Days here in Sedona the weather is mostly favorable to being outside, adjust your layers accordingly and maybe prefer to remain under shelter when it does rain. Otherwise the red rock vertical features make up the skyline. This week there have been 2 days of high winds and upper 40 temps, OK I am able to wait a better day to ride. Gusts were strong enough to rock my van. Being on a bike I do not know. One day I was pedaling my bike in a paved parking lot while being buffeted by a moderate breeze: me and the bike were blown off intended line on grippy pavement. Just too windy.

Yesterday winds gusted just over 20 mph.Doug and I met at slightly exposed Cultural park for 11 AM ride. Chilly made chillier by wind. Knee warmers and wind shell on then pedaled away. My ride desire was do a big loop out here N of 89A riding Chuck Wagon and Mescal planning on few hikers during mid week. When we crossed Dry Creek rd on Chuck Wagon the road shoulder had few cars parked which was a good sign. We stopped at the TH parking lot for a break. Located there is a bike repair tool station. We talked about how often one of these things are used. There are 6 of them located at trail heads for bikes here in W Sedona. Time to pedal away. I noticed that Doug’s rear tire was flat. He eschews prophylactic flat protection meaning tire tube only. He carries 2 tubes but no repair kit. The fact that he has ridden so many miles here with only his second flat testifies to his good luck. Today he used the repair stand to swap out a tube. Yes the stations get used.

Chuck Wagon is the popular trail for hikers to get to Devil’s Bridge which is heavily used. The number of cars at the Chuck wagon road crossing indicates number of hikers we would be sharing the trail with. Not many. Trail sure rides better heading north as it is mostly downhill.

Chuck Wagon connects to Mescal.

Completed Mescal sped down Deadman’s to start of Aerie which climbs to high point of ride at 48xx’. This trail is growing rocks which justifies a fukk suspension bike. Look where I want to go and maintain an attentive grip on the handlebar grips, the bike seems to go in the direction pointed and if I position my body correctly both of us remain upright and going forward.

This ride we pedaled the entire Outer Limits which has some nice slightly down hill sections for fun carving red rock turns. Then cross the creek and start the pay back of climbing out of the creek bottom.

Ride was 22.5 miles long. My heart took a beating from high pulse, the computer calculated recovery time of 21 hours. Of the 3 hour pedal time I spent 2 hours above my theoretical anaerobic threshhold. Rest day today.

Today weekly laundry completed. 70 degrees outside and 25% humidity should dry my bike clothes by sundown.

Two nights ago I ventured out into desert at MP4 for the night.Sat night a real heavy rain fell which turns the desert into mud bogs on the “rd”. My favorite spot was still occupied by a large RV. The owner stopped by to tell me he would be leaving today and wanted to park his locksmith van where I was parked to vacate where he was parked. Cool. I asked him to park the van at the spot which would indicate that it was occupied, a stronger signal than me setting out a chair. As darkness settled in I noticed that his parking lights were on. He will be greeted with a dead battery when he returns to drive it away.

Just another beautiful day. Of the 30 cities with the worst air pollution China has 21. Here there is no industry of coal fired electric plants to pollute the sky. Clear skies.

Back down to Beaverhead desert.

Friday night I stayed in W Sedona staging for trail work on Sat. Forecast called for showers and possible thunder storm. I put the rain cover over my bike in preparedness for protection. Before get up time I heard rain striking the van roof. OK, maybe showers. I completed my morning tasks then drove out to Girdner TH for volunteer trail work. Windshield wipers on intermittent setting. Pulled up to staging area which is a picnic table with a roof above. Just the FS people. 3 other volunteers showed up, Doug, and a Friends of the Forest older couple. Rain continued. Forrest said it was volunteer. Work was to be brushing on Bottom Out where we worked last day which would be clinging to a steep hill side clearing a corridor. Slippery, clothes tearing brush, and wet. I bailed as did the couple but Doug marched off into the rain with the paid FS. I drove away.

Sat night the Zags visited BYU , game was televised starting at 8 PM. I took a seat at the bar at PJs right under a big screen TV. The empty seat to my left was taken by a very drunk young woman who drunkenly tried to engage me in conversation. She did not understand my focus on the game and not her. I outlasted her when she staggered away. Zags got outplayed resulting in a beat down loss.

Showers fell off and on throughout the day. I left PJs driving S to Beaverhead when I entered a heavy downpour from a Thunderstorm. Water stood on the road, very slow driving peering into the dark looking for my lane. Slept at lookout. Rain quit later.

