Great place to camp w/ great vista all way around. Actually it appears that this part of NM is flat. No Nebraska flat.

Slept in this AM. Putzed around getting ready to ride from camp spot. Rode into TH parking lot, all the rigs were from CO escaping the snow up north. Today I am going to ride the 5 mile and the full Alien Run loop eliminating the harder Outer Limits. Still a challenging ride.

Slick rock.

Why I don’t want to be here in the wet:

As I returned to my van there was an emergency responder there asking questions about an injured rider. I didn’t see anyone. I watched as several rescue rigs went after the rider. Rigs drove back up the hill w/ a bike in the back then a rig and bike left. Never heard how badly the person was hurt.  Hung here @ same camp spot for a second night. This PM the clouds darkened portending a T-storm squall. High winds, little rain asthe storm moved N to CO.  Seems like CO didn’t like it so it sent it back.

Tomorrow is get up early and drive to Farmington for van service then 300 miles back to Flag. Snow and wet up north in Durango. Best being in Flag for several more days (weeks?) waiting for drying out up north.

Trail is around 6,000′. Breathing is still an issue. Bronchitis? 3 more days of antibiotics for it.

B4 bed I reparked in a sound lee if the refer running. City camping. No heat. slept well always having my breath. Woke to sunshine w/ scattered low cumulus but no precip. Today I will attempt the dirt road steep hill climb to Alien run th. But first a few groceries. Drove out gravel road to my nasty road climb. South facing which dried the mud. Cast in were wheel ruts requiring a bit of high clearance. Much tire chain casts. Road is single lane slot car track. Parked at top just b4 the cattle guard. Found a spot that overlooks to the sky line. Fresh snow in Durango mountains.

Headed out. Right @ the TH I met 2 guys just finishing up their ride. From Durango because of snow and muddy conditions. They received rain and snow same as Aztec. Scratch Durango plans. Rode same loop as b4. Rode it a little better. used 2 hits of abuterol. My breathing today was better allowing me to get my heart rate up. Worked on spinning. Too many twists and moves to remember. Enjoyed myself. Challenging trail, there are several spots I still walk mostly because I don’t have the wind to make. Mountains to the north have a very white look w/ clouds still around high summits.

Noise: camped out here in desert all alone except for the copious discarded liquor bottles and the sound of energy being transmitted. I am prolly 1/4 mile from a pumping station yet its by product of work travels to my ears. The rear if the van where my bed head is faces the sound. Reflecting on places I have stayed that are quiet, prolly almost all. What stands out are the noisy ones such as the XG in Whitefish, MT hard on the railroad tracks, Price @ a pumping oil well. Flag camp spots were quiet.

Prolly will ride Alien loops again tomorrow then drive back into town for groceries. I just don’t plan well for multiple day stays, really I finish up my 2 gallons of drinking h2o is the tent pole.

9:25 PM sitting here writing this w/ the side door open. Going to shut it now however.

During the day maybe 5 rigs with bikes drove out to trail head. Trail rides 1 way and is soo tight riders separate very quickly giving one a sense of solitary enjoyment.

Before dinner I went for a walk out the road which turned to bushbashing keeping the road as a handrail. I stopped to take a close up picture. I took off my over lense sunglasses and set them on the ground. I took the pic, sttod up, and put away the camera. I walked on forgetting to pick up the sunglasses. Just after my turn around point I realized that I was not wearing sunglasses. Shit! Lost, Really? I am going to retrace my steps in the desert and find them? I followed a few of my tracks the rest was untraceable to my poor tracking skills. Plan was to walk down the road to where I left it for bush bashing then follow my tracks out. I drew a blank on the picture scene. The road dirt was too hard for my foot prints. Then I stumbled onto the glasses on the side of the road where I had taken that pic. Whew, glasses back on my head.

Colorful sunset.

Last night I slept just behind a restaurant right on main drag in Aztec. Several times I woke during the night trying to catch my breath. Last week I really noticed a shortness of breath riding @ Gallup. My INR value has been low causing my concern that maybe I have a PE. So today I sampled another emergency room visit this time in Farmington, NM. Another IV & blood draw for testing. Hooked up to an EKG & BP monitor. HR was 60 that caused them some concern but that is normal for me. EKG spit out a healthy ticker. Blood was tested for an indicator for a clot. Result said no clot. Chest Xray was clean, no pneumonia. DR said that my COPD flared up. Also that I still have bronchitis. I now have another abuterol inhaler and a dose of antibiotics. I am experiencing a problem w/ mulitple DRs treating me. The pulmonologist in ST George treating me for COPD, an NP in VOC managing my coumadin, an ortho in Flag for my shoulder. Damaged goods.

A recent article in MBA assigned life expectancy to various bike components. There was no value assigned to the engine.

2 days ago driving back from Cottonwood XG my van had a hiccup like faltering. I made an appointment Monday AM in Farmington, NM @ a Sprinter service garage to determine the issue and fix it b4 I make any extended trips.

I made an appointment w/ the Orthopaedic surgeon in Flag on Wed to examine my shoulder as it hurts, all is not right w/ it. Instead of continuing North I am retreating.

The rain the last 2 days has saturated the dirt making off maintained road surfaces a slippery adventure, hence I am staying behind the restaurant again listening to a refer running. A constant noise in a place where i will not be rousted to me is better than parking on a side street having an occasional car go by and the possibility of being rousted.

Forecast calls for drying weather. Plan on riding Alien Run again. I hope the “road” up the hill to the TH is passable. Then I am thinking driving short distance to Durango for Sat night and a ride on Sunday, spend the night then drive back down here Monday to van service.

yesterday I checked out the local museum. I initially was attracted to various old drilling machines, one even used a tree for a mast. There were numerous restored blgs complete w/ period pieces. Question is how do you know what to save for posterity and what to pitch. Your grandfather’s Underwood typewriter? Your Commadore computer? Here today, gone tomorrow, then it becomes an antique.