Yesterday I chose Moab Brewery for dinner and football and beer all 4% of it. I watched the Seahawks. A young woman walked in and took the corner chair. There was a guy to her right, me, and an older man on the left. Among us we had each other in stitches from laughing. We were pretty loud in a loud place. We each went our separate ways. Seahawks won. I left for Willow Springs.
Well, Willow Springs was plugged. I found a turnout off the road, good enough for the night. 21 degrees @ 7:30AM. Am running the catalytic heater.
My plan was to drive down to Bar M trails for a ride then into town for a shower etc then drive up Dead Horse to ride Mag 7 trails and spend the night. Out of frustration w/ the furnace I gave the repair shop here who worked on it to make an appointment on a whim. Scored one for 2PM tomorrow to again flush and clean the valve.
Plan change: Drive up to Mag 7 trails, ride, drive back to town, shower, then @ 5 watch the Zags somewhere in town, then drive back to crowded Willow and hope for a spot.
Petroleum is being extracted from the earth up on the plateau in several locations. It is what it is, we create the demand. Gemini Bridges road passes a pumper and tanks all painted a juniper green. One well was so strong the oil flowed upward w/o a pumper. I drove down the road to the TH. One year I parked off the highway and rode down, then at the end of a hard ride I had to pedal back up. I drive slowly to keep things in place inside….. and out.
I was the only rig in the lot but b4 I could pedal away several more just flew in and disgorged riders. Crowds. That didn’t translate to riding w/ others. A group ahead of me stopped to fix a guys tube flat. Shit, he is in for a pinch flat ride. A woman recognized me from the IMBA Summit, said we talked. I finished my ride only encountering several riders coming the other way. A couple were riding fat bikes down towards me as I pedaled up. They didn’t seem to be going as fast just coasting as a regular tire. They were on full rigid. I hollered to the woman that the bike didn’t make her butt look big. She laughed. I never saw her butt.
Drove back into town for a shower then to wait for the Zags on ESPN2. I picked the Rio sports bar. The tender put the game on a big screen right over the bar and I had a front row bar seat. I nursed 1 beer for the game. The Zags won a scrappy game.
Drove the 12 miles from town to Willow Springs rd. I was going to snag the first open spot as there might not be more further out. The first 4 spots were occupied. I scored the big turnout on the right. Lots of primitive campers out here. This AM while I was sort of toasty I looked out at a group of tent campers standing around talking, I could see their breaths. Comfort. So Great.
Weather forecast continues to be chilly and clear. Hard to leave.
Tomorrow is another go @ Brand M trails.