And I have several juniper gnat bites.
Yesterday was a long day under the sun. My skin that is uncovered is well tanned, albeit a biker tan. The sun was intense enough to sunburn my tanned arms. No peeling, just darkening my skin and bleaching blond my arm hairs.
So today, my last day in Moab this go around I chose to ride Pipe Dream which is a trail right above the south end of town, hung on the steep mountainside. I had no idea what the trail would be like. The map showed a trail just noodling north to south. It is up on the slope that gets the sun full on right from sunup. What a doozie. Lots of rock work to make the trail rideable but the tread was narrow an offered exposure. Required lots of attention and perseverance to ride. Trail went in & out of draws, dipped and climbed, broached ridge faces, and I baked from the cloudless sky w/ no wind and climbing temp. I was cooked physically and mentally from intense focus to keep the rubber on the trail. recommend the trail, just pick cooler temps.
I rode the highway back.
Reflection on trails built by mtn bikers for mtn bikers: The trails are well laid out and built for what we can pedal and turn and roll. The trails seem to be about the ride w/o a destination focus. Hiking trails we have been riding go to a destination, hence a ride here would be all about getting some place. If a trail is built we will ride it. I say that trails can be built on lands that have been scarred by resource extraction, and possibly land fills. Build a good enough trail and we will come.
Back into town. yesterday I hit a rock w/ the left side of my front wheel that let out a sharp sound one that i have never heard b4. I was concerned that I wowed my front wheel. I made yesterday’s ride OK and todays. I took it to Chile Pepper and asked for it to be checked in wheel truing stand. Steve said the wheel is fine. I added more Stan’s to my tires, first the Schraeder valve (car tire valve) and pumped it up w/ my floor pump. next was the presta valve rear tire. The pump head failed to direct the air from the Schraeder valve to the presto. Chile pepper gave me a replacement head. Great to discover and fix the problem while still in a town.
Baking hot in town. I drove under some shade the ran errands. I needed replacement jockey pulleys for my rear derailleur as the are worn to points. Moab Cyclery gave me a junk derailleur that still has good pulleys. Walked to used book store to exchange the Grisham novel for something else. At the counter was a list of 100 books to be read. One was Robinson Crusoe and a used copy was right there. I am now reading it as getting lost literature. Editor note says he believes the story to be true.
Listened to the Mariners homestand on XM. They are playing great ball.
Drove up out of canyon seeking cooler temp. Found a camp spot on same road I have been out on but closer to hard road. Everytime driving in I have longed for this spot because of reduced desert road driving. Once I turned off the engine I heard the road noise that I didn’t hear when back in the 1.1 miles to my other spot. This spot offered a bit of shade behind a regular sized cedar, not much.
Waiting for evening cool, @ 10:15PM it is 76 degrees.
Tomorrow is the short jaunt up the CO River to Fruita, CO. Same weather: Hot.
Drinking h2o from Matrimony springs that pours out from underneath rock just off the river highway.