7,400′ elevation, 50 degrees at 8:05 PM parked at trail head for Land of the Pioneers ( LOP) trail loop outside of Vernon which is east of Show Low almost into New Mexico and the Apache reservation. Open Ponderosa Pine and alligator juniper forest. White Mountains. Years ago I read about riding here but I always left before the snow melted. Today I was seeking temperature and desert relief and being back on the road. I crossed my fingers and worried about van performance. I worry a lot. Van performed as hoped for. Up on Mongollon rim same as Flag to the west. Almost 4 hour drive. Never been in this part of the state. Payson and Show Low are good size cities out in the middle of what? Traffic, people moving about as AZ has loosened stay at home request.

LOP is long ago logged P Pine. Tread is basalt rock in places. Much trail build work has been performed, had not a tread been established the tread would have been lots of small babyheads. Rode trail in preferred direction which gave several gravity assisted descents. Trail is under tree canopy, 1 viewshed.

Trail is well defined and blazed with white metal diamonds. Every quarter mile a trail marker was sequentially numbered for GPS location for rescue. It’s what is here for riding. Just riding under trees with no vistas. 8 miles.

Tomorrow is a short drive to the Los Borros trail.

I planned on being here yesterday however, the weather forecast called for a wind event that made no sense to drive being buffeted. I did drive to Cottonwood for lab work. Sedona airport clocked a 44 mph gust just before noon. Velocity was in 20s. I felt the speed increase as the morn wore on. I was tempted to ride but chose wisely to avoid being blown either off line or off bike. The drive on exposed 89A required tempered reflexes to keep the van between the white lines.

A last pic from Sedona

50 degrees outside, door and windows closed and up. Wearing wool shirt. Soon to turn on the furnace. Forecast low is 37 degrees.

Oregon and Washington national forests are locked down. I need to drag my feet getting to Oregon to arrive once restrictions are lifted. My route will take me west out of AZ into Nevada then lots of miles north seeking riding which is sparse. Might hit east side of Tahoe. Adventuring.

Tomorrow is laundry day. Google returned location of nice laundromat in Show Low. My plan is to ride los Burros early then drive back to Show Low and do laundry then drive north to Winslow to spend the night at Homolovi SP where I made an online reservation for a known sleep spot.

Fired up the furnace which will run many minutes tonight even under doubled summer weight down blanket.

Heat is coming on, desire is to ride early, relatively speaking, to preceded the increasing day time heat.

The FS removed  several of the closure areas here at VOC meaning that I could ride right into Bell Rock TH, which I did Fri AM just b4 9, my early. I planned on my staid loop of the Hogs: Jump Trail, Big Park. Single Track Bypass, Bell rock, Llama, Broken Arrow, High on the Hogs, Twin Buttes, Broken Arrow, Hogwash, Peccari, Mystic, social, HT, Breezy, Coconino, Hermitt, and descend on Slim Shady. And I followed plan enjoying solitude. Way down low on Peccari I made a turning mistake which caused my front wheel to stall on a left hand turn. Wheel crabbed to the left plowing that caused me to lose balance until after I shook off the cobwebs and stoodup. Slow speed fall landing on smooth hard packed dirt. Ouch. Left shoulder, elbow, and knee all have bleeding wounds. I actually stopped to attend to the flowing blood. Hydration bladder rinse off, wet handkerchief and scrub off dried blood, then root thru first aid kit for coverage bandages. I will feel the impact over the next several days. I shortened the ride to return to van to put ice on my shoulder. I stopped at Absolute to make a fork service appointment. I was told if I would wait my bike would be next. Cool. I walked the sidewalk wearing full bike gear to my van. I iced my shoulder and ate 2 tylenol. Drove back to Absolute to pick up my bike. The fork is to be serviced after so many hours which I usually exceed. Have the work done here by a shop I have a rapport with.

I attempted the Llama problem with same results: front wheel up on rock, rear wheel being stopped by first step. Riding here at VOC is of different technical challenges than the Western gateway trails. Here there are more step ups and downs and less pedaling.  Chicken Point, Broken Arrow, fun stuff, some I make, and am riding more proficiently. 14.9 miles climbing 1194’ in 2 hrs 4 mins of pedaling. Average HR was 123, just short of 128 count.

Drove back out to Beaverhead. Didn’t see a rig at choice spot, scored another night. I planned to take Sat as a rest day to allow body to start healing.

Before riding on Fri I called repair shop that works on my van to address transmission and whatever is leaking. I wanted to visit on Mon for their identification of needed parts then install later in the week. Warren told me for them visiting today would be better. I drove back to West Sedona flowing with the newly opened travel from home crowd. Traffic flowed non stop to the Y. Shop couldn’t identify anything leaking in short look. Made appointment for Tues for longer look. Transmission seems happier now and smell is gone. I am thinking that I can stop by 1^st thing Mon morn for them to check transmission level. I believe that both me and the van are ready and able to leave.

