Slowly climbed the big hill into Sedona headed for the garage as today after UPS delivery the new hose is to be installed. Couple of stops along the way I dropped my van off. By lunch the hose is on and the wrench has test driven it and said all is good. Settled up w/ the $ lady and I was out to experience hsi work. Pulled the hill.
Plan was to meet Danny @ his house @ 2:00 to help him w/ some computer stuff then go for a ride. I arrived early so I could work on my map. Danny forgot what the arrangement was and thinking I wasn’t coming he ate a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. I wasn’t feeling all that sprite and Danny didn’t want to ride on the ice cream so we bagged it and sat out in his yard and pulled weeds and drank a beer. Weeds are same tenacious weeds I had in Spokane. They grow from a root crown and the trick is to find the center and pull it out. Usually there is a pretty good crown. We created empty spaces for new grass. Afternoon progressed. Danny offered to cook dinner. He grilled 2 salmon fillets. I taught him a baste of honey, butter, and cumin. I made my waldorf salad.
I finished my map
Blow the map up and read the pink numbered postits to learn how I traveled the country. Each state has at least 1 push pin @ the ride I did in that state. Can’t see the pins in this pic however.
Drove back out to Deer pas camp spot. Scored my favorite spot. However during the night the horse odors perked up. Need some rain to dilute.
Today I am to meet Spokane folks @ first parking lot on Schnebly road for our ride of Hangover. Tom has sought this ride out, joining him was Paul Z, and Randy. The women went somewhere else. I rode Hangover late in my stay last year. I remembered lots of slick rock and lots of exposure. I wanted to ride it b4 I left just to do it again. It is really a handfull. The trail hugs the mountain side ducking under overhangs while keeping the wheels on dirt rather that air on the outside. Places the trail required steering wide to clear the inside handlebar while keeping the outside one clear of the trees on the outside (downhill) side of the trail. Challenging and nerve wracking.
The trail exits the rock bench out onto a huge slick rock face. We walked our bikes down a bit of it.
The trail was not done w/ us as it dropped away from the rock faces into the woods. I was riding behind Tom & Paul. Paul had some trouble w/ a right hand switch back. I caught up to Tom and watched him fulcrum right over his front axle to superman land face down w/ his bike driving his face into the dirt. He landed full on his chest w/ no runout. Splatter. I jumped off my bike and pulled his bike off him. I smacked into a tree that put a gash in my left forearm that bled a long streak. Earlier I smacked a rock overhang w/ my left shoulder.
Once back @ the TH Randy fished out an ice cold h2omellon. Between mouthfuls we relived the very hard tech ride. They agreed that their riding level is not up to that ride. Tom said it balanced his ego w/ his tech skills.
I left them to their plans to take a shower b4 my dr appointment. Blood clotting time is INR 1.9, according to the NP I am seeing is still therapeutic and he will let it stand. I am eligible for a home testing machine to monitor my clotting. The tingling in my feet and hands should go away w/in 3 weeks, if not i need to find a neurologist.
Picked my computer up from repair shop. Another software problem and another bill.
Dinner sandwich @ Wildflower then out to Deer pass rd again.
Tomorrow I need to be in Cottonwood @ an RV shop for my fridge to be fixed. Later is a ride w/ Spokane folks out Dry Creek way for some less tech trails. This area offers the least tech challenges.
Been windy lately, forecast calls for gusts into the 30mph’