It’s a matter of making time in my “busy” life to capture antics.
Today I am taking a rest day and parked @ Bike and Bean w/ internet connection.
For the last several days high winds have been buffeting Sedona and elsewhere. The mayhem started Sat w/ hail falling for a short while and Temps dropping. Little rain dropped. Didn’t ride on Sat as trails were slightly muddy.
Sat morning I was huddled inside my van when a knock was heard on the van door. There stood Jimmy of Bike and Bean and another guy. I recognized him immediately as another Jimi who was a wrench @ The Hub in Brevard, NC I met 2 years ago. Funny, the weekend b4 it was Sam and Jordan who own the store and Jimi worked there. Jimi is on a multi month road trip. I have been sharing rides w/ him. He rides mostly slow enough ahead of me to watch his riding which is polished. I am so far out of his league. He is traveling in an older VW Westy.
We rode Sunday on slightly wetted trails. Windy. We have been camping together out off Beaverhead where I have been staying. We awake to cowboys wrangling the grazing cows to other locations. Beaverhead is a massive grazing pasture. Ecological destroyers are cows as they compact the soil, shit that smothers the ground, takes food out of the mouths of the wildlife, steal water, etc. Just so fast food eating can provide beef to a consuming public that justifies raising cows.
Gusts of 39mph are forecast this AM. My van is rocking in the parking lot. Last night winds kept the van rocking.
Mark Langton created a smiley face plate that states let’s all get along. It is shaped like the classic Triangle of users where mtn bikers yield to other users. The plate’s intent is to eliminate a hierarchy that makes us the little kids asking for permission to be on the trails. His address is: Mark Langton [markmtb@roadrunner.com]. he said the number 1 problem other users have w/ mtn bikers is they go too fast when they pass other users. If we just slow down when passing we will eliminate most user complaints.
Still planning on leaving here on Sat bound for Gallup, NM and points East in tornado land. Poison ivy, chiggars, cottonmouths, high humidity & temps, lower elevations, and different beers.
Joe Murray stopped for a visit.
One night out @ camp I pulled out my pistol. Jimi and I took turns shooting till the 26 bullets were gone. I bought the pistol b4 I left, I shot it once back in Spokane. Our aim was safe for the intended target, elsewhere there was concern.
Sedona has been my “home” for 4 months. I enjoy the comfort of having figured out living elements and being treated as a local. Back on the road life is more nomadic and certainly less settled. I will bid adieu to my friends here till this winter. And look forward to new trails, meeting new people, and reconnecting w/ friends I had made and riding familiar trails.
Remind me when you come to pull out the guns. I have plenty and maybe we could do a little trapshooting as well up at Mom’s place if you would like for some post ride fun one day.