Just more of the same.

Yesterday I drove Jimmy up to west Sedona to ride Chuck Wagon Mescal et al. Joy of work week is no crowd, trails almost all to ourselves.

2 new trails drop down to Canyon of Fools from Mescal. We took the further one aptly name Canyon of Fools. It is a sustainability reroute of a social trail. Sometimes the medicine is worse than the cure (?). Bits of the old are included. The canyon is a steep walled wash ride w/ wall lines. Used to be un recognized. Now it is being hammered. The exit is on paved Boyton Pass road which we rode up to where Aeries crossed. I asked to not add the full Aeries & Cockscomb loop. This is my first time on the last 2 trails so I ride more cautiously familiarizing myself with how the trail is now. Seat dropper post, wide handle bar, and I 9 wheels. Jimmy led and I rode his wheel. Several times I stalled on a move because my nose was up his butt  and I couldn’t see the while move to pick a good line. He created a mental image that I followed. We crossed Dry Creek which was dry to find Snake to climb out of creek bottom. We read the trail side etched metal map at a junction and either misinterpreted the map or the you are here was wrongly placed. We did find Snake and climbed out to Girdner then onto start of Chuck Wagon and the van.

On the way back to VOC Jimmy treated me to a protein shake at the Hike House. Jimmy and the manager met for the first time. We were treated to a first time customer shake. My first. Later in the day I passed frequent relieve gas.

updated 1/30

As I was typing the above Jimmy rolled up. I saw head lights on the FS road then they turned onto my path to my door stop. Pitch black and a dark colored truck had me thinking about defense. My flashlight recognized him. I had a visitor @ my house.

Steve from Sun Valley rolled into town.  We had riding partners. Tuesday we rode Soldier wash as a break into Sedona riding for Steve. I made a riding blunder climbing up a short piece of rock armoring stuffing my front wheel and stalling forward progress. I flailed as I sought control over my fall down into the wash instead of uphill. I saved myself. The wild gyrations injured my repaired shoulder discovered 2 days later. I did not fall on it, I just windmilled the sky. Soldier wash is now a legal system network of trails. There are many ways to create a loop. Numerous trail improvements fostered sustainability. Our descent was down Javalina.

I burped my rear tire on a hard landing. I found that prolly 20 psi was too low for fast chunky tread. Tried CO2 to seat the bead. Tried. Learned that I should have removed the valve core which restricts the sudden pressure needed to seat the bead. Ended up putting in a slimed tube I carry. Stayed up all the way back to rigs.

Some times I can be a tourist:

Back to Bean.

Wed Steve and I took off on our ride that turned out to be too big to be kind loop. We rode Shades up then down to junction w/ HT that took us to Little Horse and a decision to ride Llama back. Shades is such a cool trail.

Head up and elbows bent he rolled right up the slick rock ramp.

Joe Murray caught up to us for a brief visit.

Back @ Bean. The hot water heater for my shower is functioning.

Hanging @ the Bean. Gathering place for local riders, beer flows freely. This is the first place I have experienced this long term camaraderie. I am the brunt of many gigs.

Thurs 8:45 was another PT appointment in West Sedona about a good 20  min drive. I managed my time to arrive on time. Rebecca evaluated my latest shoulder issue. It ain’t good. She told me I need to quit riding for 2 weeks to allow healing of possibly torn tissue.  Today I am in enough pain that I will follow her advise. Although I did ride after the treatment, one last time to last. Forecast called for increasing probability of showers later in the day. We rode out off Dry Creek. Again we shortened the loop. We arrived back at our vans just before sprinkles fell that became a shower.

Back @ the Bean. Jimmy treated me to a killer all you can eat dinner @ a posh golf course restaurant. $13.95. The food was very good. Thurs night dinner solution. Almost all the eaters were old, most of them had their own teeth.

Rain continued thru the night while I was parked on the pavement at the overlook. I listened to the Zags home game against Portland on XM. Zags won remaining undefeated in conference play. They are still ranked third nationally.

Today starts the first of my 2 week rest. I received a chiro adjustment that fixed  a skeletal misalignment to help my shoulder.

Rained all day. Hanging @ Bean. Crowd left. I’m done.

Llama from Steve     video maybe.

 

 

Life is pretty much routine. I get up out of bed after 7, fix bfast and clean up, then head to Bike and Bean and wait for any of the bean crowd to cycle thru. Go for a ride most days from the Bean. Return for a shower and more visiting w/ another crowd. Weather is pleasant enough to sit out back in the sun. Much beer is consumed by some. I drink a beer a day then lots of water. I shower then stop @ Webers IGA for dinner groceries then drive out to Beaverhead camp spot. Fix dinner then clean up. Attend to electronic communication than write this. Bed time is between 10 and 11.  Living in this natural red rock beauty.

