Last week I sought RV service for my fridge which was loosing its cool. Propane fired. Hoped that is was an obstructed burner orifice. Which it was. Fridge is now putting out the chill. My furnace is also fueled by propane and it was not running correctly. I did not understand how to service it until the guy called me while I was riding. He shared methodology. Later I called the RV service and scored a Mon AM appoojtment. I ran the infrared catalytic heater for 2 days. Different heat but no soiund which was strange. Mon the service tech removed the furnace orifice noting the partial clogging. Solvent clean and reinstall. test fire passed. Real test would be later that afternoon when the furnace would be wanted. Last night perfect operation to the thermostat and the burning noise was less. Success on both propane appliances. I am good.

Sunday had hopes of a morning ride with Elaine depending upon the weather, forecast had snow and wet in it. We went for it. We pedaled away from Whole Foods on Soldier Pass road as snow flurries fell. Appeared to be big sucker hole. We kept at it as the skies actually lost their threat. Chilly but no moisture. We rode a bunch of the system trails. Again my joy of hearing Elaine share her successful move.

She went her way and I went mine down to PJs for a beer and watch some basketball. Zags now play Florida on Thurs. for sweet sixteen. Out to Beaverhead for the night. So far no competition for way out spot. No shade which will diminish its desirability when sun puts out big rays.

Yesterday was furnace repair and rest. Back out at same spot off Beaverhead.

Today I wanted a shower after my ride which meant west Sedona.I parked at Sunset park to ride Scorpion down and Sketch up to reacquaint myself with this direction. Today my breathing left me catching my breath more frequently. The rock work on Skywalker to bring up the nasty rock out of a wash is a success. Yes, it was a dumb down repair but the feature was not consistent with the overall character of the trail.

Single track, the narrower the more challenging. Compare the above with the Soldier Pass trail above that. Soldier pass trail gets widened by users seeking an easier line. Build it bench cut on a steep hill side and the build will not allow the tread to widen. This is why you keep your tread on the tread.

Visited the Worm donating a book and buying a new one. Stopped in VOC to access faster internet speed. Off to Beaverhead

Bike is now 2 years old, 6245 miles from 438 rides. Put that under your butt and pedal.

Several days ago i bought a sweet potato for dinner. I carried the grocery bags to the van and put stuff away. The potato must have been put away because it wasn’t on the counter. That night that potato was destined for my belly but it make its escape. I could not find it. My theory was it wasn’t bagged at the store. I needed to talk to the checker back tracking the purchase. He wasn’t on duty during any of my shopping visits. Today driving down from Sedona I heard a percussive like sound, I looked back over my shoulder and nothing was out of place. I parked then opened the slider door. The potato was on the foot step. The potato made the van but I didn’t store it correctly, no idea where. The carved turns on the round abouts worked it free which was what the sound was. Go back to your seats.

Thursday 8:30 start was another volunteer trail work day, this time at Soldiers Pass. We hiked in to Teacup reroute up a ways for our projects which was to reroute 3 turns. FS was responding to public feedback to shorten the distance which is what our projects did. People didn’t want to expend the energy for time in the desert. I put to use the rehabing skills I learned. I planted vertical visual blockage. Weather forecast called for rain around noon. It arrived earlier which hastened our return to vehicles then all drove away, no visiting. rained pretty good, needed reg speed windshield wipers. A shower then slogging traffic back up at the Y. The further I drove from Sedona the less evidence of rain. At VOC nary a drop had fallen. I drove way out back at mp4 as the trailer is still posted up.

Friday was another beautiful day with mostly hero dirt. I pedaled from red rock plaza parking lot shared by the Sheriffs office. Bell Rock, Llama, up to Chicken Point taking Broken Arrow to junction with Hogs. A slippery walk a bike descent of the thing bigger than I even have a desire to ride. Twin Buttes down to Hog Wash leaving on Peccary down to Mystic for a piece of climbing on chunder. Thur the neighborhood dropping down to Bell rock off on HT down to Breezy. This time I worked the step up out of the wash and I made it  on my 3rd try. Back down Slim Shady to the Bean. 14.7 miles climbing 1427′ pedaling 2 hours 8 mins. Hard ride, lots of tech.

No visitors at the shop. Coasted down sidewalk into strong headwind. Coasting was almost a pedal down hill. Back out off Beaverhead.

Furnace guy called me on Fri. I took the call while on my ride. He told me how to clean the orifice which I suspect the cause of poor burning performance. I called back to the repair place that serviced the fridge, made a Mon appointment.

Weather forecast for Sun is nasty wet and cold. Today needed to be the ride day. I left early to avoid expected heavy traffic volume. Weekend and all. parked out at Cultural Park. Route was my usual: dropping down Drano then climbing and traversing above Dry creek on Last Frontier. Great feeling of exposure. Today my breathing was not keeping up with my legs. Last Frontier offers up a short trail over to a view point.

Humped along connecting to Western Civ intersecting with Cokscomb, second place to shorten the ride. I pedaled on connecting with Aeire. Shortly I stopped at the top of a grade to allow the up hill rider to pedal up. It was Elaine from earlier in the week. We chatted finally pedaling off on our ride. We would share a piece of Cockscomb. We met again at Cockscomb and Dawa.  miles pedaling 2 hrs

Another view of Cockscomb13 mins climbing 1627′. Big hump up Girnder to TH.

