Still around Hurricane settled into a comfortable, problems solved location, pretty easy living. More of the same: riding, spending the night in my van, living in it, in town goceries, hang at OTE, maybe morning latte at River Rock, a local roaster. You know,: same ol same ol. yes, for some I am living their dream while they are not free to roam, I am living their dream and I writ hoo humm details, excitement has aged like maple syrup barrel aged corn liquor. I did experience a Wow drinking it. The novelty has become reality. This fall somewhere in the Appalachians fall colors I felt a weighty feeling of maybe being back, the to me great feeling I got. The novelty had been overridden by 4 previous visits. I was coming back to connection, Maturity(?)

which is what this visit is like. 

Upon deeper thought while writing this I hear a voice of this might be my swan song. Perhaps I am trying to talk myself into settling in La Pine, having my house built. Settling will be a radical change for me. Sometimes I look at La Pine’s weather forecast and conditions, right now not friendly to outdoor activity: Cold. Starting to sound like an old man. I can say that as I am 69, I have been mountain biking the states for 10 years. My knees hurt when standing. However, I believe I am enjoying riding more as my skills have improved. I am focusing on enjoying my rides, kind of like sitting up and looking. Not even close: attention front.

Perhaps a repeat: I switched to a 11X46T cassette. On previous 11X42 my preferred gear was a 32. On the 46 that same setting was a 36 which is an easier gear. When pedaling the current 46T cassette and in that 3rd position I felt that I had more to put out that I was stronger. After learning the easiness factor I have dropped to 4th cog which is the same as the 3 which turns out to be a noticeably harder gear. I have been correcting my foot placement on the catalyst pedals to put the peddle axle to the middle of my arch and pushing down from my hips and pedaling constantly where previously I might stay in the same gear and let it spin out then coast. Now I am upshifting to keep power on the pedals and keeping my foot flat throughout the stroke. Technique to imprint to reflex. Pedaling up the difficulty establishes balance like a track stand. Riding Hurricane Cliffs trails is familiar problem known spots and all the others. I ride the JEM downhill pumping making that the only enhancement to speed. I enjoy. I am slow when pedaling.

So anyway, riding different locations except for last weekend when I rode the same loop 2X. 

Last Thurs did my wash. On Friday my fridge was to be fixed at 9 AM in Washington which is way towards ST George. I plotted my day to after clean clothes I drove west on the way to spend the night at red Cliffs natural area. I rode Lakeside at Quail Lake out and back for a short ride. One way is 2.8 miles pedaling for almost 30 mins each way. 558′ climb total on punchy climbs. Challenging rock but easier than Boy Scout trails.

Short drove later I arrived at Red Rocks. Lot of red rock around here. BLM XG, half price senior citizen $7.50. Perhaps 12 camp sites, just a few where occupied. Picked the levelest one which still required leveling blocks. Went for a walk, first to an Anasazi ruins then scrambling rocks going north then following flowing Quail Creek upstream is the fading sunlight.

Friday I made the fridge appointment for a tech to correctly install the hinge pieces that will push the freezer door shut which will eliminate the frost build up which will allow the fridge to run colder. Parts installed. I paid for my ineptness.

Earlier at camp I opened the job box door with the broken hinge, the door fell free stopping briefly on my thigh before hitting the ground. I have an owey and the figuring out how to reattach the door. Getting a weld fix is now more pressing. I chose a weld shop south of ST George. The main guy greeted me. I asked for repair. he told me where to park then he welded a repair, not a permanent fix. I asked out him restoring it questioning if he could do it. He smiled and said he has worked on worse. He ordered the hinge and hopefully fix this Fri.

I then drove to Santa Clara just up the way and rode Barrelroll which is pretty chunky. Still challenged and still walking the major moves. Bought just picked California oranges at roadside stand. Each year I stop for a bag of oranges which are the only ones I eat the entire year.

Last night the door latch failed big time, it seems the cable is not attached to the latch. Can’t open from the inside. I rolled down the passenger window and reached the outside latch and opened the door. New routine to get out. I am now using the driver’s door to exit then go around and open the slider. I discovered that the driver door can not be key locked. I am not able to lock tight my van. This AM I called the repair shop scoring an early morning fix tomorrow.

Friday I stayed in the OTE parking lot hooked to fridge shore power as I defrosted the freezer. Noisy at the bottom of the hill a mix of truck engine brakes and the noisy from accelerating engines climbing.

Sat was a big game day for the Zags against UNC who beat them in the NCAA finals last year. Resigned myself to listening to the broadcast. Earlier on my ride I ran into another rider. Over the course of an interesting conversation he told me of a brew pub just up the road in Colorado City, Edge of the World, and it was in Arizona where sensible alcohol laws exist. About 20 mins from where I stay. Score. I drove to it and caught the first part, the Zags were being schooled. OTE called while there and invited me to the shop’s birthday party. Paid for like $6.50 beer then drove back to Hurricane and joined the party. 11 years old. I was here for their first one when it was just Quentin, Fixie Dave, and myself sitting in the original shop. Zags lost, not close but soundly.

