Sedona saturday… and Sunday

Friday night I decided to drive down Oak Creek canyon on Sat to visit Sedona. Forecast was for high winds a bit lower than Flag but warmer. I was sort of hoping to visit w/o riding because of how I feel.

Drove down canyon into Uptown Sedona which is very touristy. Traffic was backed up. Memorial weekend but I didn’t expect that many cars and people. Made BnB. Walked in the door quietly. Jimmy had his head down tending a customer at the counter. He looked up and saw me and a big smile spread on his face. Such friendship. Goofed on Gonzo and Scott hanging in the shop for several hours. Been gone 25 days but seemed like yesterday.Almost the first thing I heard was the juniper gnats were out and all the bites they are recovering from. Bad but good. Maybe a reason to not ride on Sunday, that plus the forecasted high winds

Drove up canyon to Uptown to visit w/ Dave @ Fat Tire. Told him about my knowing Joe in Flag. Dave spoke highly of him.

Called Danny. Drove back to BnB. Afternoon traffic was slack. Danny caught me in my van. Fun time visiting drinking a beer in my home. Danny has some serious juniper gnat bites, some were like open wounds. Man, the gnats are the worst things I have experienced on my travels. The egg laying females need a belly full of mammal b4 she can lay next year’s brood. She feeds like a mosquito by sucking blood. The gnat chews a would, spits into it which contains an anticoagulant which causes the horrible itching sore, then laps up the blood. She is so no see ’em.

Down to PJs for grilled chicken salad that has green leaves, grapes & apples for fruit, & chicken for protein. Add in a small order of fries and a pint and dinner was balanced.

Jimmy invited me over to his house to watch cage fighting on TV and a foreclosed former neighbor’s drive way for a sleeping spot. Watched the cage fighting while visiting. Jan is back east in her haunts on an artist tour.

Sedona got hot into the upper 80s. At bedtime my bedroom was still flannel sheet only toasty. This AM it was 70 degrees. Oh boy a hot one possibly in addition to the 40 mph gusts. Jimmy invited Kris w/ a “K” along for an easy short dog ride in the AM. We left after 9:00 in bearable heat but gusting winds. Rode neighborhood streets to get into Old man’s wash where Jimmy could let Rico, the dog, off the leash. Sedona technical riding. Kris was smarting from a run he did several days ago that caused him riding leg pain. He made the call and we bailed back home.

The 3 of us prepared ourselves to defend against the gnats. Jimmy used Skin so soft, me a lemon citronella, and Kris just natural. None of us got bit perhaps mostly because of the strong winds grounded the little buggers.

This Sedona riding is mostly full time technical, it ain’t no Flagstaff woods trail. I put the required skill away for the season when I left 25 days ago. I struggled to retrieve the skill set. I didn’t fall, I just didn’t feel comfortable.

Back @ Jimmy’s for a shower then up to BnB to hang. Caught Tony this time. Scot gives me a hard time about my, to him, short short shorts. He of below knee long “shorts”?

Plan was to visit for awhile then head up canyon back to Flag for cooler temps. Holiday crowd. Took almost 45 mins to drive 7 miles to uptown. So many people. Strong winds. road leaves the canyon and climbs an exposed face w/ several switchbacks before cresting onto the Mogollon Rim @ almost 7,000′. Wind buffeted my van. Drove into Flag w/ wind behind me. I drove into the wind a short distance retracing my drive to a Safeway and really felt the push back from the headwind.

Drove out to place i have been staying which is in the P-pines. Still windy enough to frequently rock my van. 50 mph winds still forecasted. Mon the temp is forecast for 26 degrees. My van is almost broadside into the wind. A gust just really rocked the boat so to speak.

Plan is to stay here tomorrow to let the weekenders get back to work and the winds to die down then drive Tues 325 miles to Moab where I will pick up my blood testing gizzmo.