Unwelcomed visitor

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.