On sat’s ride I still hit small patches of freeze thaw mud. daytime temps have been almost 60 and nights just below freezing. Sunday’s ride still rode over patches. During that ride I gave thought to removing my fender as in the desert no wet shit thrown up. The fender stopped freeze thaw glop from reaching my face. I did cut it off afterwards. Seems counter to local conditions hence branding me as  an outsider.

Down blanket is overly warm for now, will be way too much for summer. I opened the shipping bag then laid it out on my bed. It’s queen size to allow for doubling over for more warmth. I check the fit on the bed then attached snaps along one edge to hold it on my bed, not slide or get kicked off. Later I saw the garment tag on a length edge. Needs to be swapped. I am thinking about having it cut down to make 2 blankets which will be easier to regulate temp. 

Free fallin, it’s 6PM. Zags play at 7.

For doors that is. A week ago last Friday the door latch on the side door, my main entrance exit door, broke leaving a manipulation of the latch to open the door. I googled door handle, end result of research was the latch broke. I ordered a replacement that arrived last Friday. That day I made an appointment at a local shop with previous experience for today. Success: remove 2 screws, remove latch, insert new one connecting to latch mechanism, replace 2 screws, then open the door. Latch opens now as it should. Behavior modification: in the week that the latch sort of functioned I adopted kneeling in front of the latch and push out on the door as I gingerly opened the latch. Now that it is back to normal I caught myself several times going thru the adaptive steps. They also tightened the parking brake cable such that it engages full on short pull to allow height clearance for swiveling chair.

So about even. 2 years ago at a primitive campsite on the LoViT trail in Arkansas I backed into a tree full on relocating the Jobox and door. In Sedona a buddy weld repaired the broken hinge which held until tonight when the door fell off the box. I can place the door in the frame then throw the latch which locks the door onto the box. Not a show stoper yet but getting this door fixed.

Last week freeze thaw mud happened on the upper JEM and Dead Ringer trails. Sticky clay dirt. Just don’t ride. Those guys continued down the trail leaving perhaps a half mile of slithering tracks. Just maybe it will get better.

Sat night the temp dropped below freezing, in the morning frost was on the ground. I waited and waited some more for sunshine to dry the mud. A rig pulled in with two riders who rode out a ways on Dead Ringer. Short time later they returned. I watched them scrape off their muddy shoes. Their bikes were a mess of mud clogged wheels. I stopped them on their way out, they rode maybe a 1/12th of a mile before turning around. later on we ran into each other at Church Rocks. Their bikes were clean as they washed the mud off before this dry ride.

I waited long enough to ride on firm as seem by my dry tires.

Last Thurs wash day I hung only 1 day’s worth of riding clothes.

Sat I drove down to Santa Clara to ride Barrel Roll etc. I was curious to the number of riders on a sunny beautiful riding day. Maybe 15 riders during my ride up Precipice, to Sidewinder up and down then barrel roll loop.

Last Wed at my PT session the PT evaluated my forearm pain as coming from a nerve that involves my right shoulder which has 2 tendons torn from the bone. He gave me 2 exercises and stretches for my shoulder which will quiet the forearm nerve pain. I have been complying such that my shoulder is almost pain free and the nerve pain is almost gone. I am so happy to be pain free. I can almost lift a pint of beer with my right arm.

Sheep Bridge  above Hurricane connects to Virgin to the north, gravel road, first road out of town for primitive camping on BLM land. This year the BLM  established official campsites noted by a sign post and metal fire ring. I tried one tonight, Gone are the camp spots that were right off the road, replaced by newly carved out ones requiring a sturdy rig to navigate the rough jeep single track. Gone perhaps are the big motorhomes.  

I rode Prospector Church Rocks on Sunday to ride at a lower elevation and on mostly sand tread. Another nice day wearing knee socks and a new light weight Merino wool jersey. Just toasty. My sun tan is pasty white.

On Sunday the Zags played Tenn who beat them on a last second 3 pointer on XM. Zags fell to 4th in rankings.

I bought a new down blanket to replace the existing one that seemed to have lost its loft. First night underneath it I relished the warmth of the lofting down. And maybe just below freezing at night. Last night was upper 30s with the furnace on I became too warm under the double thickness which I freed from attached snaps to slide off my bed. Back to comfort. I am looking into a gel infused memory foam topper to replace the topper presently sleeping on.

Maxxis Minnion DHF 2.5 WT tires are selling for $80 down here. I believe I paid $42 back in Bentonville.