I plan on leaving Sedona heading to Durango on Wed after Gonzaga wins the championship. I have made greater Sedona my home for 90 some days and still counting. My experience has been of putting things off until there is shrinking amount of available time. Shoulda but didn’tna. I can make myself be bittersweet about moving on but I smile at my experiences here as memory. This is my 12th visit here and I have known some people here that amount of time. I have returned year after year and stayed for several months, I see returning this winter again to be part of Sedona. Riders, whom I met back during my first year of hanging at the old Bike and Bean and being adapted by the locals, are still together. No new members, just loss. Closed culture? Yes but normal grouping of people you know a bit about and trust to them to help me and they the same of me. Back when I lived back in the Puget Sound I was part of a small group of people who shared same the sport and expertise, we were a product of organized mountaineering training (Mountaineers). We were exclusionary. Each of us had learned individual behavior, we had a standard that everything was brought along and you were a competent user of same. This biking group is similar in that we know about each others’ ability and character. We have a culture among ourselves albeit me the interloper who shares experiences for places they have not been. I understand their Sedona talk and have participated with them. I kept returning and rejoining.
Today was Ian’s birthday. He invited me and members of our gang on a birthday ride. Something about a social easy ride up Old Mans etc out to Horse Mesa. Met at the Outlet mall lot, my home out of the forest spot. Jimmy pulled in, Dave ( Canadian Bacon), Ian, and Chuck. All long time friends. Connections are important that my lifestyle are few and short duration lack. I am the slowest and possess lesser tech skills and less speed that the others have, I’m never far back and I walk several features. To be included in their company is rewarding.
The FS is building new trail out Old mans and what’s named Dairy Springs way and decomissioning user created trails. System trails. Slick rock construction:
Unfortunately the Rabbit ridge trail has been obstructed by lots of plant material, however the tread appears to be intact. Our ride was over to shoulder of Horse Mesa meaning we wiggled downhill on a scant impression of a wheel track. Dodging prickly pear and yucca close to the ground and catclaw to upper body. As the rider ahead of me maybe brushed a catclaw bush that I rode into on the rebound. Or maybe it was my mistake. None the less my right forearm was weeping dark red blood from numerous claw gouges. Bleeding stopped unaided. Over at Horse Mesa the tread became basalt babyheads. There is a spot out there that is known as the Church, church of the Rotating Mass. Sacrament is a sip of tequila from a stashed bottle. It’s one of several locations out here.
Deathly slow pic upload.
We honored lost member Duf.
More basalt junk. My pedaling prowess continues to grow as a result of lowered seat, I was able to pedal over many of the feet of that basalt shit. we exited onto a residential street at its highest point for the start of a steep coast. Screamer tuck. Down the ways an older woman driving her white older sedan entered the road on the right without seeing 3 bikers screaming downhill. We we able to avoid her and she let us pass.
Back to the rigs then dinner at mexican restaurant in the mall. I dashed out to Beaverhead in search of sleep spot. The first right after the overlook is packed big time, never seen as many rigs there. Even the next road to the tank. Sweating an open spot at MP4. Last night out there my favorite and back up spots were occupied. I knew of a spot between the two not obvious and it was open. Score for the night. today after dinner I cut the celebrations short and drove out to MP4. Scored my favorite spot and the way out is still occupied. More and more rigs out here occupying public land with not always places to park a rig for the night.
Speaking (writing) of lots of people with few spots to stay I realize that in my travels I am adding another rig to the pudding. Uncertainty of scoring a primitive legal sleep spot. I have become less adventurous in my travels as returning to previous spots is to have local knowledge. wed i head north to uncertainty.
Yesterday was cleaning of the clothes day and picking up my new Industry Nine front wheel at my local mail and ship to location of The Worm. Wheel: New with improved rim design and construction. No mileage. Needed shop air to seat the beads. Traffic in west Sedona is horrendous, turning left on a crowded 4 lane highway takes time for an opening. I figured my stops turning right only and saving the stops on the other side of the road for the way back.
I parked at Sunset Park on southern outskirts of town, right up against public land. Ride idea was for big loop from here out to furthest reaches of the western gateway trails. again, the ride idea was hatched while laying in bed imagining instead of counting sheep. And actualization was only going to happen one pedal stroke, uphill pant, or downhill breeze at a time. Out Old Post, turned on to start of Skywalker all the way to Over Easy to behind the expensive chain motel, crossed the highway entering the Cultural Park trailhead. My route had many possibilities because of the sheer number of trail miles limited by time and endurance. I exited on Stirrup heading to junction with Girdner. Continued on Girdner to Snake down to AZ Cypress along Dry creek. Off that I rode miles of social trails working my way back to cultural park. Rejoined system trail on Rover, Axis down to the creek and climb up to cultural park. Back across the road to Over Easy to Skywalker to Old Post onto pavement back to park. I ran out of hours. 20.1 miles pedaling for 2 hrs 47 mins climbing 1755′. I encountered fewer than 20 people, so few I hardly remember encounter. Big ride and big effort: my average beats per minute was my aerobic threshold of 128. Hardly a stop.
First impression of new I9 wheel was supple less bash from the sharp edges. What was noticeably enjoyable after time became the norm. I sent the old wheel back to Steve’s barn. The old wheel had 15,xxx miles on the rim and several years more of riding on the hub. Non boost to go with my to be extended travel fork to match the revel rail bike.
Wed I rode a short figure 8 route out Llama, down Little Horse to HT to templeton, down Breezy wash then up the wash etc to join Slim at high point for finish. Down the way was where I fell. Always take a pic of crash site.
Chiropractic manipulation realigned parts.
Sat late afternoon Gonzaga plays UCLA in final 4 game.
Last night was first since last fall to not run the furnace plus I kicked off the second layer of down blanket. Warm and next few days are forecast in the 80s.