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.