Still hanging here in Fruita with the weather improving daily. Warmer days into the upper 60s and nights above freezing. Staying out N of Loma at the same spot except for last night a camper scored the spot. I took an adjacent spot.
Yesterday I rode a big loop connecting the previous pieces. I drove out mid morning to Mack TH earlier than when I planned on riding to score a parking spot as this TH is small and fills towards noon. TH is in the warm sun but Hawkeye trail is on North facing slope which keeps the cold, mud, and snow. Per Trailforks data the trail is 2.9 miles long and climbs 930′ and descends 319′, the elevation is determined by which direction you pedal it. I start at the bottom and climb that 930′ right out of the gate, that’s 320′ / mile. The trail reclimbs what was lost. TH is at 4700′ with top at 5200′. Rated Blue. Grunt. My engine lacks umph to pedal up some of the step ups. There were places in the shade where slippery freeze thaw remained but did not stick to tires albeit made the outsloped rocks pieces suspect for slipperiness. Two younger women started behind me who jibber jabbered as they climbed ever closer to me. They passed, up the ways they stopped for clothing adjustment, I complimented them on their voices working as a notification. Up top I lost that elevation on the handful Mack Ridge descent. At the bottom I picked up Wrangler to ride in opposite direction from previous ride. I descended the climbing turns some of which on the climb I had to walk up. I turned on cutover to Mary’s. Once on Mary’s the crowds also had chosen this trail. Lots of riders, weekenders. And curtesy was not as practiced as weekday ride. Next was Lion’s around underneath Mack ridge with a bunch of difficult squeeze a bike pieces. Again I chose the old jeep road to climb back up to Mack Ridge. I pedaled it all again except for where I chose a smoother line but it was on freeze thaw clay mud that loaded my tires up in less than1 revolution. Even pitched a fist sized rock into the frame locking out the suspension. The mud is very tenacious. Just a beautiful day, blue sky is so pure.
Back on top of Mack. A rider caught up to me and asked to get by, could not match his speed as he gapped me so fast and far. I didn’t expect to keep up but he was so much faster. Age affected effort.
Then over to descent of Hawkeye reversing elevation gains. Still on the descent the 320′ had to be climbed. There is a feature of a boulder with an overhang on a turn where I fell once. Fresh marks in the dirt tells the tale of others having met the same result.
17.8 miles climbing 1729′ pedaling for 2 hrs 38 mins.
Beautiful day, temp made the 60s.
Drove back into town. I refilled sink water and filled up the tree sprayer for washing off dried clay mud. grocery shopped at crowded City Market, the town’s only grocery store. CO state law requires masks. I was astounded how many shoppers were maskless. I can only manage myself.
One last Sedona salad from the Tomato then back to desert.
Last week after my first ride here my bike threw all kinds of scritches as reported. Blake at OTE serviced my bike. he said he washed it and those noises were quieted. Subsequent rides validated his work as the bike was silent. I complimented him saying that if it weren’t for my red and green grips I was riding a new bike.
My shoulder really hurts almost all the time. Riding doesn’t send pain signals until I wrestle it on lift my bike pieces. back to doing the 3 PT exercises I have been given.
Tomorrow I head to Moab. May I find open sleep spots.