Gee, the calendar says October 15, I’m at 3835 feet elevation, sunrise / sunset 7:30 / 6:22, temp at night is getting close to freezing, daytime in 60s now, today was very windy.

I eased into adjusting to the change, first it was just my Pisgah jersey, then long pants, days later I put on socks, yesterday it was my buffalo hide hat. Still bare hands.

Today I rode from Phils. I drove to the TH as I was aways away. Last night I saw the aggressive camper parked in his spot so I drove a bit further to a new spot, a gap in the trees. Rain fell last night I heard when I awoke during the night. Heater running more and boosting up the turn on temp.

I  bought  a pair of Club Ride knickers that actually fit my 30″ waist. Light weight material, just a covering w/ no insulation but below the knee. My knees were warm on the ride. I wore a short sleeve light weight merino wool crew neck and over it a long sleeve jersey w/ some heft. Full wool knee socks and usual long fingered gloves. Enough rain fel that I put on my raintop.

I rode up Bens to Storm King to Grand Slam, to Voodoo, finishing on Phils for 20 miles climbing 1790′. Bens took 63 mins climbing. Encountered only 1 rider. I was bobbing and weaving and  hurling over several rocky patches during which I heard the faint sound of a bike right on my wheel. SHIT! Freak out, no greeting but right on my wheel. I pulled off the trail and he blasted by w/o a word. My emotional response was to yell something like you could have said something. He said he wasn’t asking to pass so he remained silent. I wanted to find him @ the TH to explain my outburst but we never connected. I am still riding the lower Phils still topping out @ 5100′. The rain puddled in places, created hero dirt but missed pieces under deeper tree cover. Wind did not blow dust.

Yesterday was a social day as I was to ride w/ Angela and a woman friend of hers in the afternoon.

Oh, but what was first was Monday. My smart phone would not process the MtbProject app. I drove to the Verizon store and explained my problem. A service tech checked it out by down loading an app which behaved the same as mtb.. she said phone is defective and orders me a new one. OK going to ship it me where? The she said i would have it by this Wed. I gave them Sunnyside. The phone arrived Tues afternoon b4 the bike ride. I drove back to the store for them to transfer data. Well it don’t work all the cleanly and not all of the data is transferable. ( Computer knowledgeable readers could offer solutions). Frustrating and horribly time consuming.

Angela finished her work later than  normal and forecast was calling for rain. She bailed. I continued to harrass the staff on my dissatisfaction leaving in time to drove over to the other Snap for a shower before meeting Angela @ 6:30 on this side of town. Nailed it 3 minutes past the 6:30 arrival time. Whew. I was now relieved of the time stress.We walked over to Crux brew pub. Bend has quite a few brew pubs.

Tomorrow I have the PT appointment for my shoulder. Plan on riding first then doing my weekly laundry, shower then PT.

The heater consumes battery storage. The colder it gets the longer I run it, solar power is lost early. I live in the heated van. I like more than the chill taken off. I will turn it down while sleeping. My battery storage is now in the upper11.0s. I still haven’t separated myself from the other heater.

So Friday night I learned of big trail work day on Saturday. I made it. I signed up to work on Farwell brushing lead by Dave who seems to have adopted this trail. We worked together when I was here June 2013. Today we hiked way up past that work and cut snowbush back to improve sight lines. I worked w/ Jo Keene, wife of reknown trail builder Woody, from Brevard. Jo said she was from NC, I asked here where and she described Brevard. I know Brevard. Trail work was followed by a feed @ Webcyclery. I took a shower @ Snap then drove out to a camp spot out past Phils.

Today I made scratch pancakes after sleeping in the one day a week I allow myself.

Last night temp was 31 degrees. I have been using the Propex heater and learning of its performance. The temp setting I selected needed only 1 down blanket layer until the night chill sucked out more heat so that I doubled the blanket and snuggled underneath. I reached out and turn the temp dial a bunch of clicks towards high then waited a few winks till the van was warmer. There is a battery draw down which will be an issue when the temp is lower and I want comfort.

Yesterday I switched to long pants.