Weather forecast for Sun calls for snow. It is moisture.

Zags won on Thurs, tonight they play OSU whom they smoked in preseason. Bar side at PJs competing with crazy people wearing green.

Wed night i attended the VVCC bike board meeting. Board members present were beyond their 40s, prolly late 50s, nobody younger. Us older folks are doing a lot of heavy lifting for younger members. Got me to wondering about who will be pulling for us movers and shakers as we age out of strenuous phtsical activity?  Perhaps our activisim will continue as we shift to assisted living? Where are the younger people? Will younger riders be pissed when we maybe champion paved bike trails? Just have a concern.

Courteous Craig says smile while sharing our public land with other users.

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Rain cleared around noon on Sunday. I waited until Monday to ride and still encountered muddy spots.

On Monday I headed out to ride what I named Llama loop but it is more than this trail. Years ago I learned that some BnB riders said every trail they were on was Llama to confuse the touron. The FS has spent effort fixing up several problems on Llama. I noticed that the armored steps dropping into a wash followed by a climb out had some loving added to it making it just a little easier. Suspect FS but not confirmed. Rock work was more than a person removing a rock. At bottom of roll down I encountered a woman rider extricating herself. I chatted. She is visiting from CT and her ride was similar to mine.i offered to share to which she agreed. The satisfaction of riding with company that knows the trails sparing riders like her and me of trying to make sense of local better ride routes. We rode down Breezy wash which has several sandstone rolls on it. She lacked experience on this slick rock. I coached to roll down a small drop. She was so thrilled learning that she could ride that stuff. Her back home riding will now be changed. For me the steps remained just as high.

Long afternoon visit with Tony at the shop.

Shopped at grocery store. Item included a sweet potato. I unloaded the shopping basket on the conveyor belt. The checker scanned all items then bagged them. I took my receipt and walked to my van and put away the groceries. I did not pay attention to the sweet potato. However at dinner fix it time I could not find the potato. Today when I shopped the store again yesterday’s checker was not on duty for me to learn if he found a left over potato. The meat counter guy split a large package of chicken breasts for me down to 1. The fridge is  not chilling as low as it should which would be too warm to safely keep the meat. I have a service appointment for the fridge tomorrow at Camp Verde.

Spent night out of Beaverhead way past where I like to stay but this spot traffic noise is unheard.

Today I chose to ride west Sedona which necessitated an earlier start to stay ahead of touron traffic. Stopped to buy ground coffee beans from a local craft roaster. Bought local bagels in Sedona. Drove out Dry Creek rd to park where I usually do right before Chuck Wagon crosses the road. Today cars were parked there and beyond and on the other side of the road. Plugged, never ever seen so many cars which will translate to so many people. Chuck wagon was a zoo until the trail split for Devil’s Bridge. Courteous exchanges, just lots of hikers. 2 large rocks have been removed on Chuck Wagon at the top of the last climbing turn section. Then on Mescal rock work added to make a ramp up a step I fear to try. Now it is a roll up. Continued on Mescal. I was wearing my Pisgah stage race jersey. I stopped on Mescal for a bar. A rider joined me and told me he has raced that race and met Todd, the promoter and who gave me the jersey. I rode Aerie to Clockscomb loop around the east side turning onto Dawa to descent to Dry Creek. Crossed it being dry then climbed Snake etc back to van. More cars were parked along the road. 2 hrs 9 mins to pedal 15.4 miles climbing 184′, less than 100’/ mile. This riding is a full body workout. Dropper posts are king bee. Flat pedals are fun. 7″ front and 6″ rear travel on wide rims matched to wide tires compliments the dropper. Get the saddle out of the way and I can lean over the bike and carve turns and avoid launching over the handlebar. I have not fallen here to date.

Shower at snap then joined the traffic flow heading into uptown. Stopped at Worm for visit and but a new book. I buy them, read them, then give it back to Mike. He lets me park on his lot and take on water from his spigot.

Just before 4 i headed back out again. The highway, 89A, drops down Cook’s Hill to the Y where traffic either turns up to Uptown or turns down hwy 179 to VOC where I go. Traffic was backed up. Maybe 20 mins to finally clear the stuffing at Oak Creek bridge. Spring breaks somewhere. Just way too many people, most I have experienced in my 9 winters of being a resident touron.

With climate warming perhaps places further north will have favorable weather and might become the next best place to spring break.

Weather pattern is disturbed between sunny days and possible shower days. Bring it. desert needs water.

No word from PA regarding what learned fro CT scan.

Bought a road map of the western states for planning. It’s larger than my table.

I ascribe to courtesy most places. Hikers have the right a way on the trails. When i encounter hikers I always announce my presence at a distance that is close enough to be heard but not close enough to startle. I will stop and wait for the hikers to pass or proceed when they tell me that I am OK to pass. That sharing continues thru my off bike life from holding a door open for someone, smiling, and maybe driving just the speed limit. Sharing.