AZ’s response to COVID was loose in that I was able to drive to THs and ride. Nevada appears to have been even looser. Oregon is the tightest of the 3, the state is methodically opening counties. Deschutes County, home of Bend, is now in stage 1 which makes driving there less restricted. However, The Deschutes FS has locked down trail heads and snowparks at the moment which will adversely affect my life style. Still, I will be further north, under trees, and enjoying flowing water. Worst case will be to post up on my property.

Property: connections to legal possession of land to which I am allowed to do whatever is legal, I won’t be booted.

On Sat the FS counters of campers drove up. Wonder how many camping days they have counted me for and if I am in danger of overstaying. I hope to be heading north on Tues.

Sat I sat in my new chair which is very comfortable. The mesh seat bottom kept my junk dry. Stuck my nose in Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain using the shade cast by the van for comfort.

Today I woke early. Plan was to be on the road by 8 for avoiding the later heat and maybe FS counters. No counters. Drove to almost empty Cultural Park. Van transmission seems happy.

Today I had an idea of what I wanted to ride, a mix od system and user created trails. Started out on Roundabout from the park as it is fun. I coasted thru a transition hearing to me the sound of like metal nuts in an aluminum can. Huh? I stopped about a bike length away and took 2 steps back up the trail. The sound was from a rattlesnake that was unwrapping itself from its coil. It might have neen 12” off the trail, certainly within striking distance of my right ankle.

The snake moved away.

I rode the user created ill-defined ridden in single tracks.

Pedaled up Aerie to its high point then let gravity pull me along. Cockscomb to Outer Limits. All by myself. Descent down to Dry Creek crossing on Outer limits. It’s a 2.52 mile, 374’ climb out taking  23 mins. Average HR was 148, max 158. 33 hour recovery per computer. Whole ride was 18.3 climbing 1647 in 2 hrs 32 mins, average HR was 134, 128 is 85%.

There are many red welts on my body as I am apparently feeding the juniper gnats. Noseeems before the bite. Raised bumps remaining long after her feed. Today I took an antihistamine which systemically lessens the itch. Have more bites and less relief.

Story, sort of, about comfort, temperature that is. Papa bear was the coldest, Mama was a tad warmer, and Baby slept without a blanket. Sleeping temperatures of the 3 previous places. Last Thursday I spent the next 4 nights above Prescott sleeping under a single layer of the down blanket and a side window open. Monday night I slept at the overlook below VOC with just the sheet and the window open. Tuesday I slept up at Flag under double layer and the furnace running. Papa, Flag, was the coldest, Mama, Prescott, was just tight. Baby, Sedona, was too hot. I am now enjoying too hot Baby temp back in Sedona.

Wed I drove to Dodge dealer for 8:15 appointment. Arrived early, took my van in, and then I waited. They didn’t start on my van per the appointment. Tech spoke with me: the shop does not have the special dip stick to check the level. Tech has a shop aide he used: dry. He put in a quart of fluid then drove it. The shifting was sweet. Paid my bill then drove down the interstate to Sedona exit. Very strong gusty winds kept both hands in firm contact with the steering wheel to correct direction change. Transmission seemed happy. Slept in a new location further back on the first right after the overlook behind a slight wind screen, late at night I pulled the 2nd blanket layer over me. But no furnace.

Today, Thursday, is clean clothes day. But first was a ride in the morning cool. But I finished at noon in the heat. Drove up to Cultural Park feeling out the transmission. Sprinter rumblestrip but shifted correctly.Very few cars in the parking area. Ride was down Stirrup to Girdner where I met a Yavapai Cty Sheriff that we know each other. I asked about sleeping in VOC, he said it is private property and the law has no issue unless property owner minds. Good to know as an option. Continued to Snake descending down to dry Dry creek, then social trails to reconnect with Aerie.

Climb up shoulder of Doe Mtn on Aerie then descend mostly to Aerie TH. Cockscomb to Outer Limits. Encountered 2 women hikers who asked how close were they to the parking lot. They wanted the Cultural park and they were about as far away as they could be from water. I gave them the shortest route to get back then pedaled off.

Pedaled Last Frontier off Outer Limits back to rejoin further along. Outer Limits back to TH. I encountered 1 rider and maybe 6 hikers in the 18.4 miles, 2 hrs 24 mins of mostly non stop pedaling. Bike computer reports 26 hours for recovery. My max heart beat was 158 per minute.

Today, or maybe tomorrow, Arizona removes the COVID restrictions. I noticed the FS has also removed trailhead closures. Also, Deschutes County in Oregon, where my property is, moves to level 1 opening which opens outdoor recreation. I haven’t researched if the FS is removing their closures. It appears that I can go north to Oregon and ride. Up thru Nevada. Might have done my last laundry here. North to trees, water, lower temps, and mosquitoes.

Tonight I scored my preferred Beaverhead spot the first left past the overlook. Has 3 bar 4G speed which is why you are reading this.

Thinking about driving further east to Show Low to ride Los Burros etc which are up on the Mongollan Rim at 6,xxx’. 191 miles and almost a 4 hour drive. It is going away from my intended direction which means returning to Sedona.

Dinner time. Last night I made a sort of Spanish bulghur dish big enough for 2 meals. Tonight is simple 1 pot warm up.

I am being bitten by “critters” that my body is responding with itches.