Yesterday’s forecast for today became a fact. Rest of week has precip called for in various probability and amount. More hunkering down.
With this wetness factor my mantra is now ride it when I can. because tomorrow and several more days it might be too wet to ride, or even hike.
Yesterday was actualization: get it while it was almost completely dry. I rode Big Park jump trail to Single track Bypass, joined Bell rock then split off to ride the roll down around baby Bell then Llama to Little Horse up to Chicken Point.
Then Broken Arrow to Hog Heaven over to Twin Butte down to Hogwash traversing to Peccari down to Mystic. A piece of neighborhood pavement to go down a nasty piece of broken loose rock . Pick up HT down to Easy which was running. Ride a piece of Templeton taking Hermit to Javapai TH then join Slim Shady for the scoot home. Hero dirt where dry and where water was ridden thru my legs where rust colored streaks. back at the van I looked at the condition of my bike, maybe I could ride it another day before washing it? There were more reasons to wash it than not to: Nice afternoon, access to spigot, and I had time. I sprayed the chain then later after it dried applied dose of Squirt wax based lube. I am firm user of Squirt.
Clouds indicated precipitation leading edge. Rain wets the desert dirt which softens it to a slippery clay like tread. Tires sink a little ways, not frame deep. Wheels that have power just chew it up creating ruts. Just nasty out at MP 4. Believing the forecast would dump rain out at MP 4 falling perhaps before wake up. I chose the safe overlook pavement. I have been choosing the right hand shoulder of the road instead of in the main paved area as the shoulder establishes the parking pattern. Last weekend a pickup was parked almost on my rear bumper and there were cars of 2 women in front, the pavement was packed one night with big rigs. before sunrise the leading edge of rain fell. Pitter patter gentle at first tapering off to quiet. I can sleep thru it as I don’t have to immediately drive away. Shortly a more energetic sprinkle fell. A short while later the main course dropped on. Snug as a bug in a heated dry van.
Today became a rest day. I drove back to W Sedona to hang at Cultural park then sleep in town then do my laundry tomorrow. Grocery shopped Basha’s: same condition as Webers in the Village: no paper products and bare shelves for the likes of beans and vegetables. Strange: both stores all the root crops were absent like they had been pulled vs sold out.
Out at the Cultural Park inside furnace warmed air and dry watching and listening to several rain squalls sweeping thru. Lonesome Dove is 858 pages long, I am 512 pages into it. Being inside and dry and reading brought back memories of my PCT hike back in 1978 during many days of rain. I was reading Mitchner back then. Before I allowed rain to drive me from the trail I spent 2 whole days inside my tent reading while rain fell. Today was not the same conditions but the experience was the same.
Moab has cracked down on visitors by closing campgrounds, motels and BLM lands as precaution to local community from corona virus. Seems influx of outsiders setting up self quarantine and social spacing and spring was a no brainer. It’s one thing if people who have a home visit another place and others that have no home to go back to such as me. Saw a news blurb pleading to owners of RV parks to remain open. Wonder about the likes of Quartzite with older people who are an at risk category. AZ has not closed public gathering places. Last night outside PJs there was a tent set up to increase attendance as the parking lot was plugged. I have no need to go inside there. I visit places for needs then wash my hands back in the van.
Now wearing one of 2 dental appliances which are to correct the alignment of my lower jaw to compensate for a damaged TMJ. Fits over my lower teeth and takes up room in my mouth. The larger one is for non eating, the smaller one accomplishes the same function but is less intrusive for eating. Jaw muscles now need the eating one in to chew. I ate oatmeal chewing the grains with no jaw pain. The thing lessens the touch of food as it sits on top of my lower teeth as a solid piece, pressure is spreed out over the entire piece. Without it the individual teeth are on their own shock absorber which gives feedback on how well what is being chewed is being chewed before swallowing. I don’t seem to chew apple skins and maybe grains.
After sundown the rain turned to snow which makes hardly a sound when hitting the van roof. Parked in town down among trucks and on firm gravel.
Today was propane refill. First was Shell station in Village. slight sprinkles. Counter guy said they couldn’t fill because they lost the adapter. Suspect they had no one to operate the pump. Then Chevron which is hit or miss if they have a second person to hold down the store while the other pumps. At the Shell there has always been a person who can fill. Chevron guy said pump has been broken for 2 weeks. Always sure spot is ACE up in W Sedona which is why I am up here.
Yesterday the naturopath office called to reschedule my Friday appointment as they were not seeing high risk patients: mine?, I’m 70.
Furnace infrequently fails to ignite and will ignite when control cycled thru. Have little faith that it will consistently fire when I am away.
May y’all remain healthy.