Two nights ago rain fell and the temp dropped below freezing. Yesterday was another wet trail day to just hang around. I found a dinner recipe then bought necessary groceries then headed out to Beaverhead. Upon arrival a car was parked back at my preferred spot. I parked down below then walked the road system on the other side of the road. I can drive to the tank and no further as the road is deeply gullied. When I returned to my van the car was gone. I drove up to my spot. When Tim was here he manhandled a heavy rock to drive his left front wheel of his Sprinter to level it out. I have been dodging the rock. Today I verified that is was too heavy for me to move. A monument in my parking lot. I read a bit of Farewell to arms before dinner.

During the night my body temperature regulating system sends confused signals like hot flashes even when the heat is turned was down, I slip off the second down blanket layer to chill, but sometime later I chill enough to wrestle the layer back on. Sunrise is around 7:30.

Today I drove up to west Sedona to do laundry on my normally scheduled Thursday chore. Clean clothes. I hung a scant 2 sets of riding gear for the past week.

Sunshine and warmth called me for a ride in the Carrol Canyon drainage basin. From Old Post I connected to a new trail Skywalker that replaces Bike Path. I rode over what I helped bring to reality. Trails are narrow sometimes on steep side hill, almost all red rock, some anchored in easy or challenging faces, the rest red rock rubble. Takes a skill set I am reconnecting with. Sketch has been helped solving several sustainable issues but the cure eradicated the challenges. Oh well. 10 miles of sunshine and rock. Still walk pieces.

A shower at Snap beside the movie theater cleaned me for the 7:00 showing of Hateful 8 which is what I need to get to. Going to stay tonight out off 89B road arriving after dark.

Steve, thanks for concern of bad gasses causing my head ache. My furnace is under the van that is a heat exchanger so no gasses enter the van.

Tomorrow is a PT session for my shoulder, neck, and hip. I’ll ride out here before treatment.

Conditions on Sedona trails have been freeze thaw mud which is really nasty slippery slimy, riding on it creates ruts. I will find out how these ruts dry out and the trail effect, hence maybe we shouldn’t have ridden today.

Friday I did my laundry in west Sedona, a day late per my weekly Thurs. wash. I have 8 pair of under shorts, one as a spare if wash is a day late. I wore a pair gently worn the day before. Afterwards I viewed The Revenant at the local movie theater. Caught the 12:20 showing, senior discount 50 cents. Theater prolly 80% full of mostly people around my age or more. Upon walking out the theater door I was greeted w/ drizzle as predicted. No riding on Sat. Slept at the paved overlook again.

Sunday the Seahawks played at 11:00AM. I made 1 beer last for the first half and left w/ Seattle being spanked.

Back at the Bean parking lot getting ready to do my ride Joe Murray stopped by greeting me. Being in the presence of such an icon of early mtn biking fame, I’m awed. I admire his accomplishments relative to what I have done which made me feel less. This is a characteristic of depression belittling yourself to others more accomplished. Solution is to think about what you have done. Okay, I have lived in a Sprinter van for the past 7 1/2 years and have ridden at least once in 49 states. I ride what I can and walk what I need to. I’m doing it my way. I do admire what others have done or made. I value what I have done and am doing.

So I rode out Verde Valley School road pedaling on the road then jumped onto a piece of Baldwin to learn about the dirt. Not sloppy muddy. I looked at Oak Creek which appeared to be about the same flow as previous. Next up was Turkey creek area trails. Today the mud was firmer than the wheel ruts made previously. I rode the system trail to Turkey tank turned around and rode the social trails back to the road. The dirt was soft but not sloppy.

Back at the shop I checked the score of the Seahawks game. They almost won after a dismal first half. After a shower I’m standing in the parking lot when a guy calls to me: JP. Said we met back at the Snake Creek Challenge race back in March of ’09. How’s your memory? Tim and his wife Jamie and daughter joined me for camp Sunday night out at Beaverhead. Tim set up a propane lantern and heater and we stood around visiting. Tim is friends w/ Pisgah Works Bruce. Tim races enduros and is pretty good and fast as I was to learn today.

Monday I drove up I-17 to Flag for my DR appointment for a medicare physical and solution to my 24X7 headache. My body is within the control limits. Mark, the DR, is a biker which creates a connection. Headache protocol is a anti nauseous drug for 2 days and if no relief more onto a pain med. Thinking headache is the result of nausea. I asked for a PT script for my head ache, shoulder, and hip. He recommended a PT in Sedona who is also a biker. I have that appointment this Friday.

