Bright moon light lit the outside of the van last night. Quiet, no elk bugle call.

Made scratch pancakes this AM, added blueberries. Huckleberries replaced the domesticated berry. What i use says something about berry success this  season.

Yesterday I noticed a crack in my rear derailleur jockey pulley. this year the pulley is lightened by drilling out material. Need to replace it. I drove to Wheelsport east for shop opening @ 11:00 AM . None to be had in either of their 3 stores. Decided to ride anyway.

Last night I invited Andy along on short notice. His kids occupied his weekend. He told me his drive on Beauty Creek rd earlier in the week was blocked by a road patching session. Today, being Sunday, the road was opened. The project covered removal of cattle guard and patch all potholes to campground. What a joy it would have been if the entire 6 miles was patched. No luck. Potholes are so old they are plant buckets shooting up weeds.

I parked under cedars. Plan today is to ride up 257 and continue down to hole. Climb out is to be on entire 227 to learn how directisimo compares to gentile road riding. Found moose hulk same place just a little less edible tissue. I inhaled better this time and discovered there is a faint smell of meat rotting. Dropped down into hole. Bottom land is usually very moist for chantrelle mushrooms. None this year because of dry. At the logging road choice of 227 up or overgrown logging road to the right. I put on the big boy pants. Last night I traced the route on TOPO USGS map to learn of the pending effort: 1.6 miles gaining 934′ on single track. Turned out to be 1.9. I used to ride down this trail then up 257. This trail is a bitch to ride / hike a bike up. Maybe a dozen of trees were across the trail. Brushy edges. I walked when i blew up and pedaled faster than walking when body strength and steepness allowed. Hump. Trail 227 up was 4.28 miles and 24 mins shorter. Elevation gain was the same. 246 cals were burned on 227. Anaerobic effort was only 41 mins on 227 vs 1 hr 33 mins on the road. Must have had issues w/ my heart. Downhill was just as sweet. I watched for uphill riders that kept my speed down. No encounters. I saw 4 rigs parked b4 257 left the road.

Really like my bike. Suspension just sucks up the hits. The seat dropper gets the seat out of the way. The frame is stiff. PUSH suspension. Ardent tubeless tires.

Back @ the van a business card was under my windshield wiper. Tim dropped me a note. 2 years ago I shared an unplanned ride that he lead and I have since named: “Tim’s route” which is the road choice above. Missed him.

Drove to Moon Time in C d’A for dinner.

Tomorrow I am driving to Moscow mtn. Late start because I will call N Div @ shop opening to seek pulley.

I entered Bend’s Big Fat Tour 2 week ends away. Rode it 2 years ago. Need route info to decide to ride the epic or the shorter ride on Sat. This means I will be in Bend by 10/11.

 

Today I removed the skinny side of seldom never rode road bike, what is 4 times on the pavement in 50 months? It rests inside 4 walls and under a roof in one of Bill’s barns along w/ the rest of my saved house stuff.  I told it that its life would be better now.

 

Yesterday I made a rest day. A shower @ The Butler and visit w/ Tim. Dinner again at the Elk. I sit at the bar usually on the same stool. Tonight 3 separate women sat next to me. Free form subjects, find something in common and go from there.

Slept @ Bill’s again. Sure nice location I picked for my house. His drive way offers the same.

Drug my feet planning a ride and leaving. I visited w/ Bill for awhile. He showed me his latest ground up new car that he made. Quite talented assembly of GM parts.

Ride decision was MT Spokane again. I paid Sam $5 to park in his lot outside the park. I rode into the park. At the entrance was a sign announcing free entry today. Sam just took the money I handed him. I stopped @ the Ranger office where I met Steve, the ranger. We knew each other from our work on the Friends of MT Spokane board. I remarked that the campground was closed. He said i could stay in the XG. Cool.

I rode the road until I dropped down onto Trail 110 climbing all the way to the outhouse(60 mins non stop), then over 130 to Day Mtn, down to kit carson loop rd back to outhouse then short climb up then down 140  to Sam’s. I rode the upper newly built trail 140. OK, it is a downhill trail. Lots of talcum dust and bumps from horse hooves. Trail is not sustainable in many places. Let the coaster geeks have it. The lower part formerly named Secret Trail is an absolute disaster. Lots of downhill steep today.

Back @ Sam’s no beer this time only a $2.00 shower. Soft water.

I drove up into the park and all the way to the top @ 5867. The mountain is the southern end  of the Selkirk range, a solitary tit that stands exposed to weather. Commanding view 360. Smokey.

Drove back to Bald Knob, the only XG in the 13,000 acre park. Closed so it is only me. Caught sunset one way and a fun moon rising behind me.

Tomorrow I am returning to MT Couer d’Alene for a last pain and smile ride.

I am thinking that I will ride Moscow Mtn going south on Monday then over to Echo, OR.

Old folks’ boogie. I drove to the top on MT Spokane and looked around. Back when I lived here I rode to the top several times a summer for a killer ride, some on my mtn bike from down low in the park, some on my road bike from home, a 50 mile round trip. Today as the previous ride left the top out. What I used to do I don’t now. Maybe I still can but I chose more pleasurable feelings by going shorter. I notice this because of my history w/ the effort.

 

 

 

Chilly AM, started the heater and crawled back under the covers. Overuse creaks and groans were overpowering sleep, Beacon was brutal climbing.

After B fast drove to 5 Mile laundromat. Buddy Danny from Sedona called saying he will be on a road trip and will visit Spokane. I will be gone.  Clean clothes.

Headed out of town downriver. Parked @ 7 Mile just across the Spokane river. Parked outside the park to not pay the $10 per day pass. For today’s ride I had sugarplums dancing in my head, something like Little feat’s, Old Folks’ Boggey: “Mind making promises that the body can’t Keep”. I left Palasades and Indian Canyon out of my route which netted me 31.39 miles in 3 hrs 39 mins, climbed 3045′. I took a break @ 2 hours,the entire ride excluding the rest, was non stop. Very dry. Saw no one. Trails were dusty but I didn’t follow anyone. I added in a few pieces of newly learned trails. Good riding in the Park.

Next was a shower @ Bicycle Butler, my former home shop. I stopped @ Rosaurs across the street to buy a sixer of PBR. Beer goes to the shop cooler to pay for shower privileges. Only size was pint size: you really love your PBR after one of those. Big thing of drinking PBRs. Not me. I put it in the fridge. Tim, the owner, closed the shop and we sat outside the shop drinking a PBR and watching evening traffic flow on Country Homes. Got buzzed.

Fixed dinner behind Yokes again.

Tomorrow is a rest day. Dinner @ The Elk. Plan still is to leave on Monday. So much smoke causing decreased visibility and affected lungs. Keep pedaling and look closer to the front wheel.

Spokane streets are stud rutted from winter studded snow tires. The studs chip away the cement or asphalt resulting in wheel ruts. Plus the pavement wears poorly exhibiting cracks and patched potholes. Rough streets.