So, my health has not been very happy lately. Last Tues I woke way early and laid in bed feeling like something stuck to the bottom of someone else’s shoe. Plus the night was very cold and more of the same in the future. The night before I received a phone call from old Spokane buddy Randy and his friend Dennis who were in Moab. They invited me to join them but I told them I would miss them. Tuesday AM changed my plans as I decided that I needed to be seen by an established med person that I thought I could get in Moab. And so I drove there.
Left Ridgway taking back road state highways over to LaSal junction. What a spectacular drive in and out of canyons with the rock gradually turning red as in Moab. Stopped at med clinic and scored an appointment for Thurs. I went around to the emergency entrance because I had push pins to give to ER for their map which captures injuries requiring ER treatment by activity. I was allowed to go behind the door to view the map. Porcupine Rim records many mountain bike injuries noted by yellow pins.
Then drove out to N Klondike TH to join Randy, Dennis, and Sola. Randy did not bring his bike but the other 2 did. Spent the night.
Wed we drove up to Mineral Bottom road where Dennis knows of camping as I had yet to experience this road’s environs. Selected a spot about 1 1/2 miles off hard road. Numerous little pull outs abound. We geared up and rode off to ride Rodeo, for me a suitable introduction to Moab riding.
Rodeo is signed to be directional. Take away from crowd management: No surprise encounters from riders coming from the other way which keeps the trail narrow as it negates poor trail love by widening the trail to pass.. Tight sight lines keep the speeds down. Rode from camp as trail almost touches Mineral Bottom. Short sleeves and shorts soaking up warmth for a late Oct day. 9 mile loop encountered fewer than 10 riders.
Good introduction to more traction control from the Elevensix shock which I notice more than plush going downhill. Much improved ride quality from when on air shock. RUNT keeps the front end quiet. Me in the middle like riding a rocking chair.
Just wonderful riding conditions.
Thursday In drove down to Moab to do laundry before DR appointment. Clean clothes again. Saw PA, still no answer to my malaise. Did draw blood.
Headed back out of town to Brand M trails to meet Dennis, Sola, and a friend of theirs. Pulled into parking lot. Greeted by woman whom I did not recall. She introduced herself, then I remembered, Gina from Sedona. Then Lars, also from Sedona, rolled up. They were taking a break from Sedona. We rolled off to ride the slick rock trails. Slight breeze.
Drove back up to Mineral Bottom camp. Dennis provided salmon from an Alaskan fishing trip.
Woke up during the night with chest pains and rapid heart beat. Something coming to a head perhaps. I suspected serious heart issue. I waited until enough light showed me the way to back out of camp spot. Drove down to ER. A repeat patient. EKG, X-ray, blood analysis: again body is sound. Diagnosis was chest wall injury, don’t remember when or where that fall might have smacked my chest on maybe a bar end or a rock. Told to rest and not exert till pain gone.
I read that Grisham’s new book, The Guardians, is out. I bought it at Back of Beyond book store. Easy brain candy reading. I drove back up choosing my usual camp spot past HorseThief campground. Other campers occupied my favorite spot requiring me to drive further out.
Late afternoon ride pedaling the 1.6 miles from camp to join Chisholm trail near the campground.
Fun and twisty with blue square tech features. Out and back. 13.1 miles climbing less than 100′ / mile. Encountered maybe 20 riders, way lot. Another nice fall ride. Back at camp I stuck my nose in the book while sitting outside. Continued reading inside into the night.
Sat I pedaled from camp up to XG to pick up Chisholm to ride the Horsethief trails which are on the north side of Gemini Bridges road, the other side down lower is Bull Canyon, part of Mag 7 system. Going out I was almost all alone, however, on the climb out on Getaway numerous downhillers caused me to yield. Riders get wrapped up in their own ride and they fail to accommodate other riders, esp yielding to uphill riders. I decided that hollering ” climbing” as an alert would cause descending riders to yield. Worked mostly.
17.7 miles climbing 1087′ almost a flat day. On the return I jumped on Rodeo to ride back to van instead of pedaling the road. Big day. Again, nose back in the book. Dennis et. al. drove over to visit. Made plans for 11 AM ride time for Navajo Rocks ride. Chilly night with furnace running all night.
Now it is Sunday night. I am parked off Willow Springs road where I have strong internet signal. Hunkered down facing into a gusty north wind that is bringing possible snow and predicted cold temps. Scored spot right off the highway, selected for internet.
But first our ride. We met at Middle Earth TH so we could ride a figure 8 returning back to the parking lot. Cold, windy, cloudy, nastier than previous rides. Knee socks, knee warmers, 2 layers of wool tops, and wind shell. We rode against the recommended clockwise direction up Big Mesa to descend sandy Coney Island. Very busy day as we ran into maybe 25 riders.
Cold ride. Rode Middle Earth back to parking lot for refueling in Dennis’ warm truck camper. Fewer rigs in the lot. Forecast for snow in the Rockys perhaps caused many riders to head east ahead of snow choked mountain passes.
Fall now, green is long gone. Annual rain fall is about 7″ of rain of which only 6 have fallen. Trails are dry and frequent spots of sand.
Figuring on rest day tomorrow ahead of coming chill. Need to resupply in town.
Today ran into 2 ebikers who were not the riders the BLM is saying will benefit from allowing e bikes on all trails pedal bikes are allowed on. awhile in town I ran into Tyson, who built Captain Ahab, and is now working locally. We talked about e bike access. Interesting because of potential for many law suits, of particular interest are trails that were built with non motorized funds or grants.