Election day. I am depressed. How can so many people be hood winked by Romney?

I drove into GJ and up Little Park rd to TH. I had cell phone coverage and it was after 8:00AM to call King Cty Licensing to learn where my license tab is. I finally talked to a human. She said tab was mailed out to CO. She said Fruita. Great but bad. I called the Fruita PO and learned that I had a general delivery piece of mail was all she said. Last year I requested the tab be sent to Fruita because i was there. This year on the renewal I used my Seattle address. If it would have been sent to my Seattle address I would have had them mailed to me here adding several days travel time. Their ignoring my request and sending it to fruita means I now have it on my license plate and i am legal.

Today’s ride is Butter Knife (BK)  then pedaling up the pavement to ride The Ribbon down and out. I drug my feet. Riding BK is an accomplishment as a ride by itself. To add the 2.5 miles climb to top of Ribbon added more pain. OK, my age is affecting my effort. Great tech challenge on BK. I didn’t ride anything I previously walked. All alone. BK was built by dirt bikes but is seldom ridden by them as it is tight and twisty. Today i saw only many mtn bike tracks.

The bitch of this ride is the 3.9 mile climb out on a beat up jeep rd. I started and ended it on left over pancakes.

At the road I rested and making the upcoming road climb torturous. It would be so easy to just point down hill and zoom back to the van and a cold beer. I had no encouragement from other riders. i played the I can go home game w/ myself. I convinced myself to ride the Ribbon. Pavement climb, some places it was 12% grade. This is what I saw pedaling up the road. Camera couldn’t pick up a white line across the rock which is caused by mtn bike tires eroding away the plant cover.

I made the upper TH and climbed to the start of the downhill which is riding a linked series of slabs.

The route crossed rough fins linking slabs. The first one might be called Toilet Bowl. Hairy dangerous just to down climb it. My Specialize shoes have gripy soles allowing me to friction climb. Of great concern was stepping such that my pedal cleat would be primary contact. Should that happen it was an instantaneous slide. Could ahve used a helping hand getting down. The slabs end up in a canyon that the trails would skirt high then drop down into it then back out. The climb out was more demanding than I remembered, lots of hike a bike in such a short section. The the .26 mile climb back to the van w/ my left quad starting to precramp. made it back, 19.67 miles in 3 hrs 16 mins of pedaling time climbing 3580′. I got a work out.

I drove back down into GJ to Golds for a shower. The road is twisty. The previous tires caused the van to roll so badly it was challenging to drive. The tires match which eliminated the roll.

Back in Fruita I picked up the tab and put on the plate. I had dinner @ The Hot Tomato. Then drove out to camp above Rabbit Valley. Tomorrow I plan on riding Kokopeli.

I am no longer held here in Fruita, I can leave whenever. I am planning on  riding here tomorrow then ride Thurs @ Lunch Loops proper then head for Moab.

Just after 8 AM I called a suspension shop in GJ for evaluation and fix. The service wrench took it of a spin and experienced what i was talking about. Several items were on the floor swayed from their upper storage location. He crawled all under it and found everything in fine shape. No suspension issues. There is a Discount Tire shop in GJ, in fact I bought a pair of tires from them back in’10. Our solution was to find the same tire as the front and swap out the new M/S2 tires. They had a pair. Very busy shop made for a wait. Once on I drove around a big block turning and swerving and the van behaved correctly. I drove back to Discount and told the manager of the success and later I called the suspension shop passing on the same news.

That was a good chunk of the day.

I showered @ Golds. I told Kyle of the other Kyle-Transition bike pairs.

I stopped @ OTE in Fruita and learned my lower was in. An empty stand and a time open wrench swapped the lowers. New non knocking fork, new seals, and oil. $25 labor. Back in comfort. The new lower lacks a PUSH stickie so I called them and chatted w/ Nick  and asked for a stickie to be mailed to me. On its way. They are still liking my Revelation. He said that a 36mm Fox fork is better tuned right out of the box. My stanchions are 32 which are whimpier than the 36. I wonder what I am missing?

I was outside the store working on my bike when Drew and his wife, Kimila stopped by.

Going over to Suds for a beer and Monday football. Tomorrow I plan on the Butter Knife and Ribbon ride. Today was a rest day in preparation.

Fruita town has a new stickie: WTF. And you know what it means. In Fruita it means: Welcome to Fruita.

 

My web site gathers site visit data. Interesting: The last 2 Mondays 1000 something of you visited my site. Normal traffic is between 300 and 400. Sometimes you share a comment. May I start your week off for your planning on doing what I am doing. Pick a prize and keep your eye on it.

On 2 wheels that is.

Fruita has some chunky riding. Perhaps my hardest trail ever on Butter Knife. For scary exposure is out @ Kokopelis.

Friday started w/ a glass repair service performed on windshield. Guy sucked the air out, then glued it w/ an ultraviolet light curing adhesive(?) then cured w/ infrared. No spidering and per the tech it is legal.

I bought dinner on the way to my start @ Little Park TH anticipating sleeping in the parking lot like I did last year w/ Charlie and Ardell from Fernie (more later). Plan was to ride Butterknife then up to The Ribbon down and be w/in .25 road miles of van. First was 1.2 mile road climb up to 12 % grade to the dirt. Across the road were 2 cars w/ empty bike racks, I made one license plate to be from BC. I remember riding BK when it was brand new 3 years ago. Today it shows its popularity in overuse perhaps by lesser skilled riders. The trail snakes along edges of deep washes, skinny narrow w/ outside bar end out in space. Brake stutter ruts on down hills from rear brake drag. Occasional loose chunks of rock to figure out how to ride them. Step ups and roll downs. Still stuff that I won’t commit to. I am more confident and choose to challenge myself as I am willing to accept the consequences of failure. I ride what I can and walk what I need to.

