Last night my sleep spot was full on exposed to strong gusty wind. Van rocked me in my nest. Sun came up shortly the wind quit. Just sayin that’s what happened.

Lingered. Time is 1 hour ahead from last Monday morning. Having no commitments allows leisurely synching to local time. Didn’t feel like riding. Fixed scrambled eggs, drank a cup of cold brewed coffee. Cleaned up. Started twitching for a ride. Just maybe I could go for a ride. Plan ride is to drive to Mack exit TH to ride Troy Built up to Mack Ridge then down Hawkeye. I self help talked to myself as I drove towards the interstate and the TH.

The TH is right off I 70. Pedaled a distance on gravel road to the start of old style single track Troy Built which climbs at first then contours with ups and downs. A bit of push my bike uphill and short “bursts” of pedaling till blow up then gasp recovery. Repeat. Old style trail build. Lots of rocks. Not flowy.

Spring colors

Trail finally rounded the ridge crossing Lions Loop, a beat up double track, that I pedaled uphill to Mack Ridge. This route eliminated the real nasty climb a bike uphill that I climbed previously. Today I sought the lesser pain. Picked up Mack Ridge road for final climb. years ago I rode up the road from the bottom, it was a real soul crusher because it was so steep and loose. This was better. Made Mack Ridge.

Mack Ridge single track is also very rocky. New trail Hawkeye joins. Trail is built using current ideas. Old and new are sustainable. This new is 3.8 miles long dropping 622′. Old school would have made a short descent and prolly would have been like Troy Built. New style is “playful”, it goes to the same place but the fun lessens the effort. I have only ridden this trail downhill. I ran into a couple from Winthrop, WA who pedaled up then worked a loop to ride back down. I clipped a rock with my left foot pretty hard. Little toe is fine but parts to my knee are reporting strain. Fun descent. Didn’t stop to take pics of trail.

Drove back to upper north side of Rabbit Valley above I 70. Windy, sunny, no shirt warm. I am easing into sun tan by limiting my sun exposure.

Now in Fruita, CO where here the rock color is like this:

Monday AM I left Beaverhead flats then headed up canyon. Filled drinking water jug with water from the spring. 89 North to rt 160 to Tuba City, thru Kayanta, turn north on US 191 to Moab. windy ranging from abeam to astern, wind from SW, kept both hands on the control wheel to keep me between the lines. As I approached outer outskirts of Moab I I started seeing tractor trailer loggoed up shiny trailers reading off road 4 wheels connection. Density increased as I neared town including street legal 4X4 on road. Traffic slowed before 1st light. 4X4 rigs and or rigs towing the off road machines. Place was constipated plugged w/ people and fossil fuel rigs. Ain’t staying here because of all the people and a different activity. Assumed no primitive camps spots short of the interstate way N of town. I drove the river road to avoid some interstate. Passed all the BLM campgrounds which were full as expected. Popped out of the river gorge to pick up I 70 heading east to Fruita. Rabbit valley is 1st exit in Co where on the N side above the valley are several camp spots that overlook interstate. BLM primitive camping. Long day of driving. restful sleep spot enhanced by upper and downer mood alternators. Slept. Now in zone of move ahead 1 hour.

Today was short drive to Kokopeli TH right off I 70. Overcast, low 60s, stiff breeze were met with full on short lengths. Plan was to rdie new Wrangler to terminus at Marys loop for return. Just a short ride to calibrate reflexes. I parked at the TH. Ride starts with short steep gravel road climb then zoom down back side. Turn right up what I thought was Wrangler but it was an old double track climbing steeper but straighter to connect with single track. Up a ways the trail stopped at a connector over to Marys. A sign excited readers to wait till fall of 2018. Time was up and the trail has been competed. Trailforks said so. remarkable piece of trail build: climbing turns, sloped back slope, prolly outsloped, grade reversals on traverses. A bald eagle soared above the river displaying its white feathers.

Several long sections of old double track linked new single track. Intersected with Marys for the return. But wait, a sign over to Wranglers. Turned left and climbed a ways till the trail turned downhill on narrow single track. Treads here range from chunks of hard rock, rolled hard and baked clay pock marked by cow hooves, and a few patches of sand. Ran into another RFX Turner rider, named his bike Stallion. My engine is loosing its power. My breathing sucks. I am slow.

