Ah, the day after the feast. Did my laundry in Hurkin. Dan & I plotted a plan to ride down @ Bearpaw Poppy outside of ST George.
Arrived @ packed TH parking lot. Nice day on holiday brought out rec riders. Dan figured out a route, trails not well marked. Just out in desert many ATV trails just going w/ heavily traveled single tracks spotted w/ spur trails going where(?) Made Stuckey Spring and rode back Rattlesnake completing on Bearpaw Poppy the main trail. Dan said that horses illegally rode the trail 2 springs ago and the damage is still noticed in irregular bumps on the trail. Easy day in terms of effort & length. It was about flowing on desert trails.
Stopped @Rec center in Washington & drove back to Upper GEM TH. I dredged a chicken breast in corn starch and fried in olive oil on my stove. Chose to open the side door and turn the fan on speed 2 to evacuate the smoke. Never again. I smelled the odor every time I woke up during the night.
Today legendary Fixie Dave is leading a group ride up on Little Creek where I fell last year. Dave rides a fixed gear rigid 29er. Fixed means he is pedaling like a tricycle is geared. 2 friends of his from Denver braved snowy interstate to ride today and Chris, a local. I rode w/ Chris in his Saturn. Word was the road had been graded. It is going to stutter bumps was frozen w/ patches of snow as we drove higher. TH elevation was around 5600′ I would not have wanted to drive my van out. Clouds covered the sky keeping the heat in which thawed the ground making it muddy. My front wheel hung below the rear bumper on Chris’ car, the lower arc of the wheel was plastered w/ mud. 9 riders as 2 couples arrived. Cimaron worked for the BLM and was instrumental in establishing the present trail system. At issue are the Old Ones artifacts that are unprotected. She said this area has the highest density of artifacts, mostly rock writings. She showed me some on our way back.
Trail is mixture of convoluted sand stone and dirt that has high clay content. And patches of snow changing the traction quotient. We never made the spot where I fell because much of the trail is on dirt which would be too muddy.
Ancient Ones art work is different here than Santa Clara. Check lower right image which shows pornography preceded the internet:
Temp really warmed up to maybe low 50s thawing out the road. The drive back was really greasy, I wonder if my van would have made it out.
Back @ OTE I washed my bike. Dinner @ Durango Grill Mexican grill for dinner and crossed the common wall to Baristas for luscious ice cream.
Storm coming in maybe snow so i decided to stay in town for the night. Forecast calls for warming temps that will dry out trails.