A front page article in the local weekly stated that 4″ of rain fell. During this time a little snow fell and the temp dropped below freezing @ night. Result is freeze thaw mud, dryness, and some frozen tread. Monday was a planned rest day giving the trails till Tues to dry. Tues. came w/ freeze thaw mud and still saturated dirt. Tues late Jimmy and Ian rode Hiline and Transcept and reported firm no mud conditions. Wed. I had another PT session late afternoon. I listened to Jimmy’s assessment to start @ 1:00 and ride their same ride. He was spot on for Shades. Unfortunately, Hiline had all 3 tread conditions. Transcept was just wet and rocky. Today Scott and Joey rode trails here and reported just mud when it was present. Forecast is for above freezing Fri night which will allow evaporation. A ride tomorrow might still be freeze thaw mud.

Today I learned that my new Interstate camper battery was defective and needed replaced. Warranty. That battery was the source of my low energy woes.

Front page article in same news source reported the USFS’s issue w/ non system mountain bike trails, that the rider created trails are having environmental consequences and is considering restricting  mtn bikes to only system trails. Hikers and horseback riders have been known to create their trails also; however, mtn bikes are a user group singled out. Such is life. Trail builders perhaps killed the golden goose.

Last night I made cannabutter from my abv product. Going to bake Toll house cookies, electric munchies. rationing. Cop a buzz but feed your munchies somewhere else.

Tonight the Zags are on ESPN2 @ 9:00. I will stay up late and watch it @ PJs here in VOC. They are ranked #7.

The rest is story telling.

 

Thurs Gonzaga won. Just XM coverage.

During Thurs. ride Jimmy created the Friday shop ride for Dry Creek area @ 9:15. A subset of the regulars showed up. I ride off the back by myself that cuts me off from talking during the ride.  Really so much fun as I am spending time w/ people I have known for several years and I am part of the group. Forecast called for rain in PM. We rode Chuck Wagon, Gunslinger, Mescal, Old Mans, Aeries to Dawa so we could ride the shallow grade w/ some 20′ grade dips, pedal, coast, and grin. That connected us to Cocksomb that we rode to the other end of Aeries back to Dawa to ride the dips again. We connected to AZ Cypress and found Snake to climb out of Dry Creek and joined Girdner back to the rigs on Dry Creek.  18.07 miles, 2 hrs 22 mins pedaling, climbed 1917′. And beat the rain.

At the far end there is is a roll down. I caught Duffy:

I showered @ Snap. By the time I arrived back down @ BnB everybody moved on… no beer drinking @ shop. I drove out to Beaverhead where I am the solitary camper.

Rain fell Fri night into Sat off and on, heavy and light. Sat I drove S on 179 to the bridge that crosses Dry Beaver Creek. Its source is up on the Mongollon Rim, water is supplied by snow melt up high. The creek is no a raging torrent well out of its banks, appears to be chocolate milk w/ a head. Once snow melt run off the creek is a dry stream bed. Spectacular to see such a flow. Sat i hung @ the shop. Then returned to Beaverhead.

rain fell Sat night. Sun I drove up to BnB. Ian showed up w/ a ride plan where I have yet to ride. Our ride was out past where I stay on Beaverhead. There are dirt bike trails, imagine, social trails. The ground was saturated which kept the dust down but globbed onto our tires. Traction was pretty good. The tread we rode was dirt bike created. If you look closely you might see our skinny tire tracks.

Ian’s ride was to ride out till we hit Grandpa wash then ride down it to a road crossing then ride back a dirt road. Lee from Salida was with us. We down climbed into a feeder wash which had a 6′ pour over right away. We up climbed out and walked our bikes over the soft shoe sucking mud to the main wash. A group decision changed our route to ride up stream and make for the truck and beer b4 dark. we started too late to not allow perhaps enough daylight to finish.  As it was, going upstream the short distance presented challenges:

What wash riding can look like:

 

We made it back to truck while still light. The dirt here was saturated that just sucked moving objects. A 4X4 attempted a mud bog nearby. he stuck it. We heard high engine revs several times indicating he was dead stuck. he then got out and started shooting. We finished our beers and drove back to BnB. Add some more people and people to create another party that lasted till after dark. Too much fun.

I drove back to Beaverhead where rain fell again during the night.

Today I had a PT for my shoulder and an afternoon eye exam. The PT is strengthening surrounding muscles which lessen the pain. And I don’t feel sick from the castor oil.

My eye exam revealed healthy eyes. My astigmatism in  my left eye is gone replaced by a starting cataract. I am upgrading my prescription. I have 20/20 distance vision but need reading glasses. New lenses are expensive.

Snow fell this afternoon several times but none stuck.

A shower @ Snap and 2 gallons of ionized h2o and I headed to crowded deer pass crowd.

Snow is forecast for tonight and into Tues. The temp is below freezing @ night till the weekend. My van interior is chilly as it got cold soaked.

I have my new Pisgah merino wool jersey back and wearing it. The yarn made of 70% wool and 30% silk is soo soft and supple. A joy to wear. Bruce also sent a short sleeve jersey made of 70% silk and 30% merino wool. I am saving it for warmer weather and non Sedona riding.

My dilated eyes are still distorting my vision.

Gonzaga Bulldogs mens basketball team is ranked 7th. So exciting to follow them. Spectacular effort.

Last night the temp remained in the 40s, too warm for my heater even on low. I turned it off part way thru the night. I could have slept w/ just a flannel sheet which didn’t make any sense. Shut off the heat and pull over the down blanket.

I drove back to Sedona to do my wash then drive down to VOC for 1:00 ride. Rain started falling while my clothes were in the dryer. I decided to drive down to VOC for the ride  and let somebody make a ride decision. rain fell before I arrived. Jimmy analyzed his on line weather forecast and concluded the rain was up canyon. He gathered Duffy, Jeff, touron Phil, and me. We rode up Shades on wonderful tacky sand from the rain. Jimmy remained behind to speak w/ his ill dad, we waited for him @ the playground which is a slab of flat slick rock. Jeff and Duffy knew of this roll in line they wanted to ride. See for yourself:

He made it and so did Jeff. Me? I took pics.

Conventional work day and shitty weather kept the crowd down. Heading N we could see up canyon to rain clouds. We were still dry. We rode the length of Sleezy Breezy. I made several features I previously didn’t make. Getting a bit better. I rode all in the middle chain ring which keeps my heart rate down and collapsing from lack of breath. I am slower by prolly by the same amount. I took more time getting down Shades back to the shop. The others except Phil finished before the rain fell. I was dampened. A energy replacement beer. Plans were made for a morning ride tomorrow out @ Dry Creek. Forecast calls for showers after 11:00. We might finish our ride dry. I cancelled a PT appointment for ride. Shower @ Snap: clean body for clean sheets.

Last night for the second time I put a castor oil saturated cloth on my shoulder. My shoulder has less pain.

Drove back to crowded Deer Pass.

Tonight the Zags play BYU @ home. Plan is to watch it on line while using faster 4G device.