Loaded up then drove into Fruits. A paved bike path starts almost at interstate ramp going somewhere east of Junction. First stop was OTE, the original. Greeted same people. Asked about brake bleed on my 2 year old brakes. Using mineral oil. Brake displayed no signs of needing bleeding. Wrench said that over use the fluid breaks down. Wrench hooked bleeding syringes up for flushing and replacing. Oil came out looking like new. Decision was reached to leave front brake alone. Then over to Hot Tomato for a fittingly named Sedona salad. A beer at Copper then headed west out of town to a spot shown to me by Glen (20 year warrior) and Jeff. Spot was occupied. Drove a bit further to a turn out overlooking valley.

That is now.

Thursday I met Ian and Jimmy for a late afternoon ride. Pedaled away at 4:30 which is almost beer drinking time for me. I like to get my riding in well before this start. Interesting time as light is lower and fewer users. They rode at a pace that with huffing I could stay with. Enjoyable time. Ate dinner at a local restaurant that suffered from poor service.

Friday provided another late afternoon social ride opportunity. 4:15 at will’s shop in West Sedona. Biermann joined which spelled hammer fest pace. I couldn’t begin to keep up. I did not think highly of what I decided to join. Plus I was hung over from an antidepressant intended to block the pain signals causing my irritated colon. Fuck that shit. I bailed on ride by riding Skywalker back at what I can pedal. Old Post is a hoot to coast down. Spent the night at Uhaul to stage for Sat morn trail work.

Sat was another morning of building new trail in the Western Gateway area. Trail is unnamed and not connected. Nice day of working. said goodbye to FS people. Drove down to the Bean to say good bye to Tony who will leaving the shop next week. Spent night out off Beaverhead.

Sunday was to be my last Sedona ride that I wanted to be all about me. I pedaled up to Bell Rock TH.There was Wally. He was waiting for Rodger and Dan to arrive for their ride. I know these guys. I asked to join. Pedal with us. I was the youngster in the group as they are all in varying 70s.

They bailed as I continued to ride up to Chicken point, down Broken Arrow, hog Heaven walk down corkscrew, Twin Buttes, Hogwash, Mystic grunt, neighborhood jaunt connecting with Bell Rock, turning onto HT to Breezy Wash climb to Tempelton into Javapai parking lot finding Hermitt to connect with Shade and down hill back to the barn.

Which was then. Red changed to gray. from soft sand stone to harder rock.

I will hang here till Monday then head back to Moab as the Jeep thing ends on Sunday. Snow still covers peaks.

Are you able to pronounce as a local?

Last night Steve and I drove up Thumb Butte road seeking an officially branded camp spot. Late afternoon w/ expectations that the weekenders would be on their way back to their Monday morning work grind. The same campers were there that we saw when we rode by them earlier. Road had been recently graded which eliminated the stutter bumps which were replaced by rocks the grader blade skipped over. We grabbed the first open one to stop the road driving. Site had some side hill which took many leveling blocks to keep the coffee in the cup on the morn.

Today’s ride was meeting Bill Z and Amy on Iron Springs road. Trail Forks is cool in that if a parking spot was indicated it was linked to google maps and driving instructions. I thought I knew the parking spot Bill talked about, however, where I lead Steve to was not where he wanted us. Bill flagged us down as he saw us when he was driving to the spot he wanted further up the highway. All good. Crowded parking spot occupied by many mtn biker rigs.

Bill and Amy created a route that was written on paper. All the trails we were to ride are signed. Trailforks also is in play. Bill lead out. First part was mostly slightly downhill again on decomposed granite. These trails were more challenging than the ones we rode on over at Thumb Butte. But, paying the piper would have to pedaled to.

Open Ponderosa pine forest enhanced by feller buncher logging machine. We rode several recently completed trails, well, within last 2 years. Lots of rewarding stuff to ride on.

Boulders. We rode over the tops of the ones buried.

Bill and Amy had the route dialed causing several discussions. All played out well.

Ride was a time consumer dialed to enjoyment of the surroundings and company.

Prescott NF with a local guy participating in the design and building of ever increasing mileage of trails.

Prescott is about 1,000′ higher than Sedona. Forest cover is P pine and juniper and oak. Snow has not been melted as the vegetation is still starting to send signals to get it on with this reproduction thing. Have many creatures to feed. Several stream crossings. One flowed so cleanly but will soon have no more water to pass down stream Boulders that aren’t red. Tree height well over my head. Lots of fun riding miles. Also black diamond miles.

Drove back to Sedona. Watched men’s div 1 championship game. Pulled for TTU who beat Gonzaga. Played close but Virginia won in overtime. Spent night out on Beaverhead amongst the grazing cows. This year the desert is very green for lots more cows than I saw the last 2 dry winters.

Today was a rest day after 6 straight days of riding.