I record my diesel purchases. I’m in Hurricane where a Chevron station displays price for diesel. I have been here for 3 weeks. I have watched the price decrease almost daily to now at subject price. The lowest I paid during almost 7 1/2 years was $1.89 in Alabama back in March of 09. Hurkin has the lowest price as other stations in the area are up to $2.45. Sweet savings that I don’t intend to take advantage of just to drive more. I have 180,000 miles on the van which is feeling its age.  Presently a hard shift occurs between 1st and second gear.

Yesterday Kevin guided me on a new to me Church Rocks ride. Our route avoided the sand wash I fell in last year. However, the memory of soft sand still pervaded my decisions. Yesterday was the last day of good weather of my stay.

It was a short ride.

Tortoises on the far side. The ditch in the foreground is not from an escape effort.

The weather forecast is for more wet. Time to move on to Las Vegas area as the weather forecast is better. And the trails are less affected by whatever rain falls and it is rain not snow.

My Ibis rims arrive today. I’ll prolly leave on Thurs. Gotta hit the fabulous liquor stores in Mesquite, NV.

I am seeking someone to make the battery charger connector cable that will allow me to charge my batteries w/o removing the 6 bolts that hold the passenger seat in place. Cloudy days adversely affect solar charge.

Freehub mag asked me to write an article about finding a camping spot which I did and is now in the current issue. Not always do I find a picturesque camp spot, sometimes I do. The upper JEM TH is one of those scenic spots which is right under Gooseberry. Short drive back  a dead end road over packed desert dirt. However, moisture saturates that dirt turning it into slop w/ enough moisture. About 4 this morning rain started falling while parked at this spot. I left after bfast while the dirt was still firm. I wonder about tonight after this rain. I might sleep in town parked up against the Main Street Cafe, not one of those picturesque spots but I will be able to drive away the next day.

Practice Trail Love and ride elsewhere when conditions dictate. Remember, the trail you damage will have to be repaired by the locals. Because you are a visitor gives you no special privilege to shit on someone elses trails. A visitor might be doing that to your home trails. And if you are practicing trail love you are working on your home trails perhaps repairing non trail loving riders damage.

Conditions had not been  friendly  for me to ride in, after all its not like I’m on vacation and have to ride every day. Temperature stayed low and just above freezing in the heat which kept freeze thaw mud reality and snow. Wed and Thurs were goof off days.

Friday I returned to Barrel Roll in a better frame of mind. Chilly day but clear. I start out climbing up a single track to get to the actual trailhead. This trail is challenging steepness right off w/ no warm up. I could park somewhere distant and warm up. Could but don’t. I identified the sharp rock that destroyed my tire last year. I subtly stepped up it this year. Today I added Sidewinder which is a climbing out and back from Barrelroll.

Imagine miles of square miles and not a tree to hide under. I like the view.

The trails here require upper body effort enhancing lower body work. Takes a toll on my shoulder. All technical riding does this.

Drove back to Hurricane and slept out at the JEM TH.

Sat AM a nearby slamming car door woke me at 8AM. I looked out to see maybe 20 people in running attire and some kind of like elfy hat on. I watched them trot off. The lead runner appeared to be carry like a tray. They left, I got up and did my morning thing of changing the bed room into a kitchen, fixing and eating breakfast cleaning up the kitchen then making the van into a driving rig. I listened to Wait Wait. I learned from 2 women who stayed behind after the others drove away that it was a birthday celebration for some long distance runner.

Sat was another OTE shop ride. Gooseberry Mesa. Oh boy. The usual riders loaded their bikes and gear into the Old Fart Ford pickup truck and headed out. The dirt roads up to Gooseberry would stress my van and me. Our ride up was on firm perhaps partially frozen dirt. Just nasty. The temp at the TH was above freezing but the dirt was still firm. Riding the mesas is mostly exposed sandstone. Today added in was snow in sheltered spots. Nasty. I didn’t trust traction even on my hike a bike stretches. I don’t enjoy the constant tech stuff.

We headed back to the TH from here. Snow about 4″ deep greeted us in shaded spots on the jeep road. Slither and slide. I watched Sensible Steve do a slow tank slapper till his bike lost stability and slid out from underneath him dropping him into the snow. The trail left the road returning the way we came. I decided that I wanted to ride the road as I would not hold up others while I walked stuff that they rode. The trial again was mostly on bed rock while the jeep road was softened freeze thaw mud.

