I have 7X24 mostly to myself, I can be where I want to be when I want doing what I want. At bedtime I fall asleep wondering what i will do the next day. OK, so it will be Sedona and will involve a mtn bike somehow, perhaps riding or hanging w/ the mtn bike community. I miss a connection to the community.
I have been doing some riding in wonderful conditions of sunshine and not too sweaty hot. The trails are dry.
Thurs I rode from the library on Dry Creek rd. I know the trail turns and most of the tech sections to allow concentration on the bike handling effort. To me going slow is to enjoy the trail being one w/ it allowing it to challenge me w/ subtleties. My bike and setup is super and i am understanding more what both my bike and me are able to do. Years ago telemarking in powder I taught myself to sit back on the back ski and sort of walk down the slope. Larry taught me the joy of turning in powder to float and fall. My bike riding is like powder. Mtn biking is a mental game of physics should I plot vectors and the like. How much and when do I pedal wheelie to loft up a stepup?
So, Thurs’ ride it was the road to lower lizardhead to chuckwagon to gunslinger where a slightly tricky off camber root had been chopped out of the trail, gunsmoke to mescal dropping down deadman’s, to cockscomb then to aeries to western civ, last frontier, then last of ledge n’airy back to road. I saw several groups of pleasant hikers, no bikers. Great ride, I knocked 13 mins off 2 previous times. My purpose for the ride was to work it but enjoy it, I didn’t hammer, I just rode w/ more power. During the climb up last frontier from dry creek I started leg cramping.
Friday was Bike and Bean’s shop ride. Bunch of riders along. We rode hiline and back easy breezy. Today we rode the way lower portion of easy breezy wash to back of beyond trailhead. I rode customary last. Young Johnny just ahead of me in the wash just b4 the 3 strand barb wire fence broke his chain. Bummer. I crossed the fence onto public property. Johnny had the misfortune of being the last of our group and a property owner took the opportunity to excoriate him for trespassing. Verbal shouting match. Beer and pizza @ the Bean.
Aaron and Ruth are passing thru for a short visit. Aaron just bought a Sprinter and wanted to talk to me about my conversion. Danny and I joined them for dinner @ Piccazos. I chose to drive to deer pas to sleep in the desert rather than city camp.
Sat was bfast @ Wildflower w/ Danny. Later we roped Aaron in for a ride. Danny planned a loop to ride sloppy biscuit. Just gobs of Sedona tech trail mileage. We wore 36 yo Aaron out.
We rode Coffepot trail until we hit the sloppy biscuit social trail.
Back @ Danny’s for a shower. We took Aaron to dinner.
Sat night Gonzaga played BYU in the WCC semifinal conference championship. Televised on ESPN2. I walked up to Olde Sedona, a restaurant / bar to watch it. The zags just hammered BYU. I left @ halftime @ 10:30PM. I camped back @ Deer Pass.
Sunday was the old mtn bike heaven group ride from Johnny’s garage. I showed up. I said I was going back down the road to a flat spot to get ready. I pedaled up to the shop and whoever showed was gone. Dropped @ the trailhead. I rode by myself pleasantly on bike path, special ed, witch doctor, cakewalk, ramshead, ridge, sketch, ridge, and back to TH. No bikes did I run into. Something about Sedona trails and user density. Lots of miles but few sharing @ same time. beautiful day albeit it getting hot just into 70s.
On way out of town back to deer pass, 89B road, i stopped @ farmers’ market for a look see. I learned about knives and sharpening from a guy who is a professional sharpener traveling in a Westie. Next conversation was w/ a soap maker. Then out to Deer pass to share w/ 3 other campers.
Tomorrow is another chiro visit and a rest day.
Today’s ride was 1 hr 36 mins long. The effort is wracking my muscles w/ cramps.