Sunday morning was my last ride on the sick fork out @ Croy Cvn trails under the 90 degree shadeless skies. Got a last one in. I saw prolly an 8 point mule deer on the Lambs Gulch trail. He never sprung very far away as he and I moved down gulch. Croy offered the least bumpy ride. I was happy w/ my breathing and its failing as I am no longer gasping for air, it seems that my lack of breath is an age thing. I will be 64 in September.

Steve invited me to dinner Sunday eve. I pulled the fork off thus crippling my bike. This time I didn’t have a borrowed fork to use like Scott gave to me in Sedona. I decided not to seek a loaner bike….. so far.

My front brake, a Formula T1, has been an issue to me. Perhaps the bleeding process has some tricks that some shops don’t know. Jeff, from Formula, offered help. Today I UPSd it to him for bleeding. My understanding of events is the fork arrives Tues @ latest and the brake will arrive the same day which will allow me a ride in the afternoon. Now I just need to change the air in my tires.

Yesterday AM my frige was serviced. The tech solvent cleaned the orifice that resulted in a stronger burn meaning more cooling efficiency. Strange but heat is required to make the cooling work. 92 degrees yesterday and the frige held @ 40 degrees.

Smoke from forest fires have drifted into the valley. Last night’s full moon was red. Fires are on the Stanley side of Galena summit. Only in the 80s so far today here in Hailey.

I have been thinking about an overnight backpack trip while my bike is down. Fires and smoke now play into the location selection. Last night I researched trails on a USDA web site. The site was junk in that links to trails was broken, no data was linked. I tried different ways and even a different browser w/ same results. Conspiracy theories about sequestration shenanigans.

yesterday I had a follow up DR appointment. My dry cough still exists. DR said my lings are fine as seen on the Xrays. I did get a referral to an othro DR here in the valley for my shoulder.

Steve turned me on to the TV series, Justified. I viewed the 9 episodes from the first year. Tonight I pick up the start of the second season.

Sooooo, anyway, I will not be riding my bike till next Tues so no new bike tales. I will be just hanging and getting into what ever I can get into. Today I am back to Ketchum for a few days.

IMBA kicked Sedona Mountain Bike club out of the chapter program. This club was formed to represent mtn bikers. There are divergent views about advocacy. The club has not shared anything about this disfranchisement. I have no knowledge of even the front door of the back story. I am a club member just because I don’t live there  does not exclude me from club positions.

Last night at dusk 6 velvet antlered mule deer were grazing in the hay field just across the dirt road. One was perhaps the same buck I saw on Sunday.

Big Wood Valley River Valley, ID aka Sun Valley

 

Thurs I joined the shop ride, meeting way up on Deer Creek rd. Route is Deer creek loop. Chip really likes it. I believe it is the first ride I did here in Sun Valley per Chip’s give me a ride ride, back in maybe 1999 or 2000 on my first visit here. I ride it way better than 1st time. I inhaled 2 hits of albuterol b4 starting. When it kicked in I was able to ride w/ the 2 slowest riders. Break thru. Now when I run out of breath it is just old age degradation. Several dry mud puddles held casts of wolf paws. Wow! I am riding on my sick fork that is just rude: 2 3/4″ travel that becomes very stiff quickly and bottoms out. Really adversely affects my ride, like I don’t need to ride but After tomorrow I will be out my bike for maybe 10 days.

Chip’s bike lacked pedals. i asked what kind. He said Time. I said I have a pair at my house 2 trucks down. Chip got to ride. These were a replaced pair for use that Chip worked on several years ago.

We hung around after the riding drinking beer and socializing. Good crowd and I fit well. They left back to the city and I drove back down the road to Wolftone XG, rather “spot”. Right along Deer creek. The solar shower heated to lukewarm, I deemed too chilly to douse myself w/ so i heated a pot of h2o on the stove and poured it into the shower bag. I can live w/ this temp. Solar shower. Just below me was the babbling cold clear deer creek. Before bed I stepped outside when 2 bats added me to their memory bank. Still a warm night. I am in  the morning shade which kept the temp down.

Fri’s ride is Wolftone over to Curan creek down. I rode this ride back in 2010. It’s a hump to get up to the ridge. But the open sky is so…. so big.

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The trail was signed at the junctions so I was always found, not like signless last time. I rode down Kinsley Creek cutting off the major alpine route. I was tired as the climb was a hump. Besides, there was  a bail trail that I had never ridden. Won’t ride it again as it is an ATV beat up track. Now I know.

The fork puts a strain on my right shoulder which turns into pain afterwards. In less than 2 weeks I will have a performing plush 150mm travel. Yeah PUSH.

