Out of internet access again yesterday.

Wed night camped @ Alien Run TH. comfortable night albeit affected by lights from oil service bldg. Forecast was for rain after noon. Plan was to get in ride and if rained to get off the desert and back on firm roads. At east the air doe not smell of raw oil like Vernal, UT area.

Trail is a hoot. There are 2 loops, the first is Alien run that is well ridden in and the second is Outer Limits, a much lesser ridden loop that is more technical. Both loops skirt the petroleum extraction sites but cross several service roads much like the Maa Daa Hah in ND.  Ride one way. The trails are tight and narrow w/ head bangers that need to be considered. Well worth riding again. Trails that are built by mtn bikers for mtn bikers are usually great trails to ride.

15. 51 miles w/ 1798′ climbing. Most climbing on Outer Limits.

Thane, who is running the Turner bike demo effort, told me about this trail. I took him up. There are many trails like this scattered around the country that do not get publicity.

The skies threatened as i lingered @ the TH. Finally first sprinkles hit the windshield causing me to pull up stakes to seek a shower and a Verizon store. The TH is 2.5 miles back on an all weather gravel road heavily used by oil rigs then a short steep climb on a dirt road, across a cattle guard, then several hundred yards of desert dirt road. Add h2o and the rig goes chassis deep. I made it out OK. I drove into Aztec to the Tourist bureau to inquire about local people showers. Attendant gave me an idea; I drove to that XG to learn that they no longer offer no resident showers. I passed a community pool in Bloomfield. I checked it out. I asked the attendant about a shower. She said she didn’t know, she could ask her boss, finally she just said take one and if anyone asks tell them you paid already. Swimming pool locker room.

Stumbled onto a Verizon store. I bought Quickoffice Pro for my Droid and wanted to transfer the 68 page instruction manual from the Droid to my laptop to my thumb drive to get it printed. How to move it around was baffling me. W/ help of an attendant I filled in my lack of knowledge. Next was to drive back into Farmington to like a Staples store. On way in the skies dumped rain. I have a printed instruction manual. I bought a tube of sealant to apply to the skylight opening on my van as it leaks again. I ned to wait out the sunshine and borrow a ladder.

Drove back to Aztec. Plan was to find a camp spot off the main road. Tried my first likely looking road which climbed gently. I learned of the mud as the rear tires finally spun out. I backed down the hill then continued further back. There is so much petroleum extraction going on that they have their own roads out to a site. All were on dirt. I decided not to further push my chances of remaining unstuck. I used the info from the tourist bureau to find a public XG. Cottonwood XG on the San Juan river below Navajo Lake is what i picked. Chilly and raining. Cost $10. Good deal. Slept w/ heater on.

Today plan is to take care of some business in Aztec where I had great signal strength.  On the steep hill exiting the XG the Sprinter faltered as if the turbo was ill. First was to follow up w/ neurologist for chart notes to be sent to my health care guy in VOC who needed info to understand my hyper thyroid. per the person answering the phone the neurologist did not need to see me again. Info faxed to Ty. I researched the web for a Sprinter service garage. Found one in Farmington which is 51 miles from Durango. Have a Monday AM appointment for diagnostic. Next was to call the ortho DR in Flag for DR recommendations in Durango to look @ my shoulder. Waiting for that info.

Forecast here is for low probability of  more rain. Might provision my van for several days then drive back to Alien Run TH perhaps getting stuck until perhaps Sat. Next stop is Durango but their weather is colder and calling for more rain. Aztec is a better place to wait out the inclement weather.

For the past 3 days I have been riding up on Zuni Mountain east of Gallup, NM out of internet  coverage.

Friday I drove up to Hilso TH, formerly known as Quaking Aspen. My previous visit 2 years ago the TH was unimproved. Today a defined parking lot and pit toilet make a completed look. No camping. I drove a short distance back the FS road and found a spot for the night. No cell coverage.

Sat AM I drove back to the TH where I saw several guys getting ready for a ride.  I passed  to drive up to this cabin that Jack told me about. I had the guy’s phone number. I called the number b4 leaving coverage. I wrote down what I thought was his name. He answered, I called him by that name, he said I’m not that guy. Right number, wrong name, but the right guy. I found the cabin. I wrote a note on my card and stuck it in the door jamb.

