Just Chillin

The temperature has dropped below freezing again tonight, at 7:30PM it is 29 degrees @ 4472′. The furnace is pumping out hot air, all 6,000BTU capacity, for the time being. It is like my experience w/ my Westie: I could never really depend upon it. The furnace will start on the first cycle, sometimes not then I manually turn it off and on. I am chilly sitting here in my living room chair even w/ the insulating window cover. It is warm dry air circulating which is enjoyable. Yesterday I made an appointment w/ an RV repair shop here in Moab for 1:00 to seek service on the bugger. I camped out on Willow Springs road which is the closest primitive camping to town, about 13 miles out. I rode the new trails @ Klonso managing my time to make the 1:00 appointment. I returned to the van on schedule. I fired up the furnace as a check: it started 1st go. So intermittent. I called the repair shop and cancelled, I attempted to build a rapport w/ the shop in case I need service. *****. Last night the temp dropped to 20 degrees. The furnace went off several times during the night. Each time it was out I woke up chilly and looked @ the flashing red LED then went thru the restart process until it fired. Today I called the shop back and asked for another appointment which I was given for tomorrow @ 3:. Guy who imports the furnace has said that because there was oil in my propane plumbing that possibly the jet is occluded, service is to blow the line out w/ cleaner. So sporadic to believe that the jet can clog and unclog.

SO I am sitting @ my desk creating this. Chilly. Camped out on Willow Springs rd w/ Charlie and Theresa. We finally caught up today. Chilly and windy but blue skies. They were going to ride HyAmasa and Captain Aihab on Amasa Back,  2 new trails. I joined them. New trails keep us off 4X4 trail and is more rideable but ladened w/ tech features causing me to walk or scramble. Sometimes I was on Charlie’s wheel and watched him make a feature which sometimes pulled me through.

Charlie and Theresa on HYamasa

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWe started after 1 in the best warmth. Still chilly and windy, I wore a wool long underwear top and long sleeved jersey, knee socks and light knicker. I started w/ a wind jacket but warmed up enough to pedal through the chilly sections. Just beautiful, the ride was also. We had it all to ourselves catching afternoon sun

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAnd now we are camped out on Willow springs rd.

Yesterday I rode the Klonzo trails out past the dirt bike trails on Willow Springs. Newly built and more being added. Purpose built mostly on dirt. Places were loose sand. Fun ride. And I was managing my time for my soon to be cancelled appointment.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI pedaled out to the TH from where I was camped as I did not want to drive across a wide sandy wash.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI drove into town afterwards for a shower and groceries. PO, library, and credit union were closed.My plan was to ride Gemini Bridge area today so I drove up onto Dead Horse plateau and camped @ Horse Thief  BLM XG for $7.50 w/ no water. The temp dropped and winds kicked up. I bagged riding and drove into town to take care of business. Drew cash from the credit union, printed the fraud form @ the library & filled it out, drove to PO and mailed the letter and picked up my temp license plate. Then Charlie texted me which brings us back to the top.

Sunday night I camped again on Willow Springs. During the night the winds really kicked up sand blasting everything downwind. Way too windy to ride because of the blowing sand. I walked down the road a ways and found a better camp spot where the wind was not blowing sand. Still windy. I hiked the road  and let the sun warm my face.

So now caught up.

Weather is still dry, sunny, and chilly. Wind to die down

Yesterday I swapped chains. The first chain had 492 miles on the new cassette. The chain I removed wore 795 miles on the gears. So far no chain jumping from wear mismatch between the chain and gears. That’s 1287 miles on the cluster since install back in Brevard in June,  96 rides ago.

I am chilly here in my chair. Perhaps the furnace’s output is restricted by a partially clog orifice. If not it leaves me cold. I’d rather sleep chilly and be warm @ my desk than vice versa.