Once the snow and rain started falling and the temp drops below freezing every night the trails became h2o logged and freeze thawed causing us riders to practice good trail stewardship & not ride. We hung wistfully looking out the shop window listening and looking @ any returning riders. Ride early AM in 20 deg temp on frozen dirt, by 13:00 trail in the sun became soupy on the return. I chose to hang out. I did bushbash desert hike out here @ Beaverhead flats area.
Friday AM around 5 I stared getting chilly. The heater should have put some heat into the air even if the temp dropped. I crawled from under the warm covers to lay on the floor to start the stove. I thought I might have turned it off when I turned it down b4 bed. Wouldn’t start. I plan on buying propane today and I figure I had another day b4 running out. I knew I had gas. Crawled back under the covers and mulled the everything is a shit sandwich bummer that I planned how to fix or buy a new heater. I finally got out of bed once the sun started warming the van around 7:45. Bearable to fix bfast. Stove wouldn’t light. AH ha, heater problem solved.
Plan for day was to drive to west sedona to buy propane and do wash then drive back to VOC for 3:00 ride w/ Jimmy @ BnB. Refill of propane was full meal deal. Did laundry @ only laundromat in canyon. George is the owner. He keeps a guest book for customers to share recorded thoughts. I have an open invitation to record. All kinds of people visit his laundry. He and I engaged an English couple while i waited. The both work in university back home and have been to America 12 times. They are traveling, I am traveling and George has a jones to travel. Great conversation. So much enchange while the machines do work.
BnB on the north outskirts of VOC is 7 miles away, 5 of it down canyon on newly completed boulevard. Jimmy is willing to take a risk to go for an afternoon ride and I am in. It was after 3 b4 we rolled away. Warm & sunny. Jimmy called the route to the no mud look. I rode a few more things while feeling more secure. Sedona riding has its peculiar trails and i am still adjusting. Each ride success is satisfying. What I ride here is very technical, OK not South MTN. Hung @ shop w/ a few regulars drinking beer. Fun crowd.
Drove back to Beaverhead knowing that I would sleep warmly.
Today dawned cloudy but still below freezing. Report from rides late afternoon were the trails are drying and if the ride was south facing and lots of rock there were few mud spots but some were bogs. I am heading out on my own from west sedona learning for myself waht conditions were. Rode Bikepath to HS then traverse over Special Ed. Ran into 3 other riders, all gray beards. Roger, the oldest @ 71, his friend that we have shared a ride is 68. Stu is 56. We rode Witch Doctor. Ducking around the thorny ocatilla canes. maybe 1/2″ thorns ring the cane. Prickly pear cover the ground and ocatilla spears the sky. Finished up on sketch etc back to pavement. Strong 2 hr ride. Stay out of the cat claw a deciduous bush plant having thorns that are shaped like an extended cat’s claw. They hook into flesh and clothing.
Bought a 6pack of deschutes porter brewed in Bend, for for shop beer drinking dues. Hung @ BnB and watched the Seahawks, a 7-9 division winner play a stellar game against last year’s superbowl champs, the Saints.
Back out again @ Beaverhead.
Tomorrow is a MBH shop ride.
Sat night NPR shows What do you know, wait wait don’t tell me competes w/ my attention.