So last night the weatherman predicted the right amount of snow to fall if it fell 30%. Wind picked up and temp dropped to 22 this AM. Last night I parked the windshield wipers away from the window to prevent them from freezing on the windshield. I kept the skylight closed because of the wind. This AM a wiper was broken off the arm and the skylight was frozen shut. Again I was rationing propane while not knowing how much I had so I ran the heater on low. 45 degrees inside @ get up.

My battery is original from this time 2006, 5 years old, candidate for replacement. Every cold morning I whispered one more time to the engine. Today the excitement of the electrical charges were slow like the cold  molasses. The motor caught. I read the I’m tired signal and replaced it later in the day. Next is to evaluate the original camper battery.

Bought propane. Someday I will have a gauge installed for better piece of mind.

Today I have a ride date w/ Kevin @ noon to ride Santa Clara trails. Windy in Hurricane again w/ a biting cold. Wind was calm around ST George. However, Santa Clara was let’s say “Fresh”. We were all by ourselves. I needed my heavier warm weather clothing today. My face is wind burned. Out on northern edge of Barrel Roll the wind was really moving me around as I negotiated tech sections where I needed planned connection w/ earth. I wiggled w/ the wagging wind to maintain my precarious balance on 2 contact patches measuring less than 8 square inches. Some trick.

On drive home I stopped @ Interstate Battery for their installation of my new battery that they had in stock. No more morning whispers. I stopped @ grocery store where I saw the camper rig from last night. I saw a Turner on the back which caused me to stop and visit. They were looking for a warmer place to camp. I offered behind OTE where I am tonight.

Found a suitable cable connected w/ my u-bolt lock to replace the kinky cable lock that replaced the lost cable lock. Retard tax of $10.00.

Tomorrow AM is eye ears nose throat DR to solve my headaches.

I installed a new pump on my water system. The new pump still looses its prime and turns on like the old one. Problem appears to be w/ the pressure tank that pressures h2o back thru the pump. I will modify the plumbing to delete tank.

22 degrees when I woke up this AM. Heater was on low, 45 degrees inside b4 the sun shared its warmth. Conserving propane to buy on Mon AM. I don’t have a gauge, I keep data on when and how much propane I bought then kinda extrapolate weather to determine when to buy w/o running out. Today would have been the buy day to assure I could run the heater on high tonight. Instead snow is falling out here @ the upper JEM TH. Forecast is for less than an inch but 30% probability of it falling. It’s falling besting the odds, now how much will fall? I might have to have a bail plan. Issue isn’t so much the depth but how wet the road gets which translates to greasy clay mud and being stuck waiting out the road drying out. A pickup camper is sharing the TH tonight. Snow clouds were hung on peaks north of here, I am almost on the snow line.

Today I drove from JEM TH down into Hurricane then out towards Virgin. My ride plan is a duplicate of last Sunday’s ride only today I know where Dan’s trail takes off. One rig in the entire parking area. Big open space and no one to share it with. Chilly requiring long finger gloves, thermal leg warmers, and long underwear top. Slight wind. I stayed warm pedaling. Big open spaces.

22 miles. This route has spinning and tech features for a nice mix. Desert riding.

After my ride I cleaned up w/ an Action Wipe which is a disposable wet wipe. Their saying is “your face is not a baby’s butt”. I am planning on them to be my no shower clean up. Check them out on line.

Drove back into Hurricane for groceries. Virgin river at below flood stage from Sheeps Bridge:

I pulled into Lins, the grocery store, parking lot. A rig pulled in. I noticed vanity plates: Gooseberry. A codger started talking to me about riding. I didn’t know who he was. We moved into the store and continued to talk. i learned that he and his twin brother were responsible for the Gooseberry trails, hence his plate. He is Morgan. He told me about Coyote springs trails he has been working on. Trails are down towards Las Vegas. I will make a road trip for Coyote, Red Rocks, & Bootleg Canyon. I could leave here a week earlier and catch the rides and then drive to Sedona for Christmas or I could road trip from Sedona for an out and back. decisions.

I researched the Ichthammol ointment that is supposed to be a “drawing” salve to draw out my cactus spines. Wikepedia says it only softens the skin which makes plucking whatever easier.

Yesterday when i told Quentin of my brain fart losses he called them “retard Taxes” in that I had to pay for what i lost.

Pistachio nuts are locally grown and are so much better than the store bought kind.

Whatever is happening in my body is producing hurting headache and sore eyes. Not sleeping well.

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.