Quiet night. Thing about living in my van is that it is a mobile living room. I spend a bit of time on line. When the temps are chilly the door is shut. Van is comfortable to hang in and still get things done. Couldn’t see living in a tent as a way of life.
Drove a short way to a roadside parking area for trail 396 that was recommended by bike shop. Ride it as o & b. Have trail to myself for most of way out. Trail really well laid out flowing in & out of ridge snouts & gullies thru open P-pine forest w/ less visible signs of logging altho it was thinned back in 2006 to reduce fuels & contend w/ pine beetle. Mix of deciduous trees that have not leafed. Feels like spring. Rolled around a blind ridge snout. Uphill to my left I saw a black animal snapping branches as it fought its way onto the trail. Distance was too short to stop, fortunately my heart didn’t. Just ahead I saw a woman who was calling for her dog. A dog! Whew. Reminds me of a ride down near Moscow, ID during huckleberry picking season. I was riding a trail when something big and black was crashing thru the berry bushes. Thought for sure it was a black bear from how big it was and it made sense that it would have been feeding on the berries like us humans. Big black dog.
Rode to end and turned around for return leg. Suspected that the ride out was more downhill than the back part. I punched the lap button on the Garmin at the turn around. Post ride investigation supported my supposition. Short ride. Well made trail.
packed up then drove into Prescott to their New Frontiers Natural foods store, chain store. Today I drove the main roads on a go around Mingus mtn on the way to Flag which sits @ 7000′ up on Mogollon rim, in the world’s largest P-pine forest. Drove up I-17 instead of up Oak Creek. Picked up old RT 66 heading east to the aquatics center for a $5.00 shower. Cleaned up I visited Absolute bikes on rt 66. Learned that the trails on Mt Elden were dried out. I saw that on my drive into town, all the snow is melted out. P-pine forest is open. Factor in 11% humidity.
Drove up Shultz pass rd, found the same spot where i stayed 2 years ago. Camped @ 7600′. Sedona was 4500. Thinner air here.
Tomorrow is DR visit then laundry. Out on the road again. Stay here over the weekend.
Walking into a new shop as a touron lacks the familiarity I enjoyed in Sedona. So be it.
Right shoulder is not happy. I have quite a tan on my arms where my jersey doesn’t cover; above that I look like I just escaped from the snow country. My beard is bleached out as are then ends of my hair.