Wednesday afternoon leaving Dan’s place I saw the weather change coming. Winds picked up and Hurricane became Hurricane. Winds continued into Thurs, I heard reported highest wind speed was 65mph somewhere in Hurricane. I searched the web and made 2 phone calls attempting to obtain wind velocity info. No success. I wanted to drive to Washington for a shower but the winds were of serious concern.
Thurs I hung @ OTE waiting out the winds. I showed Quentin my front hub issue. he called King and learned that the wheel was built w/ slack spoke tension that caused the wear on the parts. King is sending me replacement parts on my $. Quentin tensioned the spokes to King’s specs. I use a cable lock to secure both bikes and 2 front wheels on my rack. I opened the lock to remove the front wheel for service. I put it back on the rack and forgot to run the cable thru it and lock. I drove finally towards Washington. Dicey drive w/ all 4 wheels still on the ground but reacting to wind blasts. I drove out of the wind once I climbed above Hurricane Valley just b4 the turn to Washington. Into Washington the flags were almost limp on their polls, virtually calm. Took my shower.
Quentin suggested that I cut down my grips that will allow the brake levers to move further out on the bars. Good idea. I needed compressed air to slip off the grips and put back on. I drove a bit further into ST George to red Rocks where Fixie Dave works. He was there. As I was taking my bike off the rack i saw that there was no cable lock. Shit. During a brief conversation he did my grips. I bought a new cable lock @ the shop. I had that former cable for maybe 26 years.
Drove back to Hurricane scanning the road for the cable. I drove back into the wind. I camped behind OTE again. The van rocked during the night.
Friday AM was bright w/ less wind. Snow fell on Pine Mtn above town. I putzed around in town till mid afternoon when I drove back to JEM. I climbed 300′ up Gooseberry mesa shoulder until the exposure got to me. The dirt offered the same traction as consolidated snow. I needed big boots and an ice ax for further climbing. What a view from where I turned around. Not windy @ JEM.
I checked my phone after I returned from my desert hike and saw a blinking green light indicating a voice mail. It was Kevin who was hosting a meet Pam, his wife, starting @ 7:00 down in ST George. I stowed gear and drove back down to his party. Party was @ his parents’ house. Kevin is 17 years younger than me and I am just a few years short of his parents’ ages. I brought hummus and flat bread to a gun fight. Wrong crowd. I met and talked w/ Pam for a short while. Bunch of relatives arrived and she was introduced around. People ate & talked. About 9 everyone left except for me. They made fun that they were going to convert me to Mormonism w/ temple on Sun AM. All in jest.
I left and drove out to Warner Valley for the night. St George winds rocked me although nowhere near as strong as Hurricane’s.
Today I drove back to Hurricane for the Sat OTE shop ride. Again winds were standing the Lins flag straight out. Snow fell on the mesas overnight negating a Goose or Little Creek ride. Quentin proposed Zen back in ST George. New suggestion was to ride Rhythm & Blues which is on the western edge of Hurricane valley. Last year I helped build the first few feet of the trail. It was finished this summer. No real wind was blowing @ the TH so we prepared for just Quentin & my shop ride. It was cold however. Quentin & DJ laid the trail out. There was no warm up @ the start as the trail got right into it. I choked on the first tech spot where the trail snaked between 2 large boulders. So narrow that my bars barely cleared. I stalled between the boulders and fell to the left about 10 inches right onto the last sharp point on the rock poking my left rear upper thigh. I am hurting sitting here typing. I completed the ride. The trail is a real handfull as it twists and turns over this friable soil that sloughs away, like riding on divinity candy. Compliments to the minds of those 2. The trails are all about the ride and you had better be bringing your better game.
I had a shifting issue on my bike that I was going to let the shop work on after I took my shower down @ the rec center. Quentin volunteered to take my bike which I accepted. Back @ the shop I discovered the quick release skewer I use to hold my front wheel on the rack was gone. No bike on the rack capturing the skewer. I bought a replacement. 2 brain farts. The wind blew away my thinking.
Drove out finally to JEM TH for the night. temp is 28 degrees @ 7:47PM. Cold. Winter is coming.
Winds were strong enough in Hurricane to not only blow the leaves out of the trees @ OTE but to blow the yard almost clean. Leaves moved downwind.
Plan tomorrow is to ride here on the Rim trail. Long underwear top and tights and long fingered gloves.