Just more days of same static beautiful weather: blue skies, calm wind, prefect riding temp, no crowds, and fun.

Been riding and staying out at N Klondike. Thursday I hung 6 liners up to dry, a clean liner per ride: 6 days in a row. Rides are short in miles and time but long in body work out. The trails on the west side of Little Valley are the only pedal friendly trails, everything else is blue squares my kind of challenge.

There are one hundred reasons why you rode off the trail but no reason for you to leave your signature line.

On Tuesday I rode the west side trails. I stopped and removed rocks that were “kicked” on to the trails. Today when I rode same trails it seemed that effort was for naught as more rocks lay on the prime line. Rocks above say a softball or large platter size on that line cause some riders to steer around that rock which widens the trail. Ah, the struggle to educate the unwashed.

It is just so pretty out here. Quiet, just spectacular to ride slowly, stop frequently and just sigh for all of the beauty.

Becoming better skilled riding because of the shock for sure and maybe the fork. I am making the step ups. Today I pedaled away from the van on the road and my knees started barking on the front side. Old knowledge recall was pain in front: seat too low. I raised it a bit and the pain went away and my power just jumped up. Almost every morning I do 20 knee bends which has built leg power for muscling up the step ups.

I rode here in April and May this spring when the plants were flowering and water ran. Fall is brown.

Weather forecast calls for continual same weather.

Today driving to Klondike at slower than the 65 mph limit a car passed me using the left hand turn lane for the airport crowding me to the shoulder when it pulled back in. I laid on my horn. Shortly a trooper sped by me catching up and pulling that driver over.

Sun Valley Steve is arriving tomorrow for several days of riding. He is riding the new Revel.

I sent my new sheet to ST George to be altered. I read the care instructions for that sheet, almost kid gloves. don’t wash with clothes with zippers as the metal beats on the threads, dry on low which will increase drying time. Will increase my laundromat time to properly care for the sheet. Didn’t think to research care instructions before buying. Selection was made from an on line review of sheets. $70 for a Queen which will be cut to make a top and bottom sheet for my 30″ X 72″ bunk

Definition says excessive but also heartfelt. PUSH’s Elevensix shock continues to earn its praise for improved substantially better bike handling. Over the years I have ridden these same trails on various Turner models and suspension parts some custom tuned for me and my bike. I rode here this spring on the RFX with a Lyric 170mm Diaz tuned fork and a Monarch shock. The RUNT softens the blows from trail features, the fork is much more supple and compliant to trail rigosities. The Monarch coupled with the DW link worked the rear end. I retired the Lyric this summer in Bend switching to a Fox Factory 36 160mm travel again Diaz tuned with a RUNT. Seems the new fork performs better than the Lyric, better performance is allowing me to push personal handling and confidence limits. Rear end is still the same. Three weeks ago the 11.6 shock was first ridden at Fruita on trails previously ridden. I reported after that ride how much improved the climbing traction was. Now it is taken for granted and internalized in muscle memory. Today I rode some nasty difficult blue challenges at Bar M trails most notably Deadmans. I rode all the previous stuff plus additional ones previously walked. Today I am calling “Tractoring” in that riding at slower speeds using a big gear to muscle the moves. I still blow up, I challenge myself to session a missed feature learning if it is beyond my ability or my engine didn’t have it. The bike is so much better behaved and stable. The coil spring has no stiction which allows the shock be more supple like the RUNT. Previously I used speed to overcome the jar caused by stiction. Now I can sort of saunder up to the move. I can buy physical items for performance enhancements, however my body is affected by aging, I can only slow down the decline. I ride what I can and walk what I need to. Hooray for PUSH’s Elevensix shock.

Drove into town today to ship my sheet off to ST George for alteration and filled water containers. Shopped local City Market, the big store for beer now that Utah law allows grocery stores to sell beer up to 5% eliminating state liquor store retail. Very small quantity of additions. Bought Polygamy Porter at 6%, which is above the law.

Drove out to Bar M trails for Deadman showdown. This trail will be another test for 11.6. Flying colors. Tractoring.

Few riders in the large parking lot and hardly a rider encountered on my ride. I nailed almost all the past walk pieces chalking most lack of success to engine failure not to be overcome. 9.51 miles climbing 850′ in 1 hour 29 mins might seem short but I was worked by all the moves. My navigation eluded me putting me into a loop of riding a big section again of Deadman’s before I could get out. Bike is so stable and confidence inspiring.

