Sequence what went when in order, in order for all to  follow.

Let’s see, early Thurs…. no not yet, Wed is first.

Wed drove down to town for groceries, water and propane. Filled up I drove back out of the canyon to Bar M trails. Plan was to ride here then dash back to Willow to score a spot for the night to start early Thurs morn thread. Bar M parking lot had a good smattering of parked rigs. My route was to ride Sidewinder that I had never ridden. Ride a piece of Deadmans, exit on Escape pedal  back uphill on short piece of paved bike path to connect back on Deadmans then Long Branch then work my way back to the Back 40 etc. I geared up and pedaled away. There were still puddles on the intro trail, hmm, hope not an omen for rest of trail. I hoped by delaying a day and morning that all the water would be back in the air, As ride went on there were several small puddles that I rode at the water edge of. I followed my route plan until.

Lots of this:

I will tell you that Deadmans and upcoming Long Branch are tech difficult, pedal trails which keeps the coasters away. Lots of round edge rocks for rolls either way with lifting on the ups. I was just riding along huffing and puffing when my front wheel dropped into a wheel trap that might have rolled if I had the power. Ummph, pitched forward off my left pedal, my shin made forceful contact with this:

Sheesh, intense pain. I looked down along my shin. Sheesh, my black sock was not slowing down the blood that was seeping thru. Resulting in this as seen hours later:

I carry a bandaging first aid kit. I did stop and dress the wound. I applied a large bandaid over the exit point but blood soaked it through right away. I applied a gauze pad then wrapped several rounds of tape to hold in place. I pulled my sock back up to hide the condition of the bandage.  At this point the rest of my ride plan was shortened to just getting back to the van which I did. I put the bike back on the van and made road ready to drive short distance back to Willow. At Willow I lowered the sock and looked. No blood thru the gauze but the skin on my lower leg was a different color of flesh: I had wrapped it too tight cutting off some circulation. I cleaned the wound with DR Bronners then applied antibiotic to a large band aid then stuck it to my leg. Blood wetted thru but I kept coverage at just that one band aid. I am on anticoagulant med to prevent internal blood clots which also affects external bleeding.

Change: Willow Springs road high density camping. This crop of campers are enlarging camp spots and crowding in. If a suitable spot lacks wheel tracks, look out one of these new people will drive it down. Pre Pandemic fewer people were camping and those that did did not engage in what I have been seeing since  pandemic. However, still all sites are left clean, amazing for so many campers there is no litter. Upon occasion I see the dark streak going down the road from someone who cracked open their hopefully just gray water drain.

OK, after warm night under bright moon it is now Thurs morn. Did the Bfast thing then make road ready. I threaded my way among other campers, then drove down to town for laundry and supplies lite. Clean clothes drove back out of canyon continuing climbing up to Horsethief area. A car was parked at the open spot, I parked at stand by spot.

Plan was to ride Rodeo loop. geared up and pedaled away. I rode Rodeo and a piece of Chisholm and did not have to share during my 15.4 miles 1 hr 57 mins climbing 879′. Rodeo is a fun breather.

Last night was the first night to not run the furnace at all. This morning I looked out to see the big spot vacant. I pushed my bike and carried my chair to it to stake claim then drove to it. I have the big open flat spot.

The garmin recovery advisor calculated 19 hour recovery, however, I checked my pulse b4 bfast which was 51 bpm which to my understanding indicates sufficient recovery. I did make today a recovery day. The GS map indicates a benchmark nearby. I asked backcountry mapping to navigate me there. Bush bash on desert avoiding small cactus and crypto I finally arrived where map and software said it should be. And it was. Because it was a bench mark it had established elevation of 5747′, I set the Core to that elevation.

After lunch I walked the 4X4 road loop. I wear Bedrock sandals when hiking both on and off trail.

Van thermometer reads 89 degrees under clear skies out in the open.

My bike is soooo sweet and tight, no rattles creaks, or chain slap.

In a sucker hole. I did pack  my rain jacket maybe because.

