Short precip event Thurs night dumped .1″ of rain with a below freezing temp per forecast. I parked on paved overlook. I neglected to cover my bike, in the morning ice had formed where the water didn’t shed. I drove into VOC while noticing enough snowfall to change color from red to white. Shit, more days of freeze thaw. I spent the first park of day hanging inside the van while sucking up solar gain. Late afternoon I drove back to Beaverhead to check out MP4 dirt official road onto desert. Dirt was firm although there were serious slither tire tracks indicating that vehicle driving out had a real go to make hard surface. I drove in and parked at usual spot. Nice day for a walk out the road following the slither tracks then beyond. I climbed over 1 fence and opened a gate at another fence line. I turned around as I decided that I might be returning to van after sundown which happened. I stopped short of the Dry Beaver creek bed. Sometime during the night i was awakened by a full throated coyote serenade right outside my van. I fixed bfast, cleaned up, then drove back to town.
I have been studying my battery voltage observing that it drops after no solar gain. A conversation I had with a battery person was that because of low solar gain and driving short time that the batteries are loosing their deep charge. For a solution I decided to buy a battery charger to put that deep charge on. Drove up to W Sedona.
For propane management I record each refill in my calendar. Sat AM I looked at the propane fill data to see Sunday was last fill, at about 1 gallon a day burn I should be dead out. I stopped at Chevron in VOC for refill. Tank only took 2 gallons, something wrong with their pump and or my tank, the amount should have been around 5 gallons. I drove to ACE in W Sedona to have them fill the tank. Before the attendant attached the hose I looked at the gauge attached tot he tank: it registered full. Hmm. I looked again at my calendar to see that I bought propane on Thurs down in Cottonwood where I went to do laundry because local laundry was closed to replace driers. Thurs was a non normal day which threw my memory off. Chevron data was correct, I was off.
While in Cottonwood I stopped at bike shop to visit. While there I was taken by surprise by at first an unrecognizable woman who locked me in a tight bear hug. It was Jan from old VOC days. Some catching up and promise to connect.
Drove back to W Sedona to O’Reillys to talk batteries and chargers. I bought a charger. Later I drove to in town parking spot for an extension cord hook up. The easier house battery to get to is under the passenger seat requiring 6 bolts to be removed. I connected the cord and the terminals leaving the seat slightly ajar but still touching maybe the positive clip. Let it run all night long. Charger has light to indicate bad battery which never came on which by default said the batteries were good. In the AM a light said bad connection something. I offloaded the seat outside then reconnected the clamps. This time diode lit showing charging. I hung thru the morning letting the charger work while reading Gone with the Wind. Solar panel controller lit up showing full charge. Good enough for me. Disconnected and reinstalled the seat then drove back to VOC to watch football at PJs because trails are still freeze thaw muddy. The day was chilly, mid 40s, just a nice day except for chill and mud. OK, I can dress for chill to tolerate it and I could ride pavement for exercise and being outside.
My clothing was just a long sleeve wool jersey and knee warmers, I started with a wind shell and pedaled away towards Turkey Creek on Verde Valley School rd. I worked on full pedaling which is harder than riding on the dirt. i passed the first entry to dirt as the tread was white, not red. I pedaled more pavement to next entry to dirt. The tread at the entry was red and firm, enough enticement for me. I chose dirt. After being lured in I experienced a mix of firm and varying degrees of wetness, some firm, other slithery. I ran into Bonnie, a local from old B& B days. I wandered out to Turkey tank then turned around riding different trails.
I pedaled pavement back to van. Plan was to sit at the bar at PJs to watch the Seahawks which I did. Seahawks performance left me wanting and daylight was fading as I wanted to stay at MP4 that I want daylight to find a parking spot. I made same spot in twilight for the night. Slow internet speed showed Seahawks finished just short of winning. No coyote serenade last night.
This AM the battery charge was just about the same before the long time of charging.
Which brings me to current. Parked at VOC waiting for more warmth for a repeat ride out Turkey creek. 48 degrees. Forecast wants nights below freezing later in the week. More freeze thaw mud.
Last year I sought better van suspension shocks and struts. Chose local Cottonwood shop who offered me OEM parts as being suitable. $1,900 later the suspension was even worse and I put up with the ride till I returned locally. Conversation with the shop addressing my unhappiness is resulting in different units that the guy reported are better than OEM but were not offered to me last spring. Sweet compensation is no charge to me. Told to order then in and make an install appointment.
Next van project is replacing many of the coolant system parts. The present condition causes me concern about it failing on a big climb, going north or south is such which keeps me here.
Still very much engrossed in Gone with the Wind as I am learning from the author about southern living and how it was affected by losing the Civil War. I have greater insight to their distaste for Yankees and the social upheaval caused by emancipation and granting voting rights to the formerly oppressed slaves.