Back at the van after finishing while sipping a beer sitting on a stool I cogitated. Impression of fall riders was of more calm, less hectic, just going about riding. Maybe riding last of season, prolonging sunshine and warmth before bundling up and stashing the bike in an out of the way stuffed garage. Contrast to last spring when the place was overflowing with riders escaping winter and finishing the lift ski season, they had pent up need after reading and watching what was going on somewhere where the primary ground cover was not white. Christmas gift needing experienced. First rides of the new season, get after it. Fall is full of tempered riders. Far fewer people here now and the weather is just perfect for riding. Today I didn’t wear knee warmers or knee socks but still a long sleeve light weight wool jersey.

I am liking being here. Desert riding. Big open space. Short trees and lots of techy trails. Shuffle my camp spots after 2 days of riding at a location, drive into town to resupply then drive out to another location to repeat prolly the same rides.

Friend Steve from Sun Valley is arriving later this week, He is riding the new Revel bike. Weather forecast is still sunny, low 60s high and above freezing at night. It is what it is.

Didn’t stop to take pics, I just open mouth gaped.

Last night sleeping up at 5712′ outside temp was sufficiently warmer such that the furnace could keep up with the heat loss from the van. I turned the furnace down which caused it to cycle on and off while keeping me toasty under down blanket. Get up inside temp is in the upper 50s, my new norm. Battery power remains high to power my needs albeit not driving for a day relying on solar gain which doesn’t seem to put as much charge into the batteries as if I would have driven every day.

Cold temps cleared the crowds making for open sleep spots and few riders to experience their trail love practice. I spent 2 nights up high just off Rodeo trail. One other camper was on the road.

Thursday I drove back into town for resupply. Clean clothes. made an appointment to have the van carpet cleaned. Unable to find an alteration person to size my new sheet. Called place I used in ST George who said they are still in for the work. I will mail my sheet to them and wait for return mail.

License tabs expire shortly, getting antsy with WA DOL processing my tabs in timely manner. Issue here is that the van still needs to pass an emission test but I am out of state. There is a process to follow which I have, waiting on the state.

Thursday I picked up Rodeo riding it to the intersection of Chisholm which I rode out to terminus at Big Lonely then turned around rejoining Rodeo for the finish. Beautiful day but still long underwear chilly. My nose hurts in the cold. 16 miles climbing less than 100’/mile. Still ain’t a cake walk: lots of blue challenges.

Friday I rode Bull Canyon to avoid the weekender shuttle riders. The trail is becoming nastier as the dirt erodes away raising the rocks. Diaz said that a properly tuned fork should leave about an inch of travel not used. Bull drops took the fork to that measurement. 22.2 miles pedaling for 3 hrs, climbed only 13xx’. Beautiful day, almost all by myself.

There are 4 oil pumping stations up here, no rigs any more.

Saturday I repeated the Rodeo / Chisholm loop. Learning slow speed bike handling skills on well behaved bike. Balance, being in a bigger gear to be able to muscle my way over something is better than sitting and spinning.

Wrap your head around the wide open sight lines here in the desert.

2 national parks are local: Arches, and Canyonlands, both dept of interior. Last month a decree was issued by the secretary to open the park roads to ATVs and allow E bikes on same trails pedal bikes enjoy. Local push back was sufficient to rescind the ATVs in the parks. The ebikes will take longer, at present ebikes are banned from pedal trails. Interesting tangled web legalizing ebikes will be as miles of existing trails were funded by non motorized contributors which includes volunteer hours. Trails I ride here in Moab are all on BLM land except for the whole Enchilada which is USFS. Last week 2 ebikers were riding on Big Lonely, they appeared to be fit, not the riders that the ebike proponents claim will enjoy being able to ride because they lack the physical ability. I yielded to them as they were climbing. They really scooted up that climb. I don’t plan on yielding to ebikers as they are illegal on present on these trails.

Furnace is cycling 100% of the time. Still, 14 degrees outside, only 47 inside. Tonight at 8 PM it is 39 degrees, inside at the ceiling it is 72 but that is not where my head is.

Today I drove back down to town to resupply, needed was water and propane. I drove back up to Willow Springs road picking same spot. Strong internet signal for writing this.

Day light savings is now waiting till March. Sun comes up earlier and goes down like 5:09.