Back @ Beaverhead flats in my van w/ the heater on and warmed so much by being back among warm friends.

Last night I heard coyotes communicating last night like never in all the years of listening to coyotes. Moon came up. Woke up today to incredibly blue clear skies. Wow, seeing the sun after 8 days of gloom and rain to see the what is expected and taken for granted that it will be blue cloudless sky. So great.

Drove up canyon stopping @ FS ranger station to buy the Red Rock annual parking pass. Legal and doing what is required. Conversed w/ a volunteer information man that got into the social trails here in Sedona and that the hikers, which he is, enjoy them and support them being made legal. Positive vibe for supporting the mtn bike built trails, the sustainable ones which is what i ride.

Stopped @ IGA just down canyon from B & B. Remet Kent who rode w/ me back last spring at the Spring Fling. I just saw a mountain biker in a parking lot beside a VW Vanagon and I waved. As I drew abreast i saw his bike was a Turner so i waved w/ more emphasis. I parked then walked over to him and he remembered me. Me ? duh. I saw Gonzo in the store I called his name, he said he could not forget that voice. Gonzo works @ B nB, he built my rear wheel. Gonzo got his wrenching start from Scott’s shop back in Indy. I met and rode w/ Scott many weekends back in winter of ’09 back in the Pisgah. I visited Scott @ his shop in Indy and did the night ride back in June  this year. Cool.

Next was BnB for Tony & Chewie. Chewie built this bike up. Tony allowed me to ship stuff to store by UPS only it had to go the day received because he had no storage space. Do I remember sleeping w/ my new frame because not all the parts had arrived? Oh so wonderful. A ride might happen @ 3:00.

Next was only laundromat in Oak Creek Canyon and reconnected w/ George the owner. Cool. chatted w/ him while the machines worked.

Visited Mtn Bike Heaven in Sedona, caught NOD for catch up. Dangerous Dave walked in later. Ride tomorrow @ 10:30. Getting back in the swing of Sedona.

Back @ BnB well past projected ride start time Chewie lead me and Adrian a rookie rider out from the shop. Ah, back on Sedona trails. It is just so good riding here, for me so much technical that I still walk. Richard caught up w/ us.They are very good riders and watching them ride was special. I rode features I walked previously. First ride, I am making the reflex and relearning moves.  Sedona is all technical.

Back @ BnB. We joined others there and commenced just enjoying our company. Oh, beer, rum, & finally a sipping bottomless bottle of Glenmorrangie lubricated me. Jimmie, the owner, says he gets off on riders that they meet @ the shop prior to ride, ride, and then hang @ the shop after the ride sharing their experience. He needed to attend to business so he couldn’t join us as intended.

I mentioned this to Quentin @ Hurricane that he meets mtn bike persona because of his shop location right @ Gooseberry. I do traveling and meeting some of the same people in their home environment. Jimmie has the same thing @ Sedona.

I learned that the gang from Shenandoah Bicycle in Harrisonburg, VA will be out in Jan. More riders trek to Sedona to ride during the winter. I  might meet people I met elsewhere here where I am more of a local to their touron, vice versa when I met them. Oh most are better riders but I live here, they are just visiting.

I will pick a place that I like to ride the most, I will say Sedona. The trails are just all technical, I challenge myself to ride up to my ability by making some better moves during this ride. Confidence. Today we rode up Slim Shady wash w/ standing h2o, stepups on slick rock. Courage I need. I do ride enough stuff to keep me smiling  enjoying these trails. I have red mud on my bike.

Great real bagels in Sedona. No Laphroaig Cask Condition Scotch in town. Just the regular will be my gift to myself. I have asked Santa for a Rock shox Monarch PUSH tuned shock. He told me the 25th doesn’t look good but Jan 1 is a new year and hey, wish away.

XM radio and listening to Bruce Springsteen channel. It’s almost 11:00. I bought a junk piece of  Christmas light necklace w/ red & green lights. I turned it own for the mood.

Off to bed w/ dreams of another day being here.

Too late to make pictures work.

Yesterday more hard rain. Afternoon DR appointment @ ST George so i back scheduled from the time to get a shower @ rec center,to buy a replacement camera battery, and scoop up a 4gb thumbdrive for $10.00 and it’s a Sony. Desk person @ rec center gave me baked treat.

The Virgin River near city of Washinton on Tues was running at 5130 cfs, normal this time of year is 200 to 300cfs. Numbers are correct.

Pulmonologist report was not so pleasing. I will be on like Advair for life to open breathing to evacuate more air. The residual air blocks intake of fresh air. Something about emphysema also. This has been coming on for a long time. Ultimately my lack of absorbing O2 will curtail my activities. How strangely serendipity: shucking the yoke of material acquisitions for freedom of mountain biking whenever, wherever while i could. The bad is all bad. It is what it is.

Read a short piece about new version of movie True Grit w/ Jeff Bridges in paper. I caught the 5:05 showing in Hurricane. Cohen Brothers again. Crossed the street to sports bar to watch Boise / Utah bowl game. Utah requires consumer of alcohol to buy food. My best choice was chicken tenders. He closed the place @ 8:00, some sports bar.

Drove back to behind OTE. I learned the same property owner owns a big chunk of land back there to which I have permission to camp on. Before the rain started I pulled way forward on the grass up to fence right behind OTE. Once the ground became saturated I parked out on furthest edge of pavement almost right behind printing business. First day i scooted early because I thought another property owner owned where I was staying. I mentioned this to Quentin who said it is the same guy. I slept better knowing this.

Today i drive to Sedona. I left Hurricane later by an hour than I wanted to which really allowed me to visit w/ Deaj @ OTE. The 3 OTE store important people will be here in Sedona early Jan which will allow us to visit here. Cool. I enjoyed my time @ Over the Edge Sports shop owned by Quentin & Deaj and Fixie Dave the wrench. I’ll miss Eddie the shop dog. And DynoDan.

Drove thru Colorado City in the fog. Snow preceded Jacob Lake @ 8200′. The highway was cleared & melted out. 280 miles there abouts to Oak Creek south of Sedona  where Bike and Bean is located. Flag had snow as did upper reaches of Oak Creek canyon. Well b4 Sedona elevation the snow was gone down low where we ride.

Walked into BnB and warmly greeted Jim the owner. I’m back. Sedona, another home. Lots of catching up to be done. Jason was there also. So cool.

Drove out to Beaverhead Flats camp spot just after sundown. Got my spot.

Tomorrow I will ride after 8 days of rain.

Tom and Melanie, a young couple from Ontario, BC were in the shop. She is a travel blogger and is interested in my story. She asked questions and I answered them. Her friend Tom’s dad did like I did by casting off and following the road preceded by parting w/ his possessions to eliminate ties to pull him back to his base.

Viewed a rainbow from BnB. Clouds block the full sky. It has rained here as Oak Creek is running as is Dry Beaver Creek south of town.

Another day of mostly rain.

Drove back to Sheeps Bridge road bridge crossing over the Virgin River. Many other people decided to do the same. River is up way higher than Sunday and is expected to rise more on Wed as more rain falls. Zion is closed because of a road wash out. Springdale has been evacuated because of a possible dam failure.

Last night I visited Fixie Dave @ his digs for dinner. Dave has been featured in Outside mag back in ’08 as a racer of the Great Divide race from Mexico to CA on mtn bikes. Quite a feat and he will ride it on a fixed gear rigid 29er.

Just wet. Sedona has received o” of rain in December. Leaving Thurs for there.