Last night I parked the van facing east for the sunrise. Only a juniper bush blocked the full on rays. I watched the sun lighten the sky while laying in bed under the coves. The heater ran on low all night.

Today is into Grand Junction for Butter Knife ride @ Lunch Loop trails. Stopped by Ruby Canyon Cycles to say Hi to Doug, the owner. We met and rode together last summer. As i am walking across the street i see Kimila and Drew. Doug is giving them a shuttle to top of Ribbon trail and I get invited. Signed Drew’s copy of MBA. We get dropped off @ upper TH @ 6800′, end is lower TH 2000′ below. This is desert riding and there is nothing easy about our ride. Upper part is on sloping downhill sandstone bedrock. We caught the uphill trail marker and started down. I was carving turns on carving stone. The mid rock trail signs were nonexistent, we were wandering around on this huge sandstone slab until we found a sign @ exit off first slab. We dropped down 3 slabs b4 dropping down into canyon wash. Our exit out of the canyon was a climb a bike ( note: not hike a bike) out a side canyon.

A short ride down the pavement brought us to Free Lunch climb up to prayer Rock. Free Lunch is a double black diamond downhill. At the top a sign states that if you can not ride the entry test don’t ride the trail. The test was a launch off a 3′ drop. No way. Drew went that way and Kimila and I chose Eagle Wing which turned out to be hike a bike down. Kimila did a header out of sight of me just uphill of me. Blood was oozing from an abrasion on her right forearm. I first aided her from my first aid kit. Drew finished b4 us and walked up hill to meet us. We rode pet i cus back. Tech riding as the desert can provide. More technical in quantity than Fruita.

Drove back to Fruita to the Tomater for a beer. Drew & Kimila joined. Tomorrow they head back to Atlanta. And I drove back to spot above Rabbit Valley.

Tomorrow it is back to GJ to really ride Butter Knife. My seat dropper arrives Friday. I will probably leave Sat for Moab.  My license tabs will be mailed to my Seattle address @ Earth Class Mail. They will send me and email w/ the scan of the envelop. I will request that envelope be mailed to general delivery @ Moab. Tabs expire on the 9th. The renewal fee was debited from my checking account on Monday. The tabs are mailed from Seattle to a Seattle address and I haven’t received notification of arrival.

Warm night. heater on low will almost be too hot until the night cools off.

Peaceful night @ 18 road. Woke up again b4 the sun crested the ridge. Portends to be another bluebird day. And it became one.

Straightened out my order for my seat dropper. Today I planned on the 2 rib rides out here, Zippity & Joe’s Ridge, maybe 90 mins of riding. Works for me. Rode Zippity first. Trail is on some big fins of clay, exposure of both sides sometimes w/ a rain rut down the center. Man, get weight back and stay off the front bike and just let it roll. Oh, how I look forward to my seat dropper. There are 2 monster hike a bike pieces. the first on has kicked in steps like snow climbing. Focus was the operative word. Dropped down to bottom of trail system then road Prime Cut back up to Frontside to pick up Joe’s ridge that would drop me almost back @ van. Remember the bottom part dropped down just across the wash from me, today will be my ride on the trail. It is a steep, narrow, traversing downhill w/ a ran rut in it w/ loose shale like pieces of rock. Once I reflex figured it out I let it run. Did OK.

Drove back to Fruita w/ a list of chores: Visit OTE to arrange shop work on seat dropper & figure out the non tightening maxle lite on my fork, buy a new rear rotor and front brake pads, grocery shop, shower, fill h2o tank, & buy propane.

At the grocery I bought the new issue of Mountain Bike Action which is to me a race focused issue but I do learn things from it. I rewarded my completion of tasks was to stop @ Hot Tomato for a beer. Oh, Greg @ OTE saw the Bike and Bean stickie on my van and told me Chewie from the shop is in town. I called his cell and left a message. Would be cool to visit w/ him. He built up my Spot. I hoped he would stop @ the Tomater. I am sitting @ the bar turning the pages of the mag. I turn over page 86 and there is my picture w/ an article about me! Flip out. I had no idea they were running an article about me. The picture is my facebook picture that was taken by buddy Cal in Sept of ’09 when i was back in Spokane. He didn’t get the photo credit nor did an author. I sent Grace a note about article keeping up on our national fame. She raced Leadville this year, the movie plays 11/4, I wonder if Grace will get covered again.

Back out @ Rabbit Valley above I-70 again all alone.

Tomorrow I am riding Lunch Loop @ Grand Junction.

I believe my seat dropper will arrive this Fri in Fruita. I will probably leave Sat AM for several days of riding @ Moab. Weather forecast is just riding perfect. Low angle of sun changes terrain features, maybe bigger shadows. And if the trail heads into the sun it can be in my eyes instead of overhead. It is pretty. Desert. I’ll stay a bit longer.

Sunday I went back to Kokopeli’s because of the rain. Trails here are either sand or sandstone, Hardly any slimy stuff. Plan today was good ride but @ user friendly pace which while I suffered several of the climbs, my pulse stayed low. I take 2 hits of Albuterol prior to each ride while it may not solve my out of breathness it helps improve my breathing effectiveness. I still get winded early then just lack the cardio to support my strength. So I rode Marys out to Lions for a short tie to Mack’s ridge thus eliminating the grinder climb on the I-70 side. The descended Mack’s ridge and returned on Mary’s. I waited for sun warmth. Not as many riders today as Saturday.

My sense of balance and holding a narrow line is so satisfying now after  both the chiro and larry’s light box. I still balk @ some tech features and walk. i ride by myself most of the time, being alone on some nasty stuff cause me caution for fear of affects a missed move would have on me. I ride less attentively when I ride w/ others.

Many women riders I saw driving in after I finished both days.

Drove back into town for groceries, a shower @ the paid campground & a visit to OTE where I learned that 18 road is just ripe for riding as the rain tacked up the clay.

Drove out to 18 road camping on BLM land. Stutter bumped gravel road last 5 miles. Once in, not leaving until ready to not come back. Found first camp spot open and it sat out in all directions. Right on the main road thru camping area but I figured little traffic was small price to pay to watch the sun go down & ride each day.

Today the sky lightened b4 the sun created the Book Cliffs. Ah, another beautiful mild sunny day for November 1. I still rode in light wool underwear but no leg warmers. Trails out here lack the tech features of Kokopelli’s which is a change. Residual discomfort from Sat’s ride. rode 1 1/2 hrs saving Zippity Doo Dah for tomorrow. Finished b4 1:00.

Beautiful day, @ 3:08 it was 68 degrees. I set out my camping chair and delved into another John Irving novel Last Night in Twisted River that sister Lise mailed to me.

A wash about 100 yds lay between me and the other side where a narrow ST diagonally traversed downhill . I could hear riders just b4 they dropped in. I watched as many as I detected. Interesting to watch & listen to other riders. I would like to have a video of me riding same to see how I compared to others.

I waved to riders riding up the road back to their camps. One couple passed uphill and then rode back to greet me. It was Drew who met me in Pisgah and we exchanged several emails. He @ wife Kimila are on a road trip from Atlanta. They flipped when they got to visit. Likewise I enjoyed their company.

Writer Chris Lesser and Bikemag have given me exposure to so many people that are digging what i am doing and some who want to be doing just that. And Bruce’s Pisgah jersey seals the deal. I liken so many of the people I meet that they are like hung on an endless clothes line, many of us share a common thread of acquaintances. Just so cool.

Ordered my Rockshox Reverb seat dropper post today from Price Point to be shipped to OTE. Won’t leave here till maybe Thurs.