Which brings us to today. Tim and I made a noon  rendevous at the Bean. He rode yesterday and said that the trails were not bad. Today during a trail condition discussion he said that it’s like riding in the mud back east an dhtat the locals shirk muddy trails. I planned a route that would take us on Hogs which is full on north facing which will hold the cold. Llama had muddy spots, Little Horse was fine. Hogs had dry separated by many feet of glop. There is this way challenging move on Hogs that I have troubles slithering down it. Today it was slippery w/ tracked mud.

The back side was  a shit storm. Back at the shop after 14.5 miles taking 3 hrs 24 mins of pedaling. My heart rate was way high pumping above my upper limit of 132 bpm for almost half of the ride. Data showed 180bpm which was possible. I washed off my bike and showered. Cleaned and dried I am back by myself at Beaverhead.

I picked up Farewell to Arms by Hemingway who had ties to Sun Valley.

Back in Sedona last night after 3 days of short sleeve warmth, sunshine, and sonorran desert saguaro and cholla cactus.

Picking up from where I left off. Have new glasses that are half glasses which allow me to look over the top of the frame in a normal posture and when I need to see up close I just look down thru the lense. Working on making the vision adjustment.

Monday I rode out Verde Valley school road and checked out the dirt on Baldwin and Turkey Creek. And Oak Creek.

Several of the middle stepping stones washed away at the crossing.

Turkey Creek was dry

I went down to PJs to watch the college championship game. I viewed a pickup truck w/ 2 bikes hanging over the tailgate. I walked into PJs and looked over the crowd. I spied 2 guys sitting at a table that had the image of bike riders. I walked over to them. One was Eric, an associate regional director for IMBA. I engaged him and he me in an advocacy conversation, the football game was lost. I invited him and his buddies to share my Beaverhead spot. Chilly night out while my heated van furnished comfort for hanging out. I woke about 7, fixed and ate bfast and cleaned up before I saw stirring from the sleeping bags outside. They were on their way to a river trip and I headed south to Black Canyon trail.

Black Canyon Trail : sunny and pleasant. I rode north from the Bumblebee road crossing to Bumblebee to where I helped build trail a bunch of years ago,

The tread is friable rock much of it like vertical fins that hold tire traction.

I encountered 2 guys who remembered me from a previous conversation at Brewers Union in Oakridge. They were the remnants of college buddies get together rides.

I changed clothes and drove to the pie place at Rock Springs to buy a pie for the McDowell gathering. I cut a test piece from the pecan pie and ate it testing it for desirability. It passed, I took one for the team.

I drove down into the beast of the greater Phoenix valley over to McDowell park. I scored a campsite for 2 nights.

I shared pie w/ Rebecca

Plans were made for a ride the next day. Rebecca used to be a pro mtn bike racer. Tall John joined. Over the years some of the same people spend camp ground time that D & R have met which makes for group rides and socialization. Riding here is just about all pedaling, no lifting of the front wheel. We smoked over to Brown’s ranch. Whiskey bottle was the best trail as it was more narrow single track. 24.89 miles in 3 hours 10 mins climbing 1234′. My quads really were worked.

Rebecca puled together a dinner for a bunch of us with other riders they know in the campground. Sunshine till about 3:30 warms.  The     sun looses its power and the temp drops. The ground has the cold. Long pants and sweaters were put on.

Wed’s morning ride was just w/ Rebecca. She knows the trail system so that I just stayed on her wheel as she guided me around. I enjoy riding w/ navigation knowledgeable rides as it spares me of figuring out a ride. I get to focus on the ride.

This area is desert.

Cholla spines have microscopic barbs which go in the flesh easily but tear flesh when pulled out. On one of our descents I took a slight deviation from Rebecca’s line that resulted in a little pump jump for me but added a cholla spine to me left foot somewhere. The spine bothered my pedaling. At a stop later I took off my shoe and spied a spine buried in a toe. I tried pulling it out thru my sock but it wouldn’t let go. I took off my sock to see about 1/4″ of spine sticking out of a toe. I grasped that end and pulled w/ effort to release that spine. I suppose I should check that toe for damage. We finished the ride, another pedal fest for 14.34 miles climbing 1205′. I am still digging the 1X10 drive train with ease of shifting, just one shifter to work.

I showered then shared last night’s left over dinner w/ D & R then drove back to VOC.

Zags game was televised on espn2. Joy turned a big screen TV to the game that I watched. Zags were beaten by BYU in the Kennel for the second time in 2 years.

I spent the night at the Overlook. I attached my windshield curtain. This AM that curtain blocked out sun rays. A pretty red sunrise shone in a side window. Today is laundry day and no ride as I need a rest day and the forecast calls for showers. Red sunrise collaborated the forecast. So far rain has not fallen.

And so it goes. 4 pairs of liners are hung on the drying line meaning just 4 days of riding since last Thursday.

Still no delivery date for my RFX.