How to consume time when I have no commitments? My reason for visiting Prescott was to escape the Sedona heat. And to ride, and visit. Jimmy is now a short term local but has a sense for the trails here. And he was available for rides. We rode on Sat. He and Christine were riding on Sunday and invited me. Again we rode from my camp spot. There are lots of miles of trails here, it takes a bit of creativity to figure a loop out. It’s all about riding. This ride we crossed a flowing forest creek several times. Running water and not desert wash.

Pleasant ride. Finished at van and chilled recovery drinks. They left for home, I stayed at my home. Bit of a rain event during the night pushed around by strong van rocking winds. Not enough rain to wash the dust that became mud splatters from the windshield.

That was Sunday. Monday Jimmy pulled another ride together with me and Ian. Late afternoon ride starting after 4 from White Spar XG, an FS campground right outside of town, closed because of covid.

All of my rides here went thru fuels reduction cuts felled by feller bunchers.

Today I had a morning DR appointment at Flag. I wanted to drive to Sedona for the night then drive the canyon today to Flag. As I drove from west to east on Beaverhead, opposite of direction from VOC, I observed that all my preferred spots were occupied. Ah, but the overlook was my ace in the hole. It was vacant just for me.

The van transmission is sick. It came on during drive in Prescott. I put off learning if its condition was real or my hope was it would just go away like present president says about corona. Once driving again the condition was present. I sweated driving high speed highways back to Beaverhead. I made it. Then today it was slow speed major climbing up the canyon to Flag. I researched transmission shops in Flag. Tried first one but they turned me down as the building is too short to raise my van. Fall back was the local dodge dealer who gave me an early service appointment tomorrow. I am hoping that the transmission fluid is low but fear learning what might have caused the leak.

Today I asked my GP to check my hernia out. He was able to feel the gap where a hernia could protrude but there was no protuberance. On Monday I had a video conference with a surgeon in Flag. She evaluated my verbal description of conditions. She chose the conservative approach to wait and see should it pop out again then surgery would be recommended.

So I am free to go, but to where. I want to go north to escape heat and get back into trees and mountains. Idaho and Utah recommend voluntary 14 day quarantine when entering state. That precludes visiting those states. I can make Oregon by driving N thru Nevada. Bend has restrictions and snow on higher up trails. Sedona temps are back in low 80s. Van issue needs to be resolved before leaving. I can go but where and when.

I picked up my new Strongback chair today. It is much improved over my previous chair.

I am spending the night up here outside Flag. I was told of a place to stay. I set out for the spot. However, the road is gravel with bodacious stutter bumps that just shook my crowns loose. I turned onto the first side road and parked on the edge of a haul road. Nothing to look at but it is a legal place to spend the night. Chilly here, 53 degrees at 8:25 PM at 6800′. Cooler here than same elevation at Prescott.

I have been in Arizona for 150 days.

Weather forecast for Sedona was calling for mid 90s, Prescott was about 5 degrees cooler and higher. Only 1 1/2 hours away. Possible crux driving event would be the steep climb out of camp Verde on I 17. Upper 80s on pavement steep climb. The van’s cooling system underwent major refurbishing, this climb will be the test. Late afternoon Thurs after early morning ride on Llama loop, driving up to Sedona to laundromat, after all it was Thurs. George, the owner, said that he tracks time by my weekly visit. Clean clothes put away and just 2 days of riding gear drying on the inside clothes line. By nightfall everything was dry and put away.

My ride plan for Thurs was to ride up rt 179 which parallels Single track bypass which I could carry my bike across short piece of desert to get on the trail. The idea looked good on paper as I caught the trail where it rejoined Bell rock. My ride would no be legal.

Llama to Little Horse to HT then a piece of Breezy, then over to Slim Shady for descent. Stared just after 8. It was like the frog in hot water: the day warmed up gently, before I was cooked I was finished drinking a beer before lunch.

Just after 3 PM I headed to Prescott. Van climbed the hill with the temp gauge remaining where it should be, just a bit hotter than normal. Drive goes thru Prescott Valley with mass number of traffic lights. Destination was a camp spot on Thumb Butte road. Camping on the road is regulated to camping only in assigned spots. The rode is dirt with bumps. I seek to minimize bumpy road driving to protect the van and its stuffing which means picking the first open spot. Scored campsite #10 where Steve and I stayed last year. Van transmission was acting up in that upshifting was balky. May this not be an issue. Tonight is my 3rd night and will prolly stay tomorrow night putting off finding out if the van is sick.

