Sat AM I drove up to west Sedona while listening to Wait Wait… Being on the road b4 10 usually escapes the touron traffic backup.

I stopped at laundromat and asked to use the step ladder which I used to get up high on the van then laid a bead of sealant on the body panel join. Precip is forecast for later this week including snow. I will learn if my repair plugged the leak.

My ride plan was for monstrous Last Frontier etc. I parked at the cultural park, geared up, then pedaled away. I made about 200 yds when my phone rang. It was Bill Z from bean fame. I described what i wanted to ride which convinced him to join me albeit almost 2 hours later. I putzed around in the parking lot. A rig with a bike on it pulled in beside me: it was Matt from VOC, another friend. We watched birds drink water from a nearby puddle. He knows birds: western blue bird and evening grosbeaks.

Bill arrived. we took off. Bill disclosed that he only rides once a week. He pushed himself staying ahead of me. He is a few years younger than me, not by many. We rode Last Frontier connecting to Western Civ to Cockscomb to Rupp then rode the wander thru the desert on social trails till we joined Girdner with its painful climb out of Dry Creek.

Back at the parked rigs we enjoyed post ride beer from my fridge. He left. I drove back into town for a shower and exotic groceries at Whole Foods not sold at the VOC IGA. Late afternoon leave Decided to drive thru Cornville out to Beaverhead instead of contending with touron jam on 179. Picked road at mp 3. Drove out to first unoccupied turn out. I saw a rig in the distance. I was outside doing something when the white rig almost made a press fit to my van. It was Ian who was out figuring rides out in cattle land. They left about dark. I listened to the Zags on XM.

The furnace is not lighting consistently. When it doesn’t light the inside temp drops which chills me below what my blanket cover warmth. I cycle the control knob which causes the furnace to kick on. I pull over the overlap blanket for warmth and fall back to sleep. After awhile the furnace has warmed up the inside which makes the overlap blanket too hot waking me up. Kick off the additional layer. Cycle again

Today after a pancake bfast which I forgot to add an egg I drove to VOC. I park behind the sheriff’s office. I am on friendly relation with an officer who is retiring later this year. We visited.

Forecast for today called for a wind event afternoon. My intent was to get my ride in b4 breathing blowing sand. I was not motivated to be sharp. The FS is armoring eroded pitches and doing a great job. The features in Breezy that were so short with Sandy rose to their normal unrideable height again. Just couldn’t make it happen.

Snow is forecast for later this week. Paved overlook parking.

The rock here is predominately sandstone which is soft. To me it seems that riding the rubble is sort of stable as when the rocks are moved because of their softness they jam against others forming a stable berm Harder rock pieces bounce off others lessening something to bank against. Big 2.5 tires on wide rims at low pressure helps.

Off to PJs for a beer then out to desert and changing weather. 3 day weekend, potential desert dwellers becoming mudded in tomorrow. Lessons learned.

Rain fell as gravity commanded each drop. Where that drop landed was per nature and physics. Wed night when I crawled into bed I learned that the head of my bed was wet. Those drops that would have rolled off the van roof a quantity found their way onto my bed. Thus began recovery and sussing out the point (s) of entry. For the night I laid out an ensolite pad over the bed then used my 20 degree down bag. Ran the furnace at low comfort level. Woke later in sweat as the bag was too warm, I orientated the wet down blanket for dry to be over me then fell to sleep. Yesterday was laundry day. I washed the mattress pad and dried the blanket in a dryer. I borrowed a ladder from the laundromat then climbed up to survey the roof. Previously noted the suspected seals were well protected by structure. A guess is a gap in the spot weld roof panels is the source. Dunno. I bought a sealant but need to connect to another step ladder. Forecast calls for clear (no rain) so I can put off sealing. Today I put the bed back together, tonight I will learn if I air dried the memory foam pad long enough.

Last night was s bash at the hilton celebrating their multi million dollar renovation to focus on activity. Free hor d’ ourves and beer. Lots of wealthy people rubbed elbows with locals who cannot afford the nightly room rental. Connected with several locals not yet encountered.

Zags played last night. They won and SMC was beaten by USF dropping them to second place. Go Zags. Game was on espn3 and XM did not broadcast. Slept at the overlook with slow internet reception following the game.

Today as expected hero dirt. I connected again with Sandy for a ride from the bean.

Our ride took us down HT, down the armored stair steps. She ratcheted up her self confidence and rolled the stairs. What joy to share the experience of another rider over coming fear to successfully master  something that scared them. She was almost white from fear and her body shook from success. Further along she rode another sketchy piece for the first time.

The FS trail crew is doing a nice job armoring erosive spots. This one is on HT.

Up then back down

We finished our ride riding down Slim. Only a few wet spots. Rain”glued” the sand grains together. No dust.

Sandy is a stronger climber and I am a faster descender. We swap leads depending upon the pitch.

Authoring this behind the sheriff’s office where internet is fast. Stopping for groceries at webers than out to Beaverhead and no cows, just excrement left behind.

Yesterday .5″ of rain was reported from a VOC home rain gauge. Rain showers off and on for a chunk of the day. Ian stopped in at the bean. He said Shady was dry and he was going for a ride. In the time of this conversation he looked out the window to see that the sucker hole had closed again. Instead we internet researched e bike laws. I dallied allowing the ground to swallow what had been dropped before checking out MP4 camp spot. favorite spot on Beaverhead is a parking lot. Nobody picks MP4 which is full on exposed: no trees for shade bit the cows have been wrangled to another grazing area for environmental damage.

Forecast for today called for showers after 11 and gusty winds. I headed up to west Sedona after Bfast cleanup. I parked at Sunset Park to ride SSS: Ridge, Sketch, Ridge, Scorpion, Skywalker, Old Post Ridge loop. Skies threatened. I added my new breatheable rain coat to my hydration pack. Hero dirt. Rain wetted the dirt binding the dust into almost hard pack. However, sandstone becomes soft in the wet as water solves the adhesive holding the sand grains together. Rock is now friable hence unpredictable for traction. I followed maybe 3 biker tracks on Ridge and Sketch. A younger and faster rider passed me on Scorpion for my only human sharing. Climbing up Scorpion is a fest of basalt babyheads. Steve said we would not be able to ride this trail in our lifetime. I agree as I am only getting slower and generate fewer fractions horses of power. No blue sky or shorts today. I finished back at the park as drizzle dropped form the clouds. I covered my bike then took shelter inside my home.

Home, the carpet back where the water jug broke open is absorbing water from underneath creating a wet spot. wet carpet smell inside. I lift the carpet and prop it up to allow air evaporation albeit slowed by increasing humidity.

Rain has been falling steadily since ride completion. Parked at cultural park listening to rain hitting the van. Toasty snug as a bug in a wet rug.

Of course most days are this experience:

Spending night behind Uhaul staging myself for laundry tomorrow and weathering out forecasted showers.

The Propex furnace is failing to light consistently. Last night I sensed no heat while in bed. The controller is right above the in board side of my bed. Flashing red LED signals no light. A reset fires the furnace back on. Not good for consistent comfort.