Last night I was the only rig in the parking lot. In the morning got about doing Bfast and clean up when rigs started poring in in preparation of the race. A guy came up to me and started a conversation. Turns out he was a ” builder” so to speak of these trails and working with land manager. He is manning an aid station out on the course.

I started out on the race course which started out long hill. A piece of it is known as Bitch Bitch. This piece was ridden in each direction. I encountered several young screamers on their short loop. First took me by surprise as I was expecting him to yield to me the uphill rider. He was hauling on the course. From then on I paid attention. The next rider made a mistake as he encountered me as I was out of the way. I was looking uphill on my route. I heard a soft thud then looked back to see the little guy face down in the grass wearing his bike. He was sort of wedged between the fork and front triangle. I gently removed his bike from him then he got up and pedaled on. Trails are a mix of ridden in, cow trails and real system trails.

At the first check point I learned that I was behind the course sweep who was pulling surveyor tape markings. I helped him by pulling down 2 stuffed pockets of ribbon. Pulling them off gave me rest breaks but interrupted my flow. However, I helped. At an intersection a racer was pedaling up. I asked if he was racing, yes he said. Therefore no  ore pulling down tape. I rode his wheel for a ways until the trail routed onto a primitive road then I pedaled away from him.

He acted as both my rabbit and speed governor.

The trail builder was manning an aid station and I stopped to visit. I commented about cow trails which the course and legal trails use and how some places they were steeper than what is sustainable. He said that he (my term) cow whispered into letting the cows build the trail. Huh? He said it was done by placing salt blocks at points where they wanted the trail to be then the cows with their aversion to work created the easier way to the next block. Pretty ingenious, but with understanding of an animal their strength can be used for human gain.

I rode the Challenge course of 14 miles not adding on the 8 mile loop starting and returning to the aid station.  My ride was 14.3 miles climbing 2093′ pedaling for 2 hrs 6 mins. Pretty good elevation gain. My brain accepts that it can not climb past a point of exertion which the body has defined from experience.

I walk more as age adds up. I bought my first mountain bike back in 1983 just as this sport was in its real early stage. I was 36 years old. Change.

Spent a second night at the TH. Camp ground is all but empty and the TH is empty but me.

Tomorrow I will drive to Spearfish, SD and ride some of the Dakota 50 course. Last of the big hills. Then to Sturgis. Big push across SD finding no rides. Perhaps into MN.

Friend Phil called telling me that Gonzo’s Hesitation Point Bike shop right outside of the Brown County Indiana park is closing his store. Change. I have been wearing non stop his labeled sweat hat since last visit 2 years ago. I was hoping to stop to buy a replacement.

This evening while sitting outside in the empty parking lot reading I heard a truck engine nearing. Guy pulled up alongside and said I remember you. He said Spearfish which triggered memory of our meeting back in 2009. can remember conversation about compressor refrigerators but not desirable women.

Thursday night during bed making I found the headlamp which was wrapped up in the summer blanket not the down blanket I searched thru. Problem started with the mouse. I woke up at a noise and turned on the headlamp to look. I turned it off then fell back into bed and sleep. I had no recall of where the headlamp was laid down.

So, now I have the headlamp. Next success was no wake up skritching. I checked the traps. Always, the last place looked right against the lentil bag was a dead mouse.

This little thing moved that maybe a cup of lentils.

Last night I slept in quiet.

Yesterday i drove back to Cody seeking Cody Coffee that Chris at Joyvagen told me about. As I neared the building I saw smoke rising from a roof metal tube chimney.Immediately suspected coffee being roasted. Walked in and zeroed onto this guy standing at the roaster. Jesse, the owner, roaster, mountain biker, formerly of Marquette, MI and he saw my van in front of Chris’ shop. Wonderful conversation as I was able to connect to things from his home.

Headed out of town heading east towards Buffalo. I planned on FS camping up near the Powder River pass at 9666′. Drove into the first XG, Sitting Bull. Nice site with plenty of open spots. Parked in my chosen spot and settled in.

Early fall.

Today i finished the drive up to the pass. Many dispersed campers near the road, suspect hunting season. Then the drive down in several places 8% grade. Feather pumped my brakes. No burning brake pad smell when I stopped down low. I first planned on a ride higher up but I did not read about the trail itself until up at the pass with service: ATV trail. I’m out. Stopped outside Buffalo for more research. Found the William J Mentock trail which runs along Clear Creek. I drove to the TH following driving directions linked to the trail start. Fancy stuff when have internet. I geared up and pedaled up the trail alongside a happily bubbling stream. River rock babyheads, many places for moves on a less threatening trail. Elevation topped at 6,000′ which my body has not made the adjustment to causing shortness of breath. Shortness comes also from advancing age and I suspect the embolism is still in play. There were 3 places where the trail was bench cut into the hill that left a protruding rock on the back slope with the outslope narrow dropping vertically down to the creek. Nasty.

