Last night after dark a van pulled in and parked almost beside me. I learned a lesson when choosing a wide open area is to find an edge of that open area because nobody can park on that side anyway.

Quiet night, no furnace and only single layer of down blanket. Gravity pulls the blanket off of me. I installed snaps along the edge which mate to mate on the van rib. Right now I double the blanket, the upper layer has its snaps which keeps the 2 layers over me. At some temperature point the double layer is too warm so I just unsnap the upper and let it slip to the floor. If the temp drops to need that 2nd layer back I reach over the side of the bed and make an uneven mess of that layer creating cold spots. Sometimes I fuss. Well, that’s sharing my sleeping. My sheets are some real high thread count for a really smooth surface. For years I slept on flannel sheets year round which were scratchy.

So my ride today was to climb Mega Steps which I have only descended previously. It’s still a hump pedal. Trailforks reports 3.2 miles climbing 753′ and dropping 265′, it is not all straight up, some of that elevation was climbed several times. Just an entertaining trail and system. Mega deadends with the 4X4 legal road which is pretty rough for them but just normal riding, don’t recall eve sharing this part with a motorized recreater. Dropped down Little Salty which going this way still had its ups. I rode Dino Flow south to its end then spun back up the trails on the west side of the wash. Finished just about noon. Temp was 81 per the van.

The trails on the N side of the wash are on the side elevation, the tread is mostly slick rock which offers predictable traction. Well, maybe there is really more rolled firm dirt than rock. Spectacular scenery. Between me and this computer we filed today’s pics where I can’t find them. I wanted to share them which is why I started writing this.

Drove into town again more needing water. Not as crowded or just the norm. Drove back to Willow Springs and scored the first right far back site. Late afternoon strong wind event hit square to broadside, Fine dust was included.

The proliferation of vans wonders me. My van is an’06, right from the factory, back then the Sprinter was the only game. A niche has been created by the van manufactures. People of varying incomes are buying them then converting them. Back in 1998 I scored a VW Westy Synchro, man, I was top dog. At that time the Westy was what was available. Or the back of a pickup truck, or just car camping. At that time the entry bar height was pretty high, few people ventured forth. Now with the wonderful actual liveable and driveable van the entry bar was lowered substantially. All those people who didn’t want to do the car camping thing now can drive a car and live in it. I have no data to back this up but it seems to me that the majority of van people are younger and active. The RVs people are older and not as active. I think that holds true for primitive camping. At the private campgrounds I have no idea. Would think those places favor the RV crowd as they seek utilities. But then again, I hang with similar people only younger. Us baby boomers retiring and choosing a traveling adventure. Available spots are saturated with increasing quantity of users, the vans have uncorked a unrealized want. Vans are very common.

Friday morn. Van pointed away from sunrise. 7AM slide out of bed. Why don’t sleepers fall out of bed? My bed is 30″ wide. I have exposure but no kinetic energy. Great able to ride right from the cold beer. Klondike has 2 sides, one spinning and the other wished for some pedaling. The west side of the 4X4 road is pedaling which makes for a nice warm up before the hardship of the other side. Spin warm up to the end of this system then crossed the wash road picking up Dino Flo to EKG to Miners loop going around an old uranium(?) mine site. Challenging single track. I am not spoiled by my 6″ travel bike, I am rewarded for making its choice. It makes step ups easier and the roll downs super special. Point the front wheel where I want to go then verify direction with eyes looking past what I have already figured out how to ride. Bike is really stable. Been riding higher gears on the cassette. More power mashing the pedals versus lower gear spinning which seems to loose my breath.

Full on sun day with gentle breeze and low 70s, just what the body needed.

Spring is emerging. Occasional mock orange bushes send their bouquet notice to all who would help them make next years prodigy.

Stuck with the ride for 16.1 miles gaining 1696′ pedaling for 2 hrs 22 mins, I do exceed my aerobic threshold not by intention but by reality of climbing.

Fixed Country chicken with mashed russet potatoes. 2 pot dinner, lots of clean up.

Motorize crowd are populating this mostly mountain biking area. Trails are single track, ORV have the road running down the drainage plus some stuff on Baby Steps. And big rigs are displacing the dirt baggers. I climbed up on the ridge above the road to be above it all. For all the campers over all the visits there is no litter.

Yesterday I rode a good chunk of EKG trail. The elevation profile looks like a heart EKG and my heart rate monitor prolly replicated the ups and downs. Trail on slick rock is denoted by fading paint stripes, others natural items are placed to define the trail. It was punishment that I chose to subject myself. I beat myself.

Today was another ride from cold beer. Another blue bird day left around 9. Few riders out. To me a great thing about riding here is it doesn’t lend itself to shuttling, it’s earning whatever downhill you get. 17.5 miles pedaling 2 hrs 20 mins gaining 1352′ which is less than 100’/ mile Sedona average. It’s almost all pedalable. My wheel rims are 41mm which spreads nicely the 2.50WT tires. I am learning the grip of the side knobs. The tires hook up on the slick rock, the rear tire squashes onto the rock, can almost hear the tread wear away.

Sat night at crowded Klondike. A Sprinter backed into my space threshold. The night is young yet for after dark arrivals. Always a surprise in the morning to see who dropped anchor nearby.

Here the riders mostly practice good trail love. The ones that don’t appear to be rookies regardless of age. Seeing retirement age riders.