Sunday I checked out the roads to primitive camp spots off Beaverhead. Standing water puddles and deep tire tracks. MP4 spot ruts were almost chassis dragging deep. There are 2 camps on the road, one way out and an RV parked at my preferred spot. These folks drive in and out a bunch of times during the day even in the wet just digging ruts deeper. I stayed at the paved overlook again. Showers fell on Sunday.

Monday’s forecast was encouraging favorable for riding. I chose Turkey Creek as it has less mud and dries quicker. I wanted to check out the abandoned rig up at the pass on Turkey Creek trail. Road pedal to dirt start which is a worn in horse trail that is below grade and in many spots tread is loose rocks, some I can pedal over drawing from my reflexes to move forward and stay on top of my bike. Other places I just say no way and walk. I rode by myself at my pace and style. I sessioned several spots, some with success and others maybe someday. Hero dirt, got in before horses broke up the hero dirt. The lower part of the Turkey Creek trail is typical sandstone, as the elevation gained the tread becomes mostly black basalt. I pedaled and pushed my bike up a ways finally stopping where I remembered the real nasty hike a bike started, I stashed my bike off the trail then set off of biped. I rode down this trail last week, being pulled downhill over comes the obstacles way better than pedaling against.

What lengths people will go to to abandon a rig.

I saw what I wanted to see. Retraced my steps wondering how I rode down the nasty shit. Picked up my bike then pedaled back out. I took a safety break along the way which enhanced my riding ability. I sessioned several spots that caused me to walk to successfully negotiate. Problem appears to be that what I learn while addled does not translate well to riding straight. Horse traffic chewed up the wet soft sand.

Friday I made an appointment at Fat Tire for help installing my new handlebar. The service I needed was just to shorten the bar and use air compressor to slide on new grips. Dave grabbed my bike out of my hands saying that he can do the install in a flash. I whimpered a bit saying that I am capable of doing all the work and do it outside in his parking lot. He cut down the bar then installed it on the bike. I adjusted the brakes and wired on the new grips. His charge was favorable. Plus we had intense Craig conversation directed by someone else. Thought provoking and stimulating.

Last Thurs after doing my laundry I drove back down to VOC to ride Turkey Creek with Doug and Brian. Nice day for humping our bikes up Napoleon.

Forecast for today was true as it is chilly and windy, gusts to 31 mph. There have been strong gusts. I made today a sit in the sun warmed van to write this. Tomorrow’s forecast is more favorable for riding. Age affected need to rest. Data point: as of 2/23 I have ridden 2,340 rides covering 33,854 miles in like 11 1/2 years of this lifestyle. My guts are not happy which favors no activity days.

Is what I am calling a new way to navigate the trails out at Western Gateway.

I used the latest FS trail map to identify the trails which include junctions. I took a trail name then identified each junction which made a segment of the trail, this resulted in about 35 segments. Each segment is on a separate slip of paper which are then put in a bowl for picking 6 segments. I just picked the quantity 6. I identified those picked segments on the FS map. The first day Doug drew 6 slips, today Brian drew the 6 slips. From the trail map we figured out what trails and direction to ride to ride each of the segments. Yesterday’s draw resulted in deciding to ride 2 segments as out and back. Today all were in a line. Yesterday’s ride was 12.7 miles, today’s was 15.5. Both days we rode Last Frontier , once by draw then today for the joy.

I created this scramble because there are so many miles of trails with many connectors, maybe a network of trails. Every intersection offers choices. This way provides structure for a ride, by riding all the segments you know you have completed a ride. How you chose to ride them all adds brain work. Segment characteristics could make riding it better 1 way.

I want to share this idea with other riders. The route is made up right at the start.

So that’s what I have been working on.

72 degrees yesterday after ride. At 11 AM start time there is still a little bite in the air making my mid weight wool jersey just right. Yes, the air warms up around noon making the jersey toasty but what am I going to change into anyway? At least no knee warmers.

Received my new Catalyst pedals. Last night I screwed in like 40 pins into the pedals. These pins are threaded in from the back of the pedal which protects the threads for removal and seemed to have more holding power to the soles of my shoes. Took strong arms of bike wrench to snap loose the pedals. Rode them today. Sticky.

Today’s draw included 2 segments that I have avoided. Remnant because of the many challenging tech moves that some I walk and Roundabout ability level green.