I drove back to the TH where the guys were still getting ready for their ride. I didn’t know any of them. I asked if I could join their ride. One guy said he had read about me and sure, a famous person could join them. 2 hard tail 29ers. Their intent was to ride a 50 mile loop. I wasn’t good for that much. Trail elevation is 8,000′ and I am not conditioned to the thin air. We took off riding Quasimodo which I remembered from previous visit. Guys were kind as we stopped for breaks and they waited for me @ the intersections. Trails are much better ridden in. Great trails in open P-pine forest. I lasted 26 miles and 2793′ of climbing in 3 1/2 hrs of riding, Edge 305 reported 3008 cals burned. I spent 52 minutes anaerobic. What a hump.

Back @ the TH I found a note on my driver’s window. I was invited back to the cabin where I introduced myself to Bill, the correct name for the phone number. He slowly recalled that conversation. he and 2 other guys, Jack and another are co-owners of a restored cabin in little community of McGaffey, formerly a sawmill town from the 30s. Turns out that Bill was the main driver for the trails @ Hilso. He shared his efforts that added to my knowledge base on getting approval and sustainability from various public agencies. Main trick for getting a trail approved is building an alliance w/ orgs that are charged w/ generating revenue. He invited me on Sunday’s group ride. We chatted for a while then I left for my camp spot.

Sunday I drove back to the cabin. More riders showed. The cabin is like a mtn bikers’ club house. Jack arrived. I thanked him for introducing me to Bill. Jack told me where the hide a key is @ his house in Gallup so i could let myself in for a shower.

Bill rides a rigid single speed 29er. Of the bunch my bike is built the sturdiest, consequently the heaviest. Our group fractured almost at the start as Jack wanted to do hard riding where the others wanted a more comfortable ride. I followed speedy Jack, again he waited for me @ intersections. We rode up Quaking Aspen over the newly constructed and placed cattle guard that Bill built. We rejoined the group where Jack split off for his training ride. The rest of us motored on another route @ a slower pace. Bill kept up his dialog on trail features etc. There is a wonderful system of trails out here.

Our ride was more social than yesterday’s hammer. Still, we rode 19 miles in 2 1/2 hrs climbing 1622′. Burned 2380 cals. Ride finished riding a fence line in a pasture. picture indicates what this flat mtn terrain looked like:

Upon returning to the cabin there were more riders hanging around socializing & drinking beers. They all know each other. Bill is a retired builder who was mostly responsible for restoring the cabin to inhabitable conditions. He said the cabin is on the national historic registration.

Jack again extended his shower offer down in Gallup. I needed to get groceries in town also. He had a dinner date and couldn’t visit w/ me. I drove the bumpy 8 miles of pavement to I-40 then to his house where i let myself in using the hidden key. I remembered jack’s house from 2 years ago and have thought about it frequently for my ideas. Bill did the remodeling. Drove back up to camp spot near cabin for a Monday ride.

Monday I joined Bill & wife Marcy along w/ John who remembered me loaning him a shock pump just before he started his ride 2 years ago, and Albert & Becky. Albert mentioned he owned a bike store in Gallup and I immediately remembered talking w/ him 2 years ago on a newly constructed trail. This ride was a long gravel road drive further out the spine of Zuni mtn. Our ride was Surfing the Ribicon and a long stretch of slick rock. Trails were mostly cattle trails. Easy ride. What mountain scenery.

Slick rock patch:

Today’s ride was even more social. back @ the TH we jabbered while drinking beer. late afternoon. Made it back to cabin around 7:00. I bid adieu and drove back to camp spot.

Today i am driving to Aztec, NM just below Durango, CO.

This traveling is a hard thing to do as I meet people and establish a rapport, learn of upcoming events that sound neat, then I leave to move on. Potentially there are more people out there to meet then leave.

I am getting a home blood testing machine and service for my coumadin dosage. last week’s test was 1.5 which was too low. The home testing will better assure correct levels. Will cost me $54 / month for weekly testing.

Dirt Rag has contacted me to contribute info on lesser know trails in America that I have ridden.

Computer battery exhausted, need to move on to Aztec. More maybe later.

I wrote the above around Thoreau, NM, locals pronounce it “throw”. I crossed to the eastern side of the continental divide. North,  outside of Thoreau, I crossed back to the western side where I said I would spend this year. Windy, now it is a cross wind. Some rough road. As I approached Farmington I understood its name source as I saw stolen water irrigating green fields. Farmington is a large community complete w/ mall sprawl.  Plan is to find bike shop in Aztec to learn about Alien Run trail. Found Cottonwood cycles who recently hosted a Turner demo. The shop owner dropped Pivot and took on Turner. He bought a Sultan and threw back the Pivot. He said he noticed an improved performance. He’s grooving on the Turner.