On todays ride returning on Dino Flow I cut a corner too sharply. Ouch! My left foot was trapped in a rock underhang which stopped my forward progress. My foot was rotated outward pulling my knee in relief. My bare knee was abraded by the rock it was jammed into. Couldn’t have seem the trap. I iced my ankle which appears normal but tender.

I stayed a second day at Willow Springs as rest day and one fewer rider to populate the weekend crowds that I do not have to be a part of. Or, ride lesser desired trails. Didn’t venture to any trail to learn of my assumption. Late afternoon thunderstorm dropped rain elsewhere but we got the eye candy.

The forecast wanted precip and high winds. Better to stay sheltered.

Monday drove down to town for supplies, most needed was drinking water. Rain and high winds called for. I drove up to Horsethief rd and picked this spot that was right on a carbon source pipeline. I was parked square to the wind. A violent thunderstorm pelted, lit up, and shook. Woke up to a flash of lightning right out the windshield. The smoke detector went off because, I think, the wind was strong enough to blow exhaust fumes from the fridge into the van. Only time this ever happened so I make an assumption that if gas does enter the vessel it is not detected by sensitive detector. Just thinking. Discovered that the installed window in the slider allows rain inside. Been doing that for a long time but I just learned of its source and that it was happening.

On Monday Kathy was here. She texted me, we met and visited catching up and learning of what’s out there. Kathy is a long time blog reader. Two years ago we met up in Steamboat, last year in Sedona. Big take away: Dolores super wet, camping roads closed till May 30. Cross Boggy Draw off the ride list. Our chance meeting was funny because we each read each others blog like the night before.

Tuesday morn as I was preparing to drive away a nice federal employee called on me. He told me he wasn’t the one to cite me for illegal camping that was not signed as such that a roving ranger could pay me a visit. OK. I drove to the established BLM campground and paid for a site. Weather forecast wanted strong winds and 50% rain later in the day. Trail named Rodeo is just outside the XG and close enough if the weather turned nasty the pedal to shelter would be survivable. The trail is just under 9 miles. OK. I got after it. I packed my rain jacket to keep the rain away. I have no wind distracter. Fun purpose built XC trail. Water puddles in the dirt and pot holes. Made it back to van not blown away or wet. However, forecast delivered another rain fall and wind. And parked sideways.

Wed I drove to the TH right off the highway to pick up last section of Chisholm to access Bull Canyon. Windy and chilly. Wore wind shell and knee warmers and long underwear top. Hero dirt, less than 5 riders ahead. Sand was firm. Bull canyon is a handfull of step downs mostly mixed in with step ups. man, look ahead, slam the seat down, assume attack position, and allow the bike’s suspension and stability keep me upright.

Beat the crowd soon to arrive. Pedaled back up Getaway which is the downhill access to Bull from the highway. On weekends my pedaling uphill would have been met by masses with the bit in their teeth.

I splashed red mud on my bike, enough to need to wash it off. Previously I filled the solar shower bag. I have a 1 1/2 gallon pressure washer in the Jobox. The bike got a cold shower rinse.

Afterwards I drove out past the XG to the first rd to the left where I have slept before. Rain had erased signs of heavy traffic, maybe 1 rig ahead. Right off a puddle occupied both ruts of track with side walls too steep to climb out. I lowered my speed to lessen mud pick up but with sufficient momentum to coast thru if needed, speed is your friend. The van kept some of that mud. Picked the same spot I have stayed in. Cold night needing the furnace most of the night.

Today was a town day, laundry, and much needed propane. I drove down to town. On the way up were 4 shuttle rigs with many bikes on top. Another day of escaping the crowds. I wrote myself a honeydo list that I attended to. One was to pressure wash the mud off the van. Clean clothes, body, bike and van(sort of).

My abdomen has been bothering me for some time. Recently a pain has centered near the hernia repair site. Forefront in my mind was the repair was pulling apart. I needed to know what was what. I checked into the emergency room of the Moab hospital. Physical examine, blood drawn and tested, even a CT scan taken. results: hernia repair is fine as was the internal workings as the blood would indicate. Ruled out anything to immediately kill me but no explanation of my pain.

Late afternoon scamper to Klondike. Populated. I chose to pick the only unoccupied site instead of intruding on others.

I read a front page article of the local paper that decried the ill effects of the primitive campers here at North Klondike. Yes, the area can be crowded, tonight is the most campers I have experienced here. The effects I see are campers off the official road but mostly withing 300′ of same. hence legal. I see absolutely no litter. Old cow shit. 2 outhouses are on the road for human waste. The article reported there are 650 official campsites in the area and they get filled. I did not investigate those sites, maybe they are in the paid private campgrounds.Ever stay in one? I haven’t either. If I complain about primitive campers being too close, these paid ones make you pay for that privilege. Fucking range land cows.

Horsethief XG is a paid BLM campground. This year a tent only site opened across the road from the fenced in anything goes units. The tents pay the same price but the entire site lacks the protective fence, hence cows graze and shit in the campground just like the primitive sites experience.

Planning on staying here for several days. Moab riding is so good. Lots of people think the same.

Reading Monkey Wrench Gang by Abbey. I read it first back in ’78, published in ’75, well before I had ever been here. I have local familiarity to tie his book to landmarks. Hayduke Lives.