Thursday was the last nice day. Danny and I rode a loop from his house over to Special Ed bouncing down and over basalt boulders bordered by prickly pear which makes for a sharply focused effort. There are 2 uphill switch backs that I am seeking to master, just so close maybe 1/2 a pedal stroke. Route home is mostly uphill to Sketch. The social trail snaked between 2 boulders. Danny kissed the downhill one w/ his fork leg that stopped him and then pitched him over the edge. Spectacular slow speed fall. He ended up about 15 downhill. He was clutching his left shin hollering for a first aid kit. I snaked down to him. He had smashed into a sharp edge of a rock and laid his shin open in 2 places. My first aid kit saved the day again. He also had several other cuts. Nasty. He sucked it up allowing us to ride back.

Wed. I installed my PUSH rebuilt Monarch shock then rode it out from Bike and Bean. The shock really enhanced my ride. I ran into Wally who is a rider 70 yo. Last year he fell that really banged him up, his arm required surgery repair. He is still recovering not riding. Danny escaped a similar fate. The falls here can be terrifying, actually it is what happens after you come off the bike to when you finally come to rest. And the injury pain sets in.

Thurs ride finished @ Danny’s for a beer and shower. I drove over to Picasso for dinner. In the parking lot I saw a mtn bike on the top of a SUV. Closer exam revealed a Turner Sultan. And the plates are from WA. I walked in and looked for a seat @ the bar. I noticed a guy sitting by himself. His look was a possible match to the rig outside. I asked if he was from WA. He said Yes and that we had met some time ago @ the upper JEM TH in Hurricane. I remembered him. He had parked his car 90 degrees to the normal parking that he said allowed him to heat his solar shower that was on the dash board. He told me that he takes a solar shower after every ride including after today’s ride. We chatted thru my dinner.

The forecast was calling for snow and cold temps until this coming Tues. Fri was the last possible day to ride before the bad weather. Except that wind was blowing dust into the air. I am a mouth breather  and I would inhale a chunk of the red rock desert. As I was readying my bike I discovered that my rear tire was soft. I pumped it up to normal 25 psi and looked for leaking Stans sealant. I didn’t see any. Critical mass occurred @ BnB as 3 of us rode off. I made 3/4 mile before I checked my rear tire. It was soft. Joey poured in a shot of Stans and CO2 filled the tire. Before I could get back on the tire was soft again. I bailed cautiously riding on the soft tire back to the shop. The leak source was caused by a bead burp from Thurs ride. I remember hearing a pop after my tire hit a rock which must have been the culprit. There are maybe 5 thorns embedded in the tire that the Stans has sealed. Today my tire is still holding air.

Fri weather was sunny and high wind w/ snow forecasted over night. I parked out @ Beaverhead. Today when I looked out from under the covers I saw snow outside. Forecast called for more snow showers and wind. Just a shitty riding day. Today was another hang day.

My shoulder is hurting. I have PT exercises to do every other day that I follow. Only muscle pain, no impingement. Danny has a magnet shoulder harness that he loaned me that I have worn several times which seemed to temporarily reduced the pain. Today I applied the castor oil plaster which seemed to reduce the pain the most. 30 mins under a hot water bottle w/ the oil slipping down my back. No nausea.

Fri Dave and Rebecca from Green Bay, WI arrived in town. I met them @ the laundromat. Great catching up w/ them. They are camped @ Dead Horse SP in Cottonwood and will move to Sedona Tuesday. On their road trip they learned that their small Canasta trailer was too small for them and their 2 big dogs. They bought a larger trailer. People that live on the road for greater than a 2 week vacation have a lot in common as a lifestyle that people who only day trip don’t get it.

Gonzaga is ranked 7th. This week several teams above them lost to unranked teams which should be reflected in the polls next week moving their ranking higher.

Check out my dual crank position:

Sunday’s forecast doesn’t bode well for riding conditions.

I made Monday a rest day. Out @ Deer pass the RV left choice spot #2. The squatters are still holding down spot 1. In the main open area a guy in a somewhat decrepit 5th well has  anchored. Different crowd this year.

Tuesday made arrangements to ride w/ Danny in the afternoon. We rode from his house down to the secret trails of Soldiers wash. Danny put together a loop that exited out on teacup for a coast back into west Sedona.

Finished the day @ Danny’s for a beer, a shower, and a creative alternative vegetarian dinner prepared by his gf. I drove back to deer Pass for the night.