At spot off Willow Springs road I am parked mostly facing west into the past wind events, just under 40 mph gusts. Sunrise is seen thru the outside mirror. This AM I woke at 6:30 in the dim telling me cloud cove but no colors or past their appearance. Forecast still wanted showers, 60% and T storm around 1 PM. Rain fell during Bfast etc. Nice gentle shower that fell, let up, fell some more, lesser amount and time in following events. I kept watch on the sky hoping for clearing. I watched, time passed, watched some more. To the NW blue sky but that was not windward. I looked to the SW into the prevailing wind skies: pretty black. But over the van broken cover.

My thinking was to ride Klonzo from van and make ride as long as no rain fell. Dirt road was wetted firm for speedy travel, still 2.7 miles to TH. A pickup passed me and parked at TH. They were getting ready to ride, the Guy asked if my van has the sticker about crappy bikes making jesus sad. He met me several years ago and the sticker stuck with him. He’s from Jackson.

Back in Sedona I asked James how he decides a bike route. He said he just starts and makes the ride up as he goes. The Klonzo system offers many trail choices. Today In keeping a weather eye I made trail choices to be able to bail to shelter. I decided at each intersection. I did ride Gravitron and Vertigo before heading back,

I made first tracks. I did skid my rear tire a couple places on Gravitron. I wanted to ride on the other side of the road for more miles. However, as I climbed out facing to windward, what had blue in it was now black:

OhOh. I might have played too long. Up to a vista spot I could see blackness upwind. Forecast did predict thunderstorm. My trail selection went to warp get out of here. Shortest out was Borderline pedaling into the approaching  darkness. The pickup truck people were still out. I hit the dirt road and put my back into making that 2.7 miles pass really quickly. I started feeling scattered almost hail, 2 thunder claps had preceded the precip. I could see rain lines falling from dark clouds. I was going to get caught in a sucker hole. I stopped and frantically put on my rain jacket before rain fell. I pedaled into the storm. I don’t remember head wind. Rain fell. A road grader just arrived at the end of state land road. I rode the freshly graded firm right lane steering around soft wet spots. rain jacket leaks on right shoulder. Rain slowed down the closer I got to the van till at the van it was just light sprinkles. Clouds cleared later opening solar gain to dry out shoes, pack, and jacket.

I successfully weathered a sucker hole for a ride. Trail tread was either slick rock or sand, my tires only picked up mud was on the freshly graded road.

Change: So many campers. The spot where I stay off Willow Springs is the first turn off for camping / parking spots. Until this year just a few other campers would choose this spot. This visit it is crowded with more arriving. Parking lot.

Plan on leaving here on Monday for Fruita. I plan on arriving Bend on the 27th. I will ride along the way. will be leaving the desert.

Meteorological conditions have created several high wind warnings which became reality. 20 to 30 with gusts in 40s. Sand on desert floor is dry, ammunition for sand blast. I am parked at spot off Willow Springs where there are small patches of open sand, a nasty gust blows over that sand carrying it to me, on me, and inside the van. Most surfaces have a grit layer. I have watched video of the dust bowl which appears to be way worse than what I live in. Anyway, wind.

Yesterday I drove down to town in that rapidly moving body of air. Kleenex box on a roller skate I describe my van. Both hands on the wheel as I compensated for course deviation caused by hardy gust. I grocery shopped, poured 6 gallons of water into 7 gal water tank. I walked into Chili Pepper bike shop, my preferred shop, where I greeted the first sales associate who greeted me telling her that my bike sent me to buy parts. New chain and new bottle of Squirt chain lube. I let Excel tell me how many miles I had on current chain: 411 miles. Ooops, too many, should have changed when miles were in low 300s. I checked chain stretch with chain stretch tool: I was able to force the .5 stretch tang between a link. Not good, maybe stretch wore gear cogs. Way to find out was to put the new chain on and pedal under load to learn if chain skipped. I performed my bike work out at Willow Springs in the high wind and blowing sand. Install then pedal. No skip. I told her also my body asked for new Oury grips. Hands were disappointed. Recovery plan was to visit the other shops seeking those grips. No sale. I drove away from last stop onto the block of a bike shop I had forgotten about. I pulled into Visitor Center parking lot and parked, walked across the street, clerk greeted me, Oury grips I said, he pointed me to the shop display, hey, red Oury grips the color I wanted but were lock on. The left hand grip is full length as opposed to cut down right green grip to match the Gripshifter. Never used lock on grips. Bought the pair.

