Rained Friday night during OTE party. Big Al brought a shelter that he set up outside sheltering the party goers and a 50 gallon drum fire place. Enjoyed 2 shots of a nice scotch and better chocolate that I provided last year. A tradition has been established. Maybe 15 people showed. Met Bill & his german wife who are the race promoters for the Ididarod (?)bike race in Alaska, the course is the sled dog race course. Helped clean up then left back for upper JEM. As I drove onto the TH road i heard clay sticking to my wheels. Maybe I should not be driving on this to be soon wet and slippery road. Drizzled & rained all night. Sat AM I awoke to leaden skies and precipitation. I decided I needed to get back onto pavement. I walked the gravel road out to the highway evaluating the road. The worst was the slight uphill to the highway where there are 2 small cross wheel jarring washes. My success would be to jar the suspension on the washes to keep my speed up to coast up the slope. My mud caked LL Bean shoes are on the inside step of the van. I battened down the hatches and made my move. Slither slightly like in snow and bumped across the washes and made the highway. I left a 4 wheels trail of mud on the wet pavement. The clay which loosened by the wet let loose from the tires that rattled on the under carriage. Back on hard surface, no more JEM parking on this stay.
Back into town to hang @ OTE. Dan drove his 15 miles of desert dirt road into town and met me. His pickup undercarriage gets coated w/ the mud. He drove repeadly thru a water puddle in a parking lot making it a mud puddle.
Drove down to ST George Chillies to watch Gonzaga Baylor game. Air time was an hour later than schedule. I choose to watch just the first half. The Zags were better than holding their own. Drove back to Hurricane, hung @ OTE till closing then parked behind the store @ the dance studio property. I am wearing a path in the grass.
Forecast is just for more cdays of rain. Rained during the night. Slept till almost 8:30.
Dan told me about local history @ Silver Reef N of town. I needed to drive some charging time on the batteries, it was raining, I needed something different and a driving I did go. Silver Reef was unique, per Dan, because silver was found in sandstone. Little remains of the settlement. Several small sections of building walls are standing. Walls are true and composed of chunks of rocks, none as thick as the wall, held together w/ clay. Leeds was the site of a CCC camp. Of the standing buildings the rocks in the walls were mortared w/ cement. Pioneers did not have cement, if they did perhaps more buildings would be still standing?
Drove up past Virgin towards Zion NP to view the Virgin River @ Sheeps Bridge road. Rain has swollen the river. Color is muddy brown and moving. Weather forecast is calling for stream banks full for the Virgin.
Drove back roads back to Hurricane and socialized @ OTE. Eddie, the shop dog, a Border Collie is allowing my friendship. I pet him on the hardwood floor which makes it easier to pickup his hair that I remove.
Another night behind shop. More days of hanging here till Thurs AM split for Sedona. Wed I have my followup dr appointment in ST George.
Just rain and more rain.