Last night the heater was almost too warm for my down blanket.

Today I drove back to BnB to pick up, install, and ride my returned serviced Monarch shock. Nice day. Did ythe swap out in the sunny parking lot. I rode Shades to Templeton to Easy Breezy, to HT, to Llama, back on Court house. The shock gave me a better ride than Fox. Ran into Wally who is recovering from his nasty fall that resulted in surgery and time off his bike. 2 other local riders are recovering from surgery repaired breaks. Chewy broke his wrist, and Clint shattered an ankle.

Last bunch of rides have  been ridden inn the middle chain ring. I am getting stronger as a result. My HR stays down. I still run out of breath but not collapsing like when I rode in the granny. I have more power to lift the front end.  But my knees hurt.

My shoulder continues to bother me. I do the PT exercises every other day per instructions. May the problem not be from the rotator cuff.

Back out @ Beaverhead. After dinner a rig pulled up behind me, soon I heard a rap on the passenger window and saw a guy standing outside. Shit, I opened the door to talk to him. He said he heard someone cry for help and asked if I heard it. I said No. I closed the door and he left. Several minutes later he came back on foot so I wasn’t notified by lights. I opened the door again. He asked if he could make a call on my phone as his was dead. I dialed 911 and listened to him and the operator talk. He gave the phone back and walked away. Shortly I saw an array of driving lights way up on the hill side. The rig parked @ my van. I surmised it was law enforcement from the light bar on top. Carl asked me if I heard anything. I told him about the guy. He said he has seen me here. He raced mtn bikes years ago. No problem. He left as did the guy.

Tomorrow is wash day up in Sedona then an afternoon BnB ride. I plan on driving down to Rock Springs for the night to shorten the next day drive down to Mesa. On Friday I will be meeting and riding Gold Canyon trails w/ Paul from our home village of Lucas, OH. Trails are E of Phoenix near Apache Junction. Sat I will ride @ Cave Creek and Sunday the Black Canyon trail.

Jimmy hosted a Super Bowl party at the shop. I shared Toll House cookies I made the night b4. Many said 1/2 was a good way to start. Nobody went to 2. Yesterday while baking them I ate 1 and waited an hour. Maybe something was there. Dunno. Ate a second munchy cookie. At 2 hours still no exploding lights. Ate a 3rd then the idiot lights started flashing. 3 was like having somebody holding your feet while you are treading water.  I rode it out OK.

Today my plan was to get up and get going to drive to west Sedona Dry Creek area. Ride is to be a big loop in Dry Creek drainage. Execution: Successful drove to the TH @ the Cultural Center where the you gotta know where your water sources in the desert outdoor drinking fountain is freeze broken. A People’s Garage ride was leaving. I said hello to the ones who wanted to return the greeting. On the outs w/ that group. Overcast skies threatening rain but none fell, upper 50s. Trails were almost completely dried out. My route was last Frontier, Western Civ, Cockscomb, Aeri, Dawa, AZ Cypress, and Girdner home. Encountered several groups of riders, one was a gaggle of women. I helped a hiking couple find their way back. I rode it all in middle chain ring. I’m  getting stronger. The middle ring keeps me from so hyperventilating. The rains last week ran Dry Creek moving rocks at the numerous crossing on Girdner. No wet feet. 2 hrs 11 mins pedaling time  for 15.51 miles.

Fri Tim from Shenandoah Bike in Harrisburg arrived for the month. I met him back in Nov ’08. Numerous friends will be dropping in during the month, several of whom I have met. He joined us on the BnB shop ride of Hiline, Baldwin loop to Templeton. Hiline. Name has meaning. Party afterwards at shop.

Deal is last week rain fell heavily soaking the ground then the temp dropped below freezing which froze the wet dirt. The sun warms the ground melting the frozen mud which immediately has traction like grease. Every sunny and and no below freezing nights trails will dry out.

Sat I checked out all of Shades down to Templeton. Trail was almost completely dry. Shades climbs up to play ground slick rock, nothing steep just techy up, down, and arounds. No warm up. Well ridden in trail.

You get the munchies when buzzed? I do to. I have a few cookies that could satisfy that need. I dare not.

Tues. the van will be serviced like 10,000 mile oil and filters change. Last change was back in Wisconsin in August. Waiting for Kettle Moraine trail to dry out.

Two cookies are just right.