High Drive cooling

Yesterday I left Bill’s for Autocraft to change the rear dif oil. Autocraft worked on my previous rigs. Owner Dave pegged the VW Westy that I had and he worked on as my ladder addition. First a VW camper and tripping around the NW to a grown up bus in my Sprinter and tripping all over the country. Dave’s right forearm wrist were encased in a cast suffered from sidewalk riding freaked out by an overtaking truck.

Hot again. I putzed around. I bought the anniversary version of Brother Where Art Thou w/ additional unreleased material. My travels have not taken me to that part of America. My van insulates me and my sport isolates me. Americana. Route 66.

Les called to invite me out for a visit. Hoping for a temperature drop @ his 3000′ elevation.

My dinners need some nutritional help as I am almost snacking and not preparing anything. I burn more cals than I consume which has gotten rid of my “back bacon” fat on my lower back. I still weigh around 150lbs.

Visited w/ Les and Gloria until their 9:00 work bedtime. These working people need their sleep for way early wake up. My life can’t feel their choices. Sunset. Temp slowly goes down after sun leaves the sky. Not fall type temp drop. Sleep started w/ the flannel sheet only.

I misengineered my sheet sizes. I have 2 identical edge sewn sheets. I made the top sheet too narrow which leaves me out from under the covers as I roll the sheet up. Plus the foam is shrinking allowing space between edge of bed frame and foam. Was unable to find twin size good flannel sheets which would ahve worked much better.

I lay in bed reviewing my Spokane rides and thinking of a last ride. It came to me: High Drive up on the South Hill. The trails are hand made bench cut into steep bluff plus some less exposed woods trails. Steep hill is the backwash from the great floods that created the channeled scab lands.  Steep slope, a good black diamond ski slope, maybe a double black:

Steep south hill sidehill

12 miles with 1713′ of climbing, pretty remarkable considering the trail location. The land is too steep for developing. Trails traverse at different contours like a separate trail system. Sometimes the ups felt like downs as I pealed along. There are miles more of trail that I didn’t ride.

Watched numerous Boeing 737s completing their landing approach to Spokane International Geiger field airport. The 737 is the most popular  single aisle airplane , literally thousands have been made. Production rate was just under a plane a day!. Perhaps the new 787 will nibble away some of its popularity.

Temp was almost 10 degrees cooler making my ride seem not so obscene. Drove north to Bicycle Butler for shower privelage. Bid Tim so long.

Fixed dinner out behind Yokes looking thru hazy skies to MT Spokane. Made Bill & Jenifer’s for a short visit.

Tomorrow I head to Coeur d’Alene to ride its mount then a visit w/ Andy & Jen. Sandpoint on Thurs to pick up my coumadin testing material, and Greasy Fingers. Will ride Gold Mtn w/ its 30 something switchbacks as out & back. Then down to N Fork of Coeur d’Alene first is Lost Creek w/ hopes of scoring more berries. Maybe stay and ride the river trail the next day.