I bought a map of Alien Run and Phil’s world just north of here in Cortez, CO where I rode last year.

Bulk filtered h2o is more expensive where h2o is more plentiful. In Sedona it was .25 per gallon, Gallup was .30, Farmington inside the Safeway was . 41 per gallon. I drink filtered h2o and fill my h2o tank w/ it. I do not like Chlorine taste.

Drove out of town to Alien Run TH. Route left hard road to gravel road treated w/ a palliative then on to dirt roads that show rain ruts. Forecast is for possible rain. I hope to get in my ride tomorrow and dash if it rains. Camp is in cattle grazing and among the  oil extraction machinery. I hear the pumps pumping and smell the vapors. One day here is enough. Sunset was affected by a bldg complex w/ maybe 10 high intensity lights lighting up the sky.

Looks like my blood clotting testing machine will be delivered while I am in Durango should I stay long enough.

Seem to have a chest cold that affects my breathing. Headache is gone. I can only take Tylenol type pain relief to lessen the blood thinning properties of aspirin and nsais.

Camped in sage desert.

Continuing my effort to download a 63 page instruction manual from my phone to my laptop where I will load into a thumb drive and take to a printing place to print the darn thing. It is for the Quickoffice.

Drove No

Yesterday I had my early MRI checking for nerve damage or lack of. Called Joe for ride date. We agreed to  meet @ Schultz TH @ noon.

While I was getting ready @ the TH Tomas of Sedona Mtn Bike festival arrived. Joe showed up later and Tomas rode w/ us.

We rode out me trying to keep the other 2 in sight. A climb here and a decent there. Again at the back. Brookbank downhill I stayed behind for a few seconds to watch Joe’s wheel going downhill. This inspired me to ride a bit faster. Then his wheel gapped me and I slowed down to my under control speed. Rocky and rooty descent. Some of the trail went over downed trees w/ a ramp on either side. I rode several of them. One I tried was a drop on the far side w/ a nice roll out. My approach speed was too slow to stop and not fast enough to land flat on the roll out. I ended up doing a nice nose wheely counting on the 150 mm of fork travel to keep my bacon on the bike.

Then we hit a traverse named Jedi, not to be confused w/ Star Wars @ Oakridge, OR. Came to a steep rutted rocky downhill. Previously I corrected the angle of my brake levers and internalized some of the Better ride tips. I made a few feet when I found myself going over my bike,not over the bars because the bike just disappeared from underneath me. Somehow i came free of my pedals. I landed on the palm side of my left hand, my left knee and lower back. The hand was bruised and the others were abraded. I did not hit my head. My edge broke free of its 2 zip ties on my handlebar. I picked myself and bike up. I fell but I did not hit my head was the most important thought running thru my mind. My hand hurt to shift the chain ring grip shift and to brake.  About 20 mins later I started getting a severe headache. I walked the next tough parts as my psyche was trashed. Made it back to TH. Joe invited me to his house for a shower and dinner.

At Joe’s I scrubbed off the grime on the abrasions. Joe’s wife, Nancy arrived w/ their 2 daughters. Joe & Nancy are telemarkers. Their kitchen window looks right up @ Mt Humphreys where the ski area is. Enjoyed conversation and dinner. I was concerned about my headache which i could not understand. Drove out to new camp camp spot and worried myself to sleep.

I slept w/ this throbbing headache. Still there when i got up and I felt nauseous. I resigned myself to seeking medical care this AM. I called Joe and canceled out planned morning ride. First stop was an Instantcare. PA saw me and said I need a CT scan to find out if there is bleeding in my skull. Drove to nearby hospital ER where I was admitted. Blood was drawn for my clotting time: I am 1.5 down from 1.9, need some more juice to thin my blood. CT scan performed. DR reviewed results that showed no bleeding. He diagnosed it as a tension headache and prescribed Vicadin. I asked about my shoulder and he said I need to see the ortho guy for eval. I asked if there are symptoms of cerebral bleeding, he said there are none, for every sudden stop I experience I need to have a CT scan to discover if I am bleeding. Released from hospital w/ another ID band for my collection.

Found laundromat on eastern edge of town. Clean clothes Friday the 13th.

Heading east to Gallup, NM