This AM was sunny and brisk. I wore a short sleeve wool long underwear top under a long sleeved jersey and the wind shell. On the bottom it was wool knee socks, wool knee warmers, liner shorts then over shorts. I left about 10:00. Temp rose as noted in clothing choice of later riders who were in shorts. Amazing how many rigs are at the TH but how few riders I encountered as we all get pretty well spread out. Trails are dry and dusty as the dirt is volcanic ejecta having no organic material: it’s just dust. Great trail riding system @ Phils.

I drove back into town to 10 Barrels to watch the 2nd half of the Seahawks / Cowboys game. Again, a beer was handed to me almost as I sat down by Todd. Seahawks got out played.

Tomorrow I am planning on buying a shuttle ride up to furthest drop off point then ride back to town. Generally a downslope.

I will call tomorrow for a PT appointment for my shoulder. Chronic pain.

Strong winds yesterday stripped off the fall color leaves.

Days slip by, lived and survived by a faint memory, overridden  by the new events. I remember my bits and pieces, someone else will remember their bits.

Tuesday I drove back into town, did some things then drove back out to rd 44 camp spot. Ian was still there.Fixed dinner and viewed the moon from inside for warmth. The heater works fine, it does have a battery draw. I am learning about its performance and consumption. The heat is better than the infrared catalytic heater so far. The burner makes a distant throb and the blower noise is what it is.

Wed was another great day w/ some wind added. Ian would not bite on a shuttle ride. I rode a piece of Surveyors ridge from camp out and back, stopping just short of the power lines.

Ian loaded up and left b4 dinner, I had the place to myself.

Riding @ 4,000′, my respiratory system can’t keep up . I am able to elevate my hr but I run short of breath, no, it’s not short, it just isn’t enough.

Went for an evening walk

Thurs I drove back into town to do ride the Whoodee trail and do my wash etc.I stopped @ Dirty Finger to refresh my memory. Steep road climb on crumbling asphalt. The county was out paving. Made the parking lot where several other riders were gathered, Steve built the trail system, he and his wife left b4 me. He incorporated pieces of old dirt bikes trail and added a bunch. There are 3 enormous g-outs which my suspension sucked up. The exits were harder than my desire to make it over the top. Then the downhill just took off. The dues paid for the downhill pedaled well. I caught up w/ the 4 riders ahead of me. One was installing a new tube for flat repair. His buddy is slower and asked to go ahead as he would be caught up. I rode behind him all the way at a pace that I could talk to him.

Poison ivy adds beauty to its poison

I drove to the laundromat contiguous w/ Snap and the shower. I put my clothes in the washer then hit the timer on my Suunto and dashed next door for a shower. Clean sheets and clean body same night is pleasure.

I drove back to Dirty Finger to drink a beer and socialize. The after work riders appeared, happy hr $3 pints and all the stories you can tell. I stayed till after dark. I drove up to the Heights for dinner @ a Taquary(?) then out to Post Canyon to sleep alongside the road.

Today after breakfast clean up I drove back to DF to say good bye as I was heading south to Bend. I want to see the fall in different places. Today I experienced the first wreck that ties up traffic. Long long wait broken up by fits of short driving distance. Seems a dump truck and a pony trailer spilled off the other side of the road and the big wreckers were out working to yard it back up.

I made Bend for an early dinner, too late for a ride. I walked into 10 Barrels where I hung out back in June of 2013. I got to know several of the bar tenders and I drank the same beer. Tonight 2 of them were working. I stood holding a door way up watching the ALCS game. Manny arrives at my side holding out a beer, the one I drank and called me by name. Todd remembered me also. Phenomenal recall.

I was standing @ the bar and a guy walked up to me and asked if that was my van. I said , yes. How cool he said. He told me that there is a work party tomorrow, I’m in.

I left for camping out @ Phils. I turned into the road where I used to stay and discovered that the FS has fenced off both side of the road keeping me away from my former spot. I turned around and sought another spot I remembered. Couldn’t find it, found another one about 200′ from a car camper. I started to settle down when what to my wondering ears did hear banging on the driver’s door and ranting about my camping near him. He was going ballistic about sharing public land where my intrusion was cloaked in darkness. I dove away to a spot a bit further away. Moon rise shining thru the windshield. So far he has not voiced his displeasure to my closeness.

Last night while in bed I rolled onto my right shoulder and heard and felt a PoP. It ain’t good.