Sunday afternoon the weather started chilling and blowing. Snow was in the mix. I drove out to Quail Lake spot. Hunkered down. Furnace runs producing the fixed air temp and the heat loss from the van lessens the furnace out put. Monday AM drove into town for resupply.

Today was propane fill day, took on 5 gals, max is 5.6, I stay on top of it. Returned to Quail thinking I might get a ride in. Cold, blowing, and threatening precip. Stayed inside out of weather. Tues forecast called for even higher wind velocity. I drove into town feeling the wind. I thought if I drove up to the corral area the location would be above the wind. Not so. Sunny, 38 degrees and stiff wind. Nah, stay inside again.

Last night was cold. As the temp dropped I became aware of how chilly I was and if I was to stop the heat loss I would have to leave the warmth of my bed for the chill to pull down my down sleeping bag and unzip it and clamp it to inside edge of bedding. The clamps prevent the bag from sliding off. This morning it was 17 out and balmy 47 inside. I forced myself out of the warmth to greet the day.

Today I will drive down to Sedona. I planned on leaving at 8 AM. I boiled water for coffee, escaping steam condensed and froze on the inside of the windshield. Full sun on van at departure. will the van start I ask myself every morning, of particular concern are these cold mornings. Battery appears strong. I steered towards Sedona. The outside temp was in low teens in the sunshine. Chilly inside. 89 A climbs up to Jacob Lake at 79xx’ thru Ponderosa pine forest and SNOW.

Descent to desert dropped like 2,000′. Down at the bottom I looked at the engine temperature which read a cold engine. temp outside was so cold and the descent with wind chill and the engine not working caused the radiator temp to drop. Many miles were powered over to bring the temp back to normal. Long drive, windy, cear roads. Flag sits at 7,000′ under several inches of snow. I drove l-17 down to S of VOC. As I dropped off the rim snow lessened till finally no existent. No water in Dry Beaver creek. Drove up Beaverhead Flats road looking for an open spot. I scored my favorite spot. No litter, all clean. I wonder if there isn’t a community organization that cleans these spots. I have never seen anyone picking up trash. Perhaps, and may it be so, that the people staying here clean up after themselves. I suspect it’s conscience.

37 degrees at 8:26 PM around 38xx’.

Sunday afternoon back out at Quail creek in anticipation of forecasted rain / snow, a little this afternoon then Mon after 11. Spent last night up high at Corral at 4088′, Quail is like 2881′. will be warmer down here and road out should be firm.

Yesterday I made a rest day. In long distance backpackers this is known as a zero day. yesterday Gonzaga played Virginia and the game was televised on cbs. Nearest sports bar is Jacks in Springdale just outside Zion NP. I called there inquiring of protocol and if they receive cbs. Yes, they get that station and protocol was acceptable. I built my day around the 2 PM start and me being at Jacks. I headed up towards Zion for the first time this visit. As I closed my distance to the park the sheer sandstone walls emerged. Remarkable. I had forgotten the splendor. I clicked my camera several times to post pics here as somewhere in digital library I have way better pics.

I opened the outside door then greeted the hostess. I asked to be seated in front of the Zags game. She checked with the person who had the TV controls. After several minutes of that person searching she told me they don’t get that cbs station. Crushed. I left then drove back to Hurkin and up to the corral area listening to the game on XM. Next televised game I should be barside at PJs in Village of Oak Creek.

Today I rode in relation to weather forecast that called for 30% precip after 11. Just above freezing overnight but still below 40 at 10. I left at 10:30 in the chill and packing a rain shell in case. I rode from van pedaling Goulds up to highway, crossed it then descended JEM to Goosebumps, reconnecting with JEM down to Hurricane Rim around to Crypto up to intersection with Dead Ringer to climb up to upper JEM TH then returned back on Goulds. On Goulds I waited for a climbing rider to top out. It was a single woman, Melissa I learned. Met her for the first time. She’s from Bozeman. I told her I know Bozeman. I been around.

After taking this pic I returned the camera to the side pocket and got back on bike. A few feet down I bounced over a rock and heard the camera hit the ground. I picked it up. Trail is beat up from rear wheel brake draggers.

Desert riding.

Bike has a sound that sounds like a cracked bat in the front end somewhere. I dropped it off at OTE for sussing out cause.

Out at same preferred spot at Quail.

Weather will be what happens.

Dinner time. I have eaten almost all of the fudge. On todays ride the algorithm calculated I burned 1147 calories. Sure, I will eat another piece. After eating broccoli in the one pot mash up.

Foolish nonsense

Soft creamy candy

My sister would send me a basket of baked christmas goodies, one of the treats was fudge that our mother used to make. My diet precludes me from the gluten treats but sugar is real bad, it is not forbidden. This year she respected my diet and didn’t send me anything, including the fudge. I have a kitchen, I have internet. I found a desirable fudge recipe on line that seemed like it might be the same. I needed a candy thermometer, a bag of marshmallows and chocolate chips to mate up with the sugar I had. This morning I made a batch, 1/2 the recipe. Required many minutes of stirring that neither shoulder enjoyed. I smeared the melted mass on my buttered griddle then let it firm up. Dang, Sugar and chocolate, what can go wrong? Tasty. Self restraint prevents me from scarfing the entire batch today.

I spent the Thurs night at the corral area. Forecast wants higher temp than what was outside: 21 and 47 inside this morning. Plan for the day was to drive out to Quail lake where I have been staying then going on a big ride. I made it happen, not a fudge. I rode right from my van on Twist and Shout out to connect to Lakeside to its end dropping down onto hard road riding a mile to the start of Prospector riding out to Church Rocks loop then return. On the way out the single track from the van to the hard road took 42 mins. On my return as I neared the end of Prospector sucking water out of hydration bladder sent signal of emptiness. A KOA XG is right at the hard road. I pedaled in seeking a vending machine 12oz bottle of water. Place was shut down, not even an outside vending machine. I had that 42 mins to pedal yet possibly w/o liquid. Bonking in cold temps. I didn’t drink as much as I should have, the bladder was sucked dry at ride’s end. Big ride 26 miles pedaling for 3 hrs 28 mins climbing 2080′. Beautiful day.

Big ride. The l-9 Hydra hub is still making a big improvement to my technical riding.

I shared the trails with maybe 12 riders. One couple was OTE regulars which caused a lengthy visit stop. Others no conversation. Being’s how it was Christmas day I wondered if riders out would either be enjoying a gift or escaping in laws. The local couple were just out for the relationship ride.

Thursday was laundry day and shopping to be done before holiday closure. Clean clothes, larder stocked and propane filled I drove up to Sheep bridge road for a ride. I parked right off the highway. Another beautiful chilly day. quite a few riders out and spread out. Climb Dead Ringer, descend JEM, traverse on Goosebumps, descend some more on Crypto then start to pay the piper climbing back out. Desert riding where I ma the tallest thing around until a taller rider stops. Open sky but trail layout creates many short sight lines. I came upon a rider off his bike fiddling with a large pocketknife on his bike. I offered help, he accepted the allen wrench on my tool thing. He accepted the fact that he needed to equip himself. Drove out to corral area for the night.