I walked back to van. I saw a woman standing near it. She greeted me. I looked at her and immediately recognized who she was and I told her to give me a moment to retrieve her name from the memory vault. It was Ingred, wife of Cal. I worked with both of them back in my Spokane days. We visited for catch up on Spokane people we both know. They left to visit Arches, i invited them to visit me as they were staying further out Willow Springs from me. Later they stopped by. We have much history from my Spokane days.

High wind warning was forecast to expire at 9 PM, and the wind complied stopping about 30 mins before. Warm night, no heater needed.

Change: I park at first track off Willow Springs which in the past attracted just several other campers and they parked off at the edges. What’s happening now is more campers are crowding in and even making new spots. What used to be the distance from first to second base  spacing has shrunk to being caught in a pickle. Not door banger closeness but close enough to listen to conversations. Me and too many other people competing for space.

Last night and this morning the forecast called for another wind event, gusts to 50 starting at noon. perhaps I can ride Klonzo and get back to shelter before wind start. I parked my van pointing strongly to the west for wind. I overslept this morning, like 6:30. I raised my head and looked into  the rear view mirror to see a wild sunrise, Sailors take warning, Before I could get outside to view the earth had moved away from that show. Gentle wind.

Fed myself and cleaned up then geared up. I pedaled away a little past 8 with the wind at my back. 2.73 miles of dirt road to single track. Guy was standing at kiosk, I made a wind comment and he responded. I pedaled away on my ramble. I wanted to ride TopSpin again and get there quickly to stay ahead of impending wind. I ran into him out there. We struck up a conversation, he is executive director of park City recreation. Long chat about bike advocacy. He is staying on Willow also. He said he might swing by for a visit later. I finished my ride beating the high wind. He visited later, we sat outside visiting until winds and dust drove me inside and he drove away. He has a long history of mountain biking and advocacy. Education will save our sport from itself but how to bring unknowledgeable riders up to speed? You can lead a rider to education but you can’t make them learn.

Change: back in the day there were trails that went somewhere. The tread was prolly not bike wheel friendly. That’s what was available. Then mountain bikers organized and became advocates for trails resulting in biker friendly trails, in some cases, were just for riding that didn’t go anywhere. Klonzo is an example in that it is a small chunk of BLM land with a trail network, you ride a loop and you end up back at the start. Riding as a result has become a sport and not a life style. It is what it has become.

Sheesh, it’s 5:30. I rose from my chair to start dinner, I looked out the windshield to see Charlie just drove up. More stimulation and exchange of info. Wind was blowing sand making it no fun to sit inside with shelter a step away and the door slid shut. he bid adieu to go fix his dinner and I turned to fixing calories. Then my sister Lynn called and we chatted for a while while I fed myself. Did the dishes and it is now 9:6 PM. Evening cup of sleepytime Celestial Seasonings tea is nightly custom.

Rain is forecast tomorrow.

Above is on the east side of the continuation of Willow Springs that enters Arches.

Below is on the other side

Managing the users. I paid attention to the below as a go around was being created. On the right, where the loose rock is, is the build tread, you will see in that tread a small rock outcrop, to the left is the ridden in go around. I believe the go around was not caused by the out of place rock. But if it was that rock could have been removed by anybody but if nobody did riders will go around it. I stop and remove those kicked in rocks for safety of rider and health of trail. I saw bike tracks out of tread to avoid a rock on the trail.

I’m communicated out.

I am planning on leaving here next Monday for Fruita. I set 5/27, Thurs b4 Memorial Day, to be in Bend. I am figuring out where to stop along the way and for how long a visit. From here to there there are few riding places.