Comfortable sleep night last night. Didn’t hear from Coyote Shuttle so i assumed the mag 5 shuttle for today was off. Discovered that i was out of cell range but did receive a text saying the 9:00 shuttle was on. Hustled to make Chile pepper @ 9:00. There was  Kent and the woman from yesterday, Ester(?), and another guy. Christine is co-owner of Coyote who drove today in a regular size Vanagon. Again the thing gets up the highway. She knows TrailDoc & Jan.

Magnificent 7 is the new trail system that starts way up high where Gemini Bridges road leaves highway. Trail kind of parallels the road down keeping us in the fun slick rock. We dropped our bikes @ Gemini and walked out to view. Back in ’92, my first visit I could ride out to bridges.

Back on the bikes we continued to drop until the trail spit us out on the road which was mostly loose sand. What a struggle to pedal forward and remain upright. Then the road climbed out over a ridge. I dropped into baby chain ring & 3 largest cluster gears and just spun up. Quite a feat. I needed to learn about my breathing. Success because it was a beat up road climb and consistent.

There is a paved bike path from above Gemini all the way to town. Across the highway is a new trail system collectively called Moab Brand trails. I heard several good comments about the trails. We plotted a ride strategy that would reconnect us to the bike path. Rode deadman’s ridge. Two thumbs up for the new trail: made by bikers for bikers.

Finished up on paved bike trail letting gravity pull us down to the Colorado river swollen from snow melt and populated by rafts & a few kayaks. We crossed the river on a bike bridge then stopped @ the spring for refill h2o.

Kent invited me to his campground site for a beer before finishing my ride into town. He has a Westy. He bought a window air conditioner on his way out of Tuscon. At the camp ground he had electric and wedged the air conditioner into the passenger window. Pretty cool.

Finished a Guinness and kept upright on my bike back to my van. Rinsed myself off then walked the street to a recommended Mexican restaurant that served good mole. I enjoyed it for dinner.

I am hunkered down in the shade @ a small park w/ internet access.

Tomorrow I will ride Pipedream, another new bike trail right out of town. Then Monday i will leave for Fruita.

Lots of tourists in town. Getting too hot.

Yesterday was another big blow day and hot.

I mosied down to Chile pepper to pick up my bike. Dave was finishing it up. He talked to me about rerouting the hydraulic hose of my Reverb seat post. I accepted his suggestion.

New plan was to drive out of valley to Sovereign trail and ride. However, when I cleared the valley the wind was just too strong to ride in. Too many technical moves that wind would have an adverse affect on. Parked my van partially broadside to the wind. A strong gust of wind carrying dust blew into my van thru open driver’s door window and side windows. Dust bowl. Sand all over. Went for a walk in the desert dealing w/ the wind.

Called Coyote Shuttle to reserve a seat on a shuttle ride today to Kokopelli TH way up on Porcupine rim route, part of the Whole Enchilada. Christine answered my call, she is from Spokane. Need to be @ Chile Pepper ready to go @ 9:00 AM.

Wind abated early in the evening. Still a hot sleep night.

Today overcast  skies and calm. made the shop in time.

Yesterday I stopped @ matrimony springs to check if it was opened. A rider rode up on a Turner. He told me we met in Sedona this last winter. I told him I was going to ride Whole enchilada tomorrow, he said he would also, his 4th time this week. He rides a Turner RFX. Learned that he is an engineer who worked for McD before Boeing bought them. I seem to pick out the engineers, which is better than lawyers(?).

At the shop the shuttle pulls in. Check it out @ the get out point:

Carried 13 bikes and 14 riders all w/ standard 2.1 VW engine and we flew up the mountain roads. Guy scabbed a second VW Vanagon. Ride up was almost as exciting as the downhill. person on the corner is a woman. I met her and her husband last year in Sun Valley, they were on dirt bikes.

trail dropped and dropped for 4938′, obviously a big downhill. Lots of tech stuff. I rode some stuff and walked less than what I had in the past. Kent did a good job guiding me to lines and telling me what was coming up.

Trail spends many feet right along the rim w/ hellacious exposure.

I don’t do drops or roll overs very well as I have fear of stuffing the front wheel and going over the bars. Kent has a better handle on it. Following him allowed me to ride things I would have walked.

On a short uphill w/ a step up I got too close to Kent as he got off to walk it. I stopped then rolled back onto a dead tree stob that scraped against my left calf and blood poured forth. Good cut. I stopped and first aided it.

Finally navigated the remaining trail to drop down onto river highway. Alas a spin on smooth surface. Rode back into town. Checked out new aquatics center for shower. Did laundry, bought groceries, took a shower, then drove back to Sovereign TH area, same place as last night. Calm winds.

Plan is to ride the Mag 7 tomorrow if a shuttle ride can be pulled together.

Cooling off tonight for a great sleep night on clean flannel sheets and body.

Hardly an appetite. Breathing is still a big issue.

Hot day. Drove down into Maob ~ 600′ below and temp increased. Bought propane, I was concerned about running out because I used the heater several nights. I was in good shape.

Hung @ City Market parking lot w/in internet access. market is the biggest and better stocked of the 2 choices. Moab is such a collection of foreigners and many forms of recreation: heart propelled as well as throttle twisters. Temp hit 93 degrees b4 I left town later in the PM.

I walked town checking out the bike shops looking for a Dueter hydration bladder. No luck but acted like a touron. Stopped @ The Creamery and bought a black and white malted. Checked out a used bookstore next door looking for something that i could recreationaly read. Picked up a Grishom novel, Street Lawyer, and proceeded to stick my nose in it. 2 women were sitting outside, they stood up, I recognized Silvia from Chile pepper, the other one came in and introduced herself. She is Beth of the famous Pisgah brew unit I met back in Asheville on my first trip thru. I remembered a bit about her but got her name wrong. Later I returned to Chile Pepper and spoke w/ Sylvia. I learned Beth worked @ Poison Spider. I showed her the brew crew pic and Sylvia said that was Beth. I drove down to Poison Spider to find Beth who was working there. I showed her the picture and recalled what I remember our visits. Cool. I took this pic of her, Bruce, of Pisgah Works, and Justin on Kitsuma near Black Mtn, NC. To me this pic captures an attitude, just so cool. Beth is racing downhill and guides @ Poison Spider.

Bruce taught me how to make knickers from full length pants.

Left my Spot @ Chile Pepper for them to replace the bushings that DT sent me. Pick it up tomorrow AM Learned local trail info.

camped back @ Sand Flats XG for $10 per night. Too hot to ride and once is enough for Slickrock.

Tomorrow’s forecast is for 20 to 30 mph winds, possible 50 mph gusts and blowing dust, another don’t ride day. 13% humidity. Drinking h2o but no pee – seems to be evaporating right out of me.