Yesterday was a rest day in the great weather. First off was laundry. Crazy Retard tax like event w/ no $ spent. Wed night I read an OTE Facebook post about ladies ride on Thurs riding Gander which is up connecting w/ Gooseberry. I made a mental note to stop by the shop b4 laundry to be allowed to go on the ride. I spaced and did my laundry. Later I visited the shop. Just as I put my hands on the pushbar to open the shop door my memory recall kicked in. Shit. Later DJ pitched me some jive that I could have gone along.
Back out @ JEM TH late afternoon. I have been hiking in the desert many days. Today I hiked up a wash pouring off Gooseberry. I ran out of daylight b4 I found the bottom of the pour over.
Today is Dan’s & my big Hurricane Rim Loop ride. The standard loop is 20 miles. Dan’s route started us out over @ Sheeps Bridge rd which would allow for a warm up b4 the H hill climb out of valley. Worked out well. Riding the 7 miles of the Rim to the town TH is the toughest technically, the CCW way I ride it, these miles would have been the last of the ride when I am played out. Today we mashed our way thru. The H hill was still a grunt. We climbed the steepest part which is on a double track. Dan was in his stride. Strategy is paying off. Dan detects a flat rear tire. Slime tube failed. I found 3 thorns stuck in the tire which affected the slime failing. Dan cooled off causing his restart on chilled body. We use the same Edge 305. Dan is 18 months older than me. He gets his heart rate up to 170s. I blow up @ 140.
There used to be 3 features that I walked. Today I knocked the tight climbing switchback. I sessioned it and made it 2 times straight. Success.
Dan records his ride data and is cognizant when his times lengthen. Prior to our start I told him I was going to more enjoy myself by riding @ less than a hustle. Hem embraced the effort also. We had a fun ride.
We pedaled off @ 12 and finished @ 5:00 in the fading light. Riding down the JEM trail in the lat light made for long shadows. Can’t describe the lighting and film would not have captured all of what it is. Just my visual enjoyment.
Drove back to OTE to help put away the bikes and invite them to share a Chinese Buffet dinner. Not healthy.
Drove back out to JEM TH. Flat out full moon. I have been here 3 weeks. desert is real dark when no moon shine.
25 miles in 3 hrs 14 min climbed 2300′. Just a great ride on a great trail. One of IMBA epics.
Yesterday i washed windows. The h2o vapor from the burning propane condenses on the inside of the windshield mostly on the passengers side. i cleaned the inside of the windshield now the streaks of h2o won’t carry dirt.
Last Saturday I fell a short distance onto the only pointed edge on the rock striking my upper side rear left leg. This what a coumadin bruise looks like:
good night
Hi Craig,
You are getting alot of great riding in this fall! Thanks for keeping your shorts on when you took that picture of your leg. THe skiing here has been good but need more snow. Hope you have a Merry Christmas. Randy