The ride back was a slippery thing as what had been firm was now nasty slippery. Pickup is 2 wheel. Quentin kept his foot in it and steered where he wanted the truck to go but the mud had other ideas. Successful battle as we returned to the hard road and home.

Back in town. I use my Silver Sneakers membership to Anytime Fitness at a location right on State street in town. Dinner at Durango american mexican cuisine fast food restaurant. Simple beans and rice w/ some chicken added. Nutritious and filling. I allow the engine to warm a few minutes before driving the long climb out of town to the JEM sleep spot. I listened to the Zags game on XM. They are no longer in the top 25. Sabonis was on fire. Zags beat Tennessee in Battle in Seattle.

This morning when I checked the temp it was 37 degrees meaning just mud, maybe. I walked out to the trail studying the dirt. None stuck to my shoes. Good to ride. I drove down to Sheep Bridge road to start. My route would be ride the road a short ways to pick up Dead Ringer to climb up to the JEM TH. Ride it down to the Rim trail over to Crypto climbing to Dead Ringer back. I have ridden this route several times. It works. This ride is about pedaling w/ some tech stuff mixed in. Dead Ringer had bike tracked snow in shading spots up higher. There was freeze thaw mud. Foot prints when the mud was soft showed that it was  soft. I skipped the upper part of the JEM which is flat by riding the road till the JEM crossed then jumping on. From here the trail drops. The switchbacks were slippery hike a biking packed snow. From here for a short ways the dirt was freeze thaw. I rode the center of the trail which was less affected. Once I dropped below the heat line the dirt was mostly firm. I did pick up mud but not enough to even partially load up the tires. I should wash it off the bike. Grazing cows, lots of them, had chosen the bike trail for their travels leaving deep hoof prints and the after wards of dinner or breakfast, hard to tell, on the trail.

I drove down into town for a shower and exercise my shoulder on an exercise ball. The Seahawks play the Browns at 2PM. I drove up to Springdale just outside Zion to watch which is the nearest “sports bar”. Tourist season is on winter mode meaning the locals come out.  Seattle won. I left after the game in the past sunset fading light to Sheep Bridge road which cuts across to hwy 59 which drops into Hurricane.

Quentin ordered the Ibis carbon rims. I followed up w/ I9 on the spokes. Working to get the parts together at one time for build. Friend Joe is building up his RFX. Reader Chris just received his call from Tuner for his RFX. Mine is coming, I just need to wait a bit longer.

Forecast is calling for precip off and on this week.

Last night the charger ran all night. About 4 hours were required at full charge to fill the battery enough to cause the maintenance charge light to flash saying the charger moved into maintenance low level charge. This morning I had 11.8 amps. It appears to me that I have a dead battery. The battery wasn’t storing the charge. I googled battery charging to learn about the hydrogen off gas and that it was harmless unless lack of ventilation causing asphyxia. I’m typing this evidence that I allowed sufficient ventilation.

Today River Rock Roaster had electric. I ate that sticky bun and drank a cappuccino. Read the paper.

Next was a drive to ST George and the battery store. Short story is they accepted the battery under warranty and sold me a new and upgraded battery. So far tonight it is holding in the mid 12 amps. Issue at this point appears to be solved.

I visited the liquor store. No moonshine. I stepped up to Patron Anejo which is smoother than the repasado, just a few dollars more. My route from Utah will go thru Mesquite and their plentiful liquor stores. Score moonshine there.

This is Monday morning at 42xx’ feet

Yesterday it was Kevin sticking his tongue out.

Today after the battery deal I drove to Santa Clara to ride barrelroll loop.

Today the high spot of the ride was 3416′. This was about 1/2 way up

At the high point

Trail is more difficult this year caused by weathering and riders. I’m frustrated at my lack of tackling the features that I should be able to make. Enough said.

I drove back to Santa Clara. The orange guy is back again. He drives to CA to pick tree ripened oranges then drives back to Santa Clara where he sells them out of a horse trailer parked in a quick stop gas station. Tree ripened fruit picked just a few days earlier. I ate one after dinner. Such a treat. I am jilted such that I only eat his oranges and then I’m done for another year.

Back at JEM TH for the night. I arrived here around 5PM and the temp was 30 degrees. The road was firm. I saw where a vehicle tracked soft mud. I walked a short piece of the JEM studying trail conditions. One rider rode on snow and some slightly softened dirt. This place is the highest point of the trails on this side of the road. Temp tonight is to be cold, presently at 9:26 it is 29. Mud will freeze. I could ride tomorrow before the sun thaws it out but that will be a cold ride. I’m chilly inside.