I passed an older man going up creek. We exchanged greetings. I caught with him at the TH. He asked about my ride then introduced him, he was the builder of the trail which became named for him. He gave me a brochure on the trail. I asked for his autograph. He must have never been asked for one. We chatted a bit. He drove away. Then a rider rode in. He started a conversation. Turns out he built the extension past the end of the original trail, That was another conversation,

Drove thru Buffalo on my way to Sundance out on the eastern edge of the state. At Sundance with internet I researched between MTBProject, Trailforks, Backcountry navigator, and Google maps seeking FS land. Found FS land to the west of town, nice paved county road, sign for FS campground. Always a sure bet if space available. Pulled into the XG which turned out to be filled with mountain bikers. Hmmm. Stopped at a site to learn what’s up. Said a race happens tomorrow. Course is marked which will solve my navigation frustration. I was told of a parking lot just up the hill as a sleep spot for me. I drove uphill to the empty big lot and chose a spot at the outer edge above the campground. Lots of kids getting after it screaming with their high pitch voices. Quiet now.

I drove I90 100 some miles to Sundance in a strong gusty cross wind. Constant micro steering adjustments counter steering against the wind. Hand full driving a facial tissue box on a roller skate. 94 degrees with window open, sweated the seat back.

I am just about of the mountains and higher elevations. Tomorrow is into S Dakota.

Hurricane Florence forecasted path dumping heavy amounts of rain over much of Appalachians.

Tracking to be in Marquette on 9/29.

3 nights ago while in bed before falling asleep I heard skritching noises, like something scratching. Umm, mouse? No noise during the day. 2 nights ago more skritching. I have accepted the noise maker will remain with me. I opened the food drawer to see this:

Significance: about 1/2 of a bag of lentils had been transported from the food hopper outside the drawer. The critter must have filled its cheeks as a bag and moved them during the night. Lentils were mostly what attracted its interest as evidenced by teeth marks. Last night I set 3 smacke ’em dead traps baited with almond butter. I still heard noises. I brought my headlamp into bed to turn on to see any noise. Observed that 1 trap was missing. Hmm, another clue to this is bigger than a mouse. Later in the morning I found the trap without a captive but a dose of blood. Tomorrow I search for the corpse and my headlamp which is now missing.

Backing up, I drove to Billings to a Walgreens to pick up my med, this time 10 days supply. I drove down to Red Lodge, MT stopping at The Spoke wrench to visit and learn what’s up. Owner used to work in the tunnel mines extracting rock the old way. He suggested rides and gave me a location to spend the night. I drove out to that spot a short distance from town. Tread on FS road deteriorated to a challenge to save the suspension over the nasty. Made his recommended spot. Nothing there that I could level my van. Drove out of spot trending downhill. Worked the brakes, I floor boarded the pedal to stop my downward progress: brake acted like previous times when I pushed the pedal down the brakes quit biting, never locking the wheels buts not stopping fully on demand. Shit, I will be heading downhill some more while heading down to TH.. Next morning the brakes worked going down as long as I don’t mash the pedal.

Suggested ride was Silver Run loop. I headed out. Tread went over numerous round rock rock gardens with little elevation gain, trials type riding. I drop my seat just a skosh which allows me to stand up so much faster than when height is at pedal height. High is like sitting on my bike, lowered I am riding in my bike. Several hikers shared the trail, I noticed each carried bear spray. not me.

Finished the ride. I drove towards town and parked off the shoulder of the road to ride Nichols Creek which up top has a just this summer opened piece of trail. Told to suck it up and ride the 3 miles up the ski run road which I did.  Pedalable grade. Got to the ski area base where the newly built trail took off. Nicely done sustainable. Passed thru lodgepole

Down a ways newness connected with old road and steepened. No fun in descending so fast to not savor the fruits of sweat from the uphill pedal. Oh well, great handling bike made quick work of the descent.

I finished with enough time to drove the 73 miles to Cody, WY.. Big long downhill right off the start. Downshifted the transmission and judiciously applied brakes which worked and the right rear did not lock up. Rolled into Cody. Showered at an Anytime facility, first in a week. New body cleaning methodology: in Bend I conversed with a woman who was back into real basic living. She said that the body produces oil to maintain skin health and washing with anything that removes the oil strips that oil causing the skin to dry out which is then met with applying lotion.Simply wash with plain water keeps the skin healthy. My skin is healthy.

Drove to Joyvagen shop and met Chris, the owner. Visited while gathering info for a ride and a place to sleep. Drove out to TH just outside of town at the Outlaw trail system.Windy night parked broad side to the wind.

Today I waited to start allowing the sun to warm things up. I wore a long underwear top and knickers as I was chilly. I follwed an MTBP route. I discovered why my phone sails free of the holder: the protective case thickens the phone beyond the thickness capacity of the carrier. I put the phone in then adjusted my ride to keep the phone with me.

trail dead ended at this

Pretty tech riding. Trails are not signed which told me they were not recognized trails by land manager BLM. Not many miles ridden but lots of made moves.

My body, as an engine, is like an engine with worn piston rings: loss of compression. It is becoming harder to ride against gravity.

Drove back to town to do laundry. i had lost track of the day of the week as I forgot that today was Thursday. Clean clothes. In same building is a detachment of WY state troopers. I parked right in front of their front door.

Visited at bike shop then drove back out to TH for the night.

Tomorrow I will head to Buffalo, WY.

Hurricane Florence is projected to hit the SE mountains with lots of heavy rain. Need to pay attention as trails might be affected. Maybe help restore trails.

Anyway, it’s late, I’m off to bed and search for headlamp and listen to skritching.