Up ahead i heard women’s voices. I caught up to 3 well into the riding here, no spandex in this crowd: Full on all mountain bikes. And they are from Fernie, BC as was Ardell from last year. They did not know here. I enjoyed chatting. We pedaled off together until the slowest one was a concerned ways back so she stopped to wait. Darn.

I pedaled the 1000′ elevation gain from low point on BK ST onto rocky jeep road out to hard road. I was facing 5 miles gaining 1000′ to get to top of Ribbon. I talked myself into a beer reward by  screaming back down the pavement I rode up on. Computer clocked me @ 35mph just coasting.

The Fitness program showed Golds Gym in GJ and Fruita community center as participating members: free showers. I am now in Golds database. Kyle did the work. He is a mountain biker riding a Transition bike.

Late afternoon as I headed back to Fruita. I was considering socializing @ the Tomato then drive out to camp @ RD 18. Fri early evening I believed that I would find an open camp site. I skipped the beer to find a camp site b4 dead dark. Stutter bumped gravel road kept my speed down to a crawl. I was passed by several rigs driving like 45 mph. The camp sites were all occupied, lots of bikers. I drove back down to the lower TH parking lot and found the best level spot for the night. Beautiful sunset over the desert mountains.

Sat I dallied waiting for the sun to drive the night chill away. Parking lot filling w/ riders. Great to see so many riders. Means an economic impact to local economy. My plan today was to ride Joes ridge and Zippity do, both on the front side. Prolly outside Slick Rock trail I encountered the most number of riders.  Well mannered. I chatted w/ 2 young physical therapy students in SLC. One, Kyle, graduated from Gonzaga and rides a Transition bike. Second pair I have met w/in 24 hrs. I told this to the second Kyle. He said that the owner of Transition bikes is named Kyle. I didn’t meet him. Zippity still has a roll in turn dropping down a knife ridge. This year I checked it out first. The critical upper tread is broken up and loose. I didn’t want to commit leaving to walk what i need to.

I found a new piece of trail, Zip Off, that took me around to Western Zip to climb back to Front Edge trail over to Joe’s ridge which dropped down to Kesells back to van almost all down hill coasting while negotiating the tech challenges. Great seat dropper on great performing bike. I am just the engine that overcomes gravity getting both of us up. At the top the bike takes over.

I passed 2 riders, one of them hollers something about reading about me. We stopped and chatted. He is 60 and riding a single speed hard tail.

Back @ the TH a neighboring  rider spoke up about reading about me in Marquette where he has ties.

Bluebird day, temp in upper 60s, no wind, comfortable riding weather completely exposed to the elements as you see.

I drove back down the same stutter bumped road being passed again. I ride this area 1 round trip only. I rode my ride here and I was moving on. I found the Community center and passed muster to be issued a mag card for access. Great, another shower after a ride. I chose not to install a shower. During the summer I use the solar shower. My chill tolerance is pretty low so I eschew a shower when temp is below 70. Getting a shower is part of my adventure. Meet new people.

Next was The Hot Tomato. Jen was passed her elbows in dough making I shouted greetings as did she. I drank a pint of 1554. Anne arrived and we chatted. Ah, familiar faces.

I walked across the street to Over the Edge shop. I found Drew working there, we chatted between customers. He is happy to finally work here. While there one of the Fernie ladies pushed her bike in. We chatted. Later I visited Suds which is a brew pub across the street. She and the remaining other 3 ladies were there. More chatting until they begged off for crammed vaca schedule chores.

I slept in town.

Fall back last night. 27 degrees. Today I plan on riding Kokopellis then stay out above Rabbit Valley where I have stayed many nights. I arrived @ the TH early enough to score the levelest spot in the parking lot. Other rigs poured in after me. Place was getting packed. Again, so great to see so many riders. Blue bird day.

My plan was a longer ride including the killer climb up to Macks ridge. Mary’s has some still walkable pieces for me. Today I rode the drop in a step up out of wash right above a pour over. I had the needed confidence. Challenging riding. I mostly met approaching riders. Serious exposure.

I saw a sign on a new piece of trail pointing to Macks ridge. Hmm, never ridden, definitely a short cut, would gain the same elevation as killer climb but shorter, maybe. I chose it. It headed up, I hike a bike about half of it. It topped out on the ridge. Trail builders some times locate the trail right @ edge of abyss. No room for listening to music w/ ear buds. I misjudged a turn because I was planning for the immediate next one squashing my right foot against the rock. I was in a pickle getting myself free.

I rode Marys back. Approaching group of riders included Drew were riding last century bikes. A rider was on an AMP B4 like I rode to death. I asked him his opinion, he said it sucked. It was so leading edge back in mid 90s. How designs and products have so improved.

I sat in the sun @ the TH for awhile soaking up the sun. i decided to forgo a shower to drive further west to camp spot above Rabbit Valley. I got the spot I wanted having stayed here most nights. I set out my chair and read. A rig drove into the camping area but was partially blocked by junipers. His head lights were on bright and shone right at me. Full daylight but high beams still hurt eyes. After awhile i walked over to check on what’s up. I was concerned the driver might have left the lights on. He wasn’t more than a rope length behind me. Then I saw trhe light bar on top and there was a second rig: armed law enforcement officers. Too late to turn around. I walked up to the meaner looking of the 2 and told him of my concern and that i was glad the driver  still intended   to have the lights on. I started a mtn biking conversation. The other officer was a rider, he told me of some trails that he likes which are more gravel road rides. I was getting chilly in the gloaming of the day so i bid adieu. One officer drove right behind me as he left.

Weather forecast is more of same, just excellent conditions to be outdoors. I will take a rest day tomorrow.