Sandal maker Bedrock  is fitting for treading on the bed rock in Moab. Made the l70 sprint to Crescent Junction then down US 191 turning east on all weather washboard road stopping at acceptable previous spot and it was open. Campers out here yet there were possible still open spots. I geared up for a ride. I heard voices outside, I looked and it was Bill and Susan and boys from Gunnison out family mountain biking. They told me where I would find them on my ride. They went their way and I went mine.

This Klondike trail system has pedal trails on the west side of the jeep road and slick rock technical and lots of elevation on the east. I like to start on the flat for enjoyment and finish up on various trails riding slick road intermixed with rolled firm dirt. First ride in a year as I missed Moab this spring. Memory recall for repeat solutions and some metal freshness to pick a different line or ride the same differently. I rode hard. 11.9 miles pedaling for 1 hr 23 mins climbing 525′, that’s 44′ per mile flat. I found Bill and Susan’s camp and walked over to visit. Remember sundown is an hour earlier and mental awareness is being normalized.

Back at van. So warm I left the door open till after dark. Chill said close door. Chill later said turn on the heat, I switched the furnace on with the temp dial about medium. More chill but no heat. Hmm… maybe need higher setting. I spun the dial for more heat. Nothing, nothing, Spun dial way high, nothing. Furnace did not even have energy to send a code. I opened the passenger door letting stuff fall to the ground because that area is loose storage. I pulled the furnace fuse and checked seeing in tact wire. Plugged it back in again. Still dead. Seems no electric. Chill. I called upon the former first string heater and it responded as a true team player. Had heat for the night. Tomorrow I would crawl under the van and trouble shoot. Yesterday I found an open gravel level parking lot suitable for laying on my back underneath the rear end of the van. I turned the furnace blower on so that if juice found its way thru the running blower would identify the circuit break. I wiggled the several wires at the joins. Viola, blower sound. A wire plier was inside my tool box as well as black tape. I retrieved wire connector from junk drawer. Cut the ends, strip insulation, insert it into connector, squeeze both ends, then tape. Furnace now throwing code about pulled hoses. I checked, each dry. Hmm. I rotated the heat dial full to then stop which keyed the furnace to start. Success. And it is running now this evening. I like this heat better than cat infrared old guy. Sorry, I will ignore you until the starter is taken off line.

This afternoon I drove out to where Bill’s gang is camped. They were out riding. I needed to rest my shoulders and work my load bearing structure and muscular. Changed into appropriate low cut hikers for rock scrambling. I left camp heading up treading only on rock but short pieces of dirt. I picked the tallest peak above me   for my goal. Up and up solving friction moves till the top. And there was a bike trail which I figured would be there. I turned around and hiked a start of a wash downward as other branches joined. Finally the wash poured over down a almost cliff face of jumbled rock. I abandoned the wash choosing to beeline back. And I made it back. Almost a 2 hour hike. Bill’s gang was back. We visited till dinner time. I have an inside kitchen and they set up outside.

Temp in low 70s. Still wearing long pants and sleeves.

Reading Jesse Walter’s new book, The Cold Millions, which so far is sited in Spokane. I connect to his writing, the location and history but not the economic situation or the lawless beating of union organizers and unemployed.

Election results coming in that I check every now and then, So far Biden is ahead. Red states. People voting against their interests in red states.

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.