Sunday I watched the sun come up, Sunset is way more spectacular as it should be as in red sky @ night sailors’ delight, red sky in morning, sailors’ take warning. Plan is to ride Hurricane loop from camp @ upper JEM TH. The first leg drops down the JEM trail 7 some miles to a junction w/ Hurricane Rim, 7.3 miles to hwy crossing. The JEM is fun like a shallow angle ski slope playing on the berms.

The Hurricane rim noodles w/ elevation change net gaining 900′. This is the most tech of the loop trails. There are still 2 pieces I can not make mainly because I don’t have the lungs to finish the move. Ride downhill on the hwy to low point just above town to start of Goulds trail that climbs all the way back up to upper JEM. First part is old pioneer road route into Hurricane Valley that climbs up to first mesa and after a short section on gravel road the ST takes off. Soil starts to m ix in clay, the southern exposure helps dry it out. At the sheep corral the soil becomes clay that takes a long time to dry out. This section kept me from riding loop until last Thursday. I wanted to ride the loop by myself because I needed to have something to do on this beautiful day and I wanted to ride it hard. I pushed. I rode all but 2 sections in mid chain ring which kept my speed up and my heart rate down. Quentin said in the desert you need only your mid chain ring. I also wanted to soothe my ego from the lack of commitment @ Gooseberry. Encountered 3 groups of hikers, not one biker on such a beautiful day on such a popular trail.

Stayed all day @ upper JEM. Another light show @ sundown.

Dan stumbled onto a ride for today: Ice House outside and above ST George. We are to rendezvous @ his computer repair service. I gave Scott my computer to rid it of the failed frequent efforts to upgrade.

Ride was 8 miles uphill on gravel road, several miles on a mesa in junipers, lava, burned junipers, finally out into open. Like the seat dropper for flowing down over bassalt. Trail pitched side hill steeply to bottom followed by a 2 miles desert road ride 99% dead straight climbing steeply back to TH. Not much fun, only by riding it did I learn about it. At 2:15 @ 3300′ it was 65 degrees. Short sleeve and gloves.

Stopped @ rec center for shower. Then the liquor store for real beer. Short visit @ OTE then up to JEM TH. The hwy climbs out of valley offering scattered views of sunset until road reaches first mesa. More of same colors only differently arranged.

Tomorrow is a rest day w/ an afternoon session of trail building. Forecast is calling for rain starting Wed and continuing for many days. But that is a forecast?

During the night a new thigh muscle cramped. I managed to slide out of bed massaging it out. recently I read that release is to be had by squeezing the belly of the muscle. I did that while shooting a squirt of horseradish mustard. Randy told me mustard relieves cramps, over time I have validated the therapy. Took 2 hammerlytes. Yesterday’s ride was harder on my body than I believed.

Today a short commute from JEM TH @ 4310′ down to Hurricane @ 3200′ to OTE for shared rdie back up mesa to Gooseberry that is almost above where I camp. Quentin, Tae, Jason, touron Jim (my age), and a woman, oh, and me. Road into Gooseberry was just hacked from vehicles driving it in the wet. No way would I have driven in. Quentin & the woman drove small SUV types and Jason drove a full on Ford 250 step up bars diesel 4X4 w/  2 mtn bikes lashed in the box.

Gooseberry is all about tech moves & lines on white sandstone. Surfaces are radiused from erosion. Excellent traction for going up and falling on. I am a conservative rider not willing to risk much so I fail to attempt a move and walk it. I am better than I rdie.

Tae rode above the trail on slickrock and stuffed his front wheel and launched into a small prickly pear cactus. One glove needs to be replaced because it was filled w/ spines. he pulled his jersey off and pulled more spines. He abandoned the ride and returned to the parking lot.

Dog Eddie.

Beautiful day, I removed my long underwear top. Potholes had lots of water.

Ride was moving time 2 hours 10 mins but we spent like 4 hours out.

Another bumpy ride back to the hard road back to shop. Drove down to WA rec center for shower. Ken who works @ the desk told me he is a bird watcher. I asked him if he had spotted condors here. He said he sees one frequently in Zion on Angels Landing.

Back up @ JEM TH. Another colorful sunset. I parked my van facing the hwy so I could watch colors going down. This aspect will expose the other side to the sunrise. Forecast is for more of the same.

I might ride Hurricane rim trail again tomorrow.

Drove down to Roadrunner for brake appointment. Took me right in, took less than an hour to replace disc brake pads on front wheels. Left brake displayed more wear on 1 brake pad. Rotors are worn down. Anyway i seated them like I do on my mtn bike, no more noise.

Dan and I are riding the Hurricane rim trail loop. Dan picked a starting point where the JEM crosses Sheeps Bridge road because we could warm up going downhill, be warmed when we hit the tech up & down rim trail. The climb up Goulds wash would be in the last third and we would have a down hill on upper JEM back to rigs. Worked great. Another warm beautiful day. Dan called out the Chem trails in the sky. Too weird to believe that our government is paying to have old version of jet fuel sprayed into the air. Dan let me lead and he matched my pace. He was off today allowing me to stay ahead of him. No slimy or sticking clay to slither thru. Several riders were out on upper Goulds & JEM when it was way to muddy, places they pockmarked the trail by pulling up mud stuck to their shoes. Ickoh & left cast in ridges. Maybe Rockshox Monarch tuned by PUSH having greater small bump compliance will mellow out old foot prints? Hey, Santa, I’m talking here.

The woman who I dusted last week was out here, she decided to ride the road back vs the JEM the rest of her gang rode. Dan & I caught up to them where they were first aiding a rider down – he was splattered on the trail and choosing to remain motionless. Apparently he went out over the bars and landed on his bar end to the chest area. Older people out challenging themselves, miscalculations occur. They had summoned 911 which arrived and we had no additional skills to add.

I enjoy Dan. He was pretty active in backcountry skiing back in MT. He recalled bits of history about area.

Into town for groceries and dinner @ Durrango Mexican restaurant. Lot of food for $8.00: beans, rice, chicken, cheese, & wheat. Put some spicy sauce on it to bring a glaze to my forehead.

Out @ JEM again.

Tomorrow OTE’ shop ride is Gooseberry meaning I get a ride up there. The climb up to the TH is probably the worse road I have ever driven the van on. I made it up summer of ’09 and said never more. I will ride in someone else’s rig.

60 degree highs. Just not warm enough to trat temp like 60 degrees. i wore my lightest synthetic long underwear top, long finger gloves ( not necessary), and knee warmers. Just wide open spaces bordered my mesas and mountains. So desert pretty.