Back into Hailey and hung @ SSS. I bought dinner @ KBs a great tasty plain Mexican restaurant on Main st Hailey. I have eaten there the most dinners this visit. Back out to Democrat Gulch for the night. I kept the door and a window open all night. @ 7 AM it was 46 outside but 56 inside. Then the sun cleared the hill destroying the shade.

Where I sleep:

Today I wanted a short ride on Greenhorn just to ride. I drove up to Greenhorn Gulch TH. The parking lot was packed w/ cars parked down the road. I scored a vacated spot. Today I changed my ride from coming down Imperial gulch after watching maybe 10 horse riders plowing up the dry dirt. I rode up Cow creek which is way rockier and technical than Greenhorn. And the fork just shit on me making the rock moves jarring. I kept my speed in check going down so I could respond to trail features. Front brake is better but unexplainable reason. I rode down Mahoney creek, so great to ride down what I struggle to climb. A male dog walked told me he just scared up a antlerless moose from a pond where he took his dog to swim. I missed it. I so look forward to my repaired fork.

Back @ the almost deserted TH. A hard mounted fiberglass shell camper to a big 4X4 pick up attracted my attention as a possible upgrade. A man and woman where there after finishing their ride. I rode over to visit. They are 6 months into their I don’t have to go back to work lifestyle. 40 and 38. Wow. They created a spread sheet titled Get Away Plan that allowed them to manage decisions to make this happen. They are back country skiers who last spring chased storms, mtn bike riders, and recently took up rock climbing. On the road lifestyle sharing tips and stories. Dave said he learned of me during a goggle search for a ride and my site was netted. They said they encountered an antlered moose up Mahoney near where I rode, they allowed it to hold them up for 20 mins. But I spied none.

A parking lot solar shower, then drive back into Hailey.

Maybe a ride w/ Steve tomorrow as he is now cast free after allowing his right thumb torn tendon to heal.

Sat night out in the gulch. Moon is almost full. Clear sky.

 

 

Rant: When I ride I am aware of a rider faster than me either going up or down and pull over to allow them to pass. Yesterday while climbing 2 Dog a woman rider was riding uphill faster than me. I pulled over @ the top of the hill before she got to me. I allowed her maybe  30 seconds before I started down. If she was as fast downhill as she was uphill I would not have caught up to her. I caught her right @ first turn, a nice berm. My front brake howls which announces my presence, she had to have heard me. I rode her wheel not saying anything. Two more bermed turns later she says she is a slow downhiller and she continued holding me up. She never yielded. Same thing happened last week during the Stoker rides, each time women. Where is their courtesy to allow a rider faster than them to go by? I could have stuffed her on a berm and passed which would have been a race tactic but there was no “competition”.

Enough.

2 nights ago the skies cleared after the gully washer giving way to a cloudless morning. The sun beat down on the ground converting the fallen rain into humidity. But today early was the ride to be. I saw just a few bike tracks ahead of me, they splashed thru the mud puddles. Saw only 1 other person. Trails were firm, not Hood River tacky, eliminating dust and firming up the tread. My fork has 2 3/4″ travel, not the 5″. I bottomed out several times, bummer. 13.51 miles in 1 hr 56 mins climbing 3060′ riding in the upper 5,000′ elevation. Burned only 767 cals. I drank a beer afterwards consuming almost the same calories I burned. Doesn’t seem right.

Back @ van the solar shower heated the h20 to comfortable temp. I stood outside in full sun and slight breeze. The h20 almost evaporated as fast as I wetted my body. Great to wash off salt and mud splatters.

I dallied at sleep spot then drove into town to library which is air conditioned to do computer tasks. Presently I am sending pics on the hard drive to a CD. Amazing how many minutes needed to transfer pics. I have hours ahead of me.

I walked to Powerhouse for a beer then back to grocery store for dinner groceries then drove out to Democrat gulch. Hot night. About 4:00 I awoke chilly and checked the temp: 42 degrees. I shut the door and rolled up the window and pulled the blanket over me.

Today is Chip’s Thurs shop ride. I did my wash first then drove to his shop to learn of ride plan. Out Deer Creek. Not a big ride. I decided to join them for the camaraderie.

92 degrees in Hailey.

today is the 5 year anniversary of Mountain Biking the States.

The frig temp is warming. I made an appointment for Mon to clean the jet. I also have a follow up DR appointment as the “rattle” is still present. Mon I UPS my fork to PUSH.

Going to spend the night up Deer Creek out of internet coverage. In the trees. Shade. Cooler.