Wed night I fixed mole @ Danny’s; took 2 1/2 hours to make and turned out finger licking good. I saved 10 ice cubes of frozen sauce for future dinners like I had tonight w/ left over ride from a dinner I made for Jimmy and I last night.

Thurs was wash day and first day of this stretch of physical therapy for my right shoulder. PT has been the same from every therapist.

Friday I rode w/Duff who lead Dolly just learning to ride. Duff lead us to some of his tech features. This one is known as Butt Crack that he whizzed by.

I like this pict which shows how  we can get lsot in our thoughts w/ bikes askew

I did not join the shop ride that left at 3:00 but I did join in the after ride gathering. Another big and rowdy gathering of riders. I drove out to beaverhead after dark and scored my spot.

Fri AM it was 24 degrees @ the bean. Freeze thaw mud happened. Even today remnant patches remain. Today I rode Hog Wash where I encountered ice in the deep shade of the wash in the opening pict. Otherwise warmth is almost short sleeves.

Sat I moved the new 2.4 conti trail king from the back to the front and installed a new 2.2 conti trail king. The 2.4 on the rear was a shop mistake. Right away I noticed an increase in speed pedaling up the parking lot. On the dirt I did not notice any loss of traction.

Sat @ 8:30 AM I learned more skills from Simon’s skill sessions.

I connect the trail net work for an 11 miles loop from the shop. Bell rock pathway, single track bypass, court house, llama, little horse, ht, templeton, breezy, finish on shades. Climbs 1145 feet and lasts about 1 1/2 hours.

Rain is forecast for Tues. Tomorrow is a ride day just because of forecast.

Thurs there was TV coverage for the Gonzaga / ST Mary’s game that I watched @ PJs. The Zags scored 21 more points and are now in first place in the WCC, still ranked # 3 in the US.

Sat night I used Jimmy’s kitchen  to prepare a dinner for us. I drove over to the Bean parking lot for the night.

Today I felt like I wanted to ride. I planned a route knowing there were several hike a bike sections and other just huffing climbs. Exposure on Hogs. I rode well.

The hot water heater at the shop has been shutting off serving up barely tepid shower water. Today I caught very hot water shower.

The X ray of my elbow revealed no structural injury. My pain and loss of function is connective tissue.

The furnace has been running as advertised. Thurs night it ran all night in spite of the low setting I commanded and still left enough battery power.

“Ain’t but 3 things in this world that’s worth a solitary dime but old dogs, children and watermelon wine. Old dogs care about you even when you make a mistake, God bless the little children while they are too young to hate.” (Tom T Hall, Watermelon Wine). I listen to Willie’s Place on XM on Saturdays.

 

 

I’m pulling for the Seahawks as a former home team. I have controlled compulsive behavior of an avid fan, I only watch them on TV if the game is on and I can schedule around it. If you watched the game Sunday you saw what I saw. I made Sunday a rest day. I rested past the first quarter of the game. Down to PJs for latter 2nd quarter to subdued Seahawks countered by boisterous Packer fans. 4 minutes left and Seattle is down, doesn’t look good, then the gears clicked for a Seahawks victory. What a comeback and win.

That was my Sunday afternoon.

I drove out to Beaverhead the into my favorite spot. Every drive I see my tracks for sure and maybe others cast in the firm mud.

Steven says I need to be at his shop in west sedona at 9 on Monday to claim my new drawer. I made it. The appointment established a sense of urgency in my morning getting going activities. I make my bed every day. Brush my teeth morning and night on rechargeable Soni care. I scratch when and where it itches. This shirt shows off my belly. The drawer is in place in the pedestal under the bed. The 2 paper bags are back in the drawer, off the floor and more easily found.

Jimmy called and invited me on an afternoon ride down in VOC. I accepted and drove back down. John joined us on his hard tail. We rode on the east side of 179 south of the village on mix of social and system trails. The tread here is a lot of chunky loose rock, some basalt added for nature put it there. We rode horse created trails and trails butchered by grazing cows.

There were patches of chunder that required sitting my bike and letting it find its way. This bike is so much better than what I rode last year. It’s the wheel set. Jan 19 and riding in Spokane summer wear.

Yesterday broke my string of consecutive days reconnecting w/ a local. 20 days it lasted.

Grocery shopped then drove out to my spot.

My bike has a suspension issue discovered on today’s ride that will be fixed tomorrow. Scot will be all over it. Scot is a very knowledgeable bike repair super star. I trust him the most of all the mechanics who have worked on my bikes.