Today the forecast gave us rain on the Johnny’s garage ride after we were well underway. This AM I swapped out my wind jacket for my rain coat and was pleased w/ my decision. I also wore my Endura shorts that have a h20 repellant treatment. Rain started when we were @ the old homestead on Western Civ. The trails are just dust. The slight rain wetted the red dirt and made the rocks slippery. Wes and Jan joined me as we split for short way back to dryness as the others pressed on. I made it to my van before rain fell again. Later I grocery shopped and the rain really fell, my guess is that the riders that continued might have been drenched. Rode w/ Rhama and Alaska Doug among the Mtn Bike Heaven regulars. 2 tourons joined our group of 15. Talk about herding cats keeping the group together when there are several ways to get to where we were going made for splits. We were all together at the Western Civ / Ledge n’airy junction.
Forecast for the week is wet w/ some snow mixed in with temps several days just below freezing.
Saturday I made ride arrangements w/ Bill from Tomechi cycles in Gunnison. I met Bill and wife Susan somewhere before I entered their shop summer of ’10. I visited w/ them this last fall for 2 days of riding. First was ritual breakfast @ Wildflower w/ Danny. Our ride was a repeat of an earlier solo ride of mine. We started from the library on Dry Creek, road rode to lower lizzard head to chuckwagon, onto to Gunslinger to gunsmoke to mescal reroute down to deadmans, aeries to western civ joining last frontier, then climbing out drano across dry creek wash. We made it by the juniper that threw me to the ground previously. We coasted down the sidewalk back to library. We rode against the traffic. Bill said we rode all that challenging single track and our greatest danger were the cars hurtling towards us. I drove Bill back to their VOC hotel room. I enjoyed a shower then Bill and Susan and their 2 young boys for an American Italian restaurant. Later the Virginia group roled in for dinner. I heard that they rode 25 days out of their 30 day stay really tearing up almost every mile of trail here. Their group and Bill and Susan both left early Sunday for their homes. I spent the night @ Beaverhead.
Friday was Bike and Bean shop ride. 23 riders included the VA group and Susan of Tomechi. We rode out Big Park to Old Mans wash, Ians to ridge down to jacks canyon TH. Somewhere the trail became Hot Loop that took us down to USFS ranger station. The tread on Hot loop is basalt chunks.
At the RS Jimmy offered a longer ride to any takers including me. We rode down hwy 170 to almost Beaverhead intersection. Fun began when we pedaled up the loose rock double track. At a high point a boulder all by itself w/ ancients’ petroglyphs.
The ride finished on neighorhood roads keeping us off hwy 179. I added new ride data on my overflowing TOPO map.
The after ride shop gathering was crowded and loud. Fun. All about riding. Pizza and beer. Danny and I split for Picazzos for a salad. We ran into Fat Tire Dave and his wife and engaged in a probably too loud conversations for the restaurant. Back @ Danny’s for a shower and city camp.
Susan and Tim from SMC were friends in college. They got to visit.
Thurs was my MRI down in Cottonwood. I suspect I will receive a DR followup appointment to discuss the findings. I feel that my lungs are not functioning correctly so I visited the Instant care in Sedona. The DR remebered me from 2 years ago as he sewed 8 stitches into my arm. He said no pneumonia which was my real concern. Danny turned me onto Clear Lungs that has helped clear up the junk in my lungs.
I have horrible thrush from the Advair so he gave me an antibiotic script to clear it up. The advair I think is making me extremely hoarse. i called the pulmonologist in ST George and asked if I could quit the med. She said yes, no tapering off required. My ride w/ Bill on Sat was a duplicate of one when I was on Advair. My time was 1 minute faster w/o.
Bill and Susan brought 29er single speed hardtails. Bill really hammered on Sat. I pushed to keep him in sight. Single speeders have a tough go; they have to make speed when they can to make climbs.
SO, I am back at Deer Pass rd. Just at sundown a rain squall splattered down. I have a good life snug in my heated dry van.
Tomorrow is a rest day.
I bought a pair of Pearl Izumi X-Alp Elite shoes for Sedona riding. The shoes’ strength is for hike a bike sections. The shoes have an unshanked forefore that allows bending when walking. The shoe fits like a sneaker. It hikes as described. I prefer the rigid Specialized shoes for pedaling.
On today’s ride a rider stopped and called me by name. He was a Mike from Twin Falls bike shop. He had been reading my blog.
Bill also has been reading my blog that made our conversation connected as he knew what i have been up to.
Enough! This fucking computer is pissing me off. not even spell checking it.
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man, I’ve been trying to get Canadian Dave to order me a pair of those shoes for 5 months….
I bet those shoes will work good here too for my Spokane riding!