Yesterday I ride right from camp. I used Trailforks to plan a ride which I followed. trails are identified by both numbers and sometimes a wooden sign. I followed Trailforks, most of it was same as ride here last spring. Tread here is decomposed granite which is like kitty litter mixed in with loose rocks. Ponderosa pine coverage if not logged out.

Quiet night needing single layer of down blanket, ah sleeping cool.

Today Jimmy and Christine drove to my camp site, they are locals relocated from Sedona. Smiling out of enjoyment of following a local. Alligator junipers are prevalent, must have no commercial value as they aren’t logged. This one is an aged tree with new growth wrapping around dead.

There were several genuine climbs. What goes up must come down which we did. Almost alone the entire ride.

On the climb up Honeybucket I stalled on a minor tech move. Trail was bench cut, the outslope went down a ways. I fell head first downhill. I fell about 6 feet before I was stopped by a P pine log, a broken stobb impressed itself on my right glute. I escaped serious injury. We finished back at my spot and rewarded ourselves with adult recovery drinks. They drove back home and I remained at my home. We are riding from here again tomorrow.

Still hanging in Sedona, it’s now into May, temps this week in the 90s, sparse shade, low humidity, who’d a thought I would be still here now. Covid is big factor, now enters hernia repair. Did score an appointment with surgeon this coming Monday. Surgery scheduled later. Perhaps out of here early June.

Thurs night the Sedona cops really searched to find me tucked away in a canyon of trucks. Rousted me, city ordinance. Officer raised trespassing point, told here I have permission she said she could contact him on the spot. She waited till next day then stopped by to talk to owner. They are familiar w/ each other. No harm, just can’t camp inside city limits. Now sleeping out off Beaverhead on FS. There elevation is 4,000, Sedona was 500′ higher, not any cooler.

Body is not happy and I am resting it. Temps warmed to high to ride unless I started way early as I did today, first ride since hernia diagnosis. I have been walking from sleep spot. One big hike was desert bash out to abandoned camp at MP4. Camper was moved before towed yest the trailer and loose junk remains. walked thru lots of cheat grass.

Again, nothing eats it, it is invasive, and is fuel for range fires. Cows are vector.

Scored this out of the way before the road becomes too nasty for van. Does have slight shade, I park the van at an angle to create afternoon shade.

So, this AM I was out of bed just after 6, did exercises with no abdominal strain, got after scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee bfast, cleaned up, made ready to be underway, then drove up to Cultural park for ride. Ride plan was a feeler for strain and get it done before heat of day. Stirrup down to Girdner, turning left on Rupp and climbing out of creek, turn left on Cockscomb riding by site of pic location on cover of Beartooth’s Sedona Singletrack map, turn left on start of Outer Limits, left on Last Frontier, left on Bolo descending to right on Axis, cross the now Dry creek and climb out back to start. Short 9.32 miles lasting 1 hr 12 mins pedaling. Heart rate was high reflecting layoff. 82 degrees at van.No intestine bulge but muscle pain in location. Upon reflection this pain has been around for many days but the protuberance was only after Templeton nasty.

In late afternoon the sun drops behind the ridge to the west of my spot removing the source of heat. At bed time, around 10, the temp is just below 70 degrees, too warm for summer weight single layer down blanket, just the top sheet. Last night was first the temp was too high to enjoy pulling a single layer over me. Forecast this week is low 90s.

Ordered replacement Strongback chair due to arrive here Thurs.

This morning during ride prep on my bike I learned that my highly accurate digital air pressure gauge was dead. Had new battery which I installed, still no luck, gauge shot. I relied on vague accuracy of floor pump. Prolly overinflated as safety pressure. Buying new one before next ride. Tires loose pressure between rides, some loss has to come from valves as the Stan’s gunks up the core. Also, I suspect even with better rim tape air leaks at several spoke nipples. I am interested in I9’s new Hydra hub and carbon rim as replacement. Checked web site, costs as much as yet to get stimulus check if I receive the full $1,200. I could immediately stimulate the economy by purchasing it or, better long term, deposit to savings for house build.

Mention my house idea, the building of it is being more thought about recently. My house fund has taken a big hit with this covid event. Hope is its value will recover somewhat. Or I could spend it now at present value to avoid further loss, but then its value is way less liquid. Make a beeline to La Pine after hernia resolution via Nev to OR. Shit, I’m just a fence sitter.

Trick is to determine why you want to live then figure the how.

Desert is greening up. hardly any people either on trails or streets. Grocery stores are most populated place I go. So, off to groceries and bike shop.

Finished Grisham’s Camino Winds, then Good News by Edward Abbey published in 1980, pretty dark.