world.
Started process for seeing a pulmonary dr in ST George. I really read the breathing test results taken back in Spokane. Conclusion: a “reduced diffusing capacity, minimal airway obstruction and overinflation are characteristic of emphysema.” Don’t bid the devil good day until I met him.
Last night I camped @ Junction creek xg where I stayed when i was here back in ’08. It is almost @ the Colorado terminus. I was surprised that it was opened as it is after season but it was and it was free. No cell phone reception. I watched Pulp Fiction again. Tarrantino masterpiece.
Today I drove into town looking for propane. I pulled into a parking lot to U-turn when a pick up pulled up beside me. A guy jumped out and introduced himself saying he read the Bikemag article and recognized me. He invited me to a local weekly socializing gathering tonight in town. Several of the gatherers are Turner riders. Cool. This visit is much different than when i was here during tourist season and b4 mag articles.
Sunny chilly clear day for a ride. Lower trails will be free of snow.
I have been receiving emails and blog comments from riders around the US. Thanks all for your comments and invites. One said thanks for sharing my adventures as it provides an escape during his day. As a comment: my writings are an attempt to capture what happened and experiences had and are not meant for an English paper. I grab a few minutes when I am internet coverage and 4 finger type quickly. No Gonzo journalism. Just spew. Spell check is rudimentary capturing some misspellings. No grammer check.
Off to get ready to ride.