Zing and yang. Take Gorilla Glue, a hybrid maybe 23% THC, vape it at 356 degrees for maybe 20 hits then finish the bowl off at 398 degrees to wring out every last bit of THC settling into the dreaded couch lock where time and energy seem to slow to molasses in March. My body is crushed into the driver’s seat, my legs are resting on a small stool, upon occasion when I can break free of the lock I step to the stove and reheat water to make hot wash cloth compress on my shin cut (?). Skin is reforming, I hope.

So, during yesterday’s conversation with Troy he spoke highly of big grins on a trail named Raceway. Today I took him up on his recommendation after making clean clothes. Trailhead is about 17 miles N of town. Trailforks linked to Maps and me asking for the software to navigate, then me skippering the van I arrived at the TH. Flatout bleak open dry desert. Manifest cattle grazing damage. Full exposure, temp in upper 70s, scattered clouds, little breeze. Racetrack is directional, climb to high point then mostly let gravity and trail braking assist me  back to start. Several short climbs harshed to coast buzz. Downhill was like a ski slalom course having almost in line short bends with slight berm to. Carve and angulate. Drop the seat. Swoop. Cows. I did enjoy speed that I was not working for.

Finished at van where another trail, Corkscrew, took off. It was there and I had energy and desire to ride it. A short stem out and back piece lead to a Y, decision time, Robert frost Poem time location shifted to desert, which path to take. A rock arrow pointed left, clock wise. First time here, I rode the pointed direction which was single track

through open sage over grazed desert. Complete exposure. Five miles of climbing to high point then learn namesake. It dropped down a drainage shoulder twisting as needed to build a sustainable tread. G outs, fork compressions. Finished riding 15.8 miles climbing 1270′, pedaled for 1 hr 52 mins w/ average bpm of 122.

On Corkscrew all but a small distance is on BLM land that is grazed. The climb route up a ways was lined by sawed down and left to decay junipers. Cut and left. Learned it was BLM effort to improve rangeland for grazing.

All by myself. Finished ride then drove back to town. Stopped at bike shop, asked if still allowing writing on the restroom wall, yes, I asked for a marker which was found, and I added 2021 to my writing. One wrench grew up in Price where another shop owned by same owner is located. We shared local knowledge.

I drove back to corral. Before I got there I came upon a camper van and a pickup with the tailgate down, 2 guys were sitting on tailgate each consuming beer from a can. I was waved over. It was troy and a buddy. I stopped in the road while we conversed. I learned that all the bike trails were built and not cow trails. we talked about the lack of trail etiquette, he said it is the newbies, I asked if was by age and he said it is the new riders regardless of age, they expect to come and ride and let other people make the trails happen. Because they are new they have no connection to past.

Where I wanted to stay at the corral was populated with 3 vans, I drove past then took the first off shoot parking on grazed over land. Crowded.

Figure I will stay here tomorrow and ride another day, perhaps repeat Festicle then stay the night. Sat leave for red Fleet N of town for a ride. Soon I will be in trees and water.

Vernal, UT is on my way to snow melt latitude. I arrived here as scheduled. The drive from Colorado Valley was over Douglas Pass at 82xx’ up the 25mph twisty climb to the pass, the van’s automatic transmission dropping down to 3rd. Made the summit with the engine temp where it belonged, now would be the test of the braking system as the road was not as well engineered. made it down as the van continued its strong performance at 264,xxx miles. I am now out at McCoy Corral home to a trail system made by local energizer.

While driving I had been feeling vibrations maybe from what I figured were the tires, the fronts were worn down to the wear bars on the outboard edges. I figured on replacing them once at Bend. Sunday driving and anticipation of distancing myself and van from the resources available in Junction. I decided to rest on Monday and drive into a Discount Tire store to have tires checked. Forecast for Monday called for showers which fell during the morning for maybe a couple of hours. I was parked out off Road S on bare ground at an angle to the backing out direction. I was pretty close to edges of the mesa with several gulleys falling away. To misjudge my drive on rain softened dirt could  lead to the end of these blogs. If the dirt was slippery I might have difficulty squaring the van on firm dirt to back out. At the site several sets of soft dirt tire tracks said that the dirt could get pretty soft. I waited for several hours of drying sunshine before I made my exit. No problem, firm dirt. I called Discount in Junction inquiring about tires, yes, they had but they were the newer replacement model and there were no longer my model, they were to be  identical. The van needed new shoes. I made a 4 PM appointment. The van now has new tires on the rear and the rear on the front. Drove away and slowly a feeling of relief rolled in because what I felt was gone. New tires. Spent the night back above Loma.

On the downhill side of Douglas Pass there are several petroglyphs locations.

Tues AM I drove away arriving at Vernal later.

I stopped at Altitude Cycle, the shop in town. I learned that Troy, the entrepreneur former owner, had sold the shop. Their restroom walls were open to whatever anybody wanted to write. I searched for my note: I found it, I dated it 2010 and 2017, my previous visits when the shop was open. I forgot to add 2021 to my note. Bought groceries including Sooley, Grisham’s newest novel,  then drove out of town to McCoy. I parked at the old corral, there were several campers nearby, at previous visits I was all alone. New RV crowd, none of them bikers.

Ride today. Chilly and very windy. I wanted to ride the monster climb up Jackalope which I set out for. Trails at intersections in places still have trail names. The trails are on Trailforks on my phone which is inside my pack instead of on my handlebar because I haven’t found the correct phone holder. Big hump like almost 200′ / mile. I stopped several times for blows. Trails here are mix of loose non sharp edge loose rocks, cow shit, sand, rolled firm sand, and some slick rock. Going downhill was made more pleasant by the suspension upgrades.

Creative:

I ran into a couple and visited. They are from Steamboat, he said we had run into each other somewhere, maybe here previously. Maybe. They returned today for their ride.

Last night I walked a loop on system trails from van. cattle grazing, lots of them. As I walked up Combo trail I noticed a cow path parallel to bike trail, the cows chose to make their own path.

Windy warm night but 42 degrees at wake up enjoying furnace and being able to ride from van.

The couple from yesterday arrived. They were going to ride in the other direction on a new trail, Festicle. I rode away with an ideal of trails to ride to get there. Vandalism destroyed many intersection markers and my phone was in my pack so I lost my plan. The intersection to Festicle was unsigned and faint, I saw fresh tire tracks, I dropped my pack, and called up Trailforks which showed me I was where I needed to be. New trail is raw and is challenging to follow it. I ran into the couple and stopped to visit.. they told about where the trail I would be on was separated from the trail coming back by about 5′ and to continue as the trail would eventually come back. Trail was all about twists and wanders. Great old school singletrack.

I finished my ride by riding into the trailhead as i saw the couple were there. Another guy was visiting with them. He looked at me and spoke, he recognized me and I his voice. It was Troy, builder of these trails and former bike shop owner. I enjoyed the connection as we visited about things. He said to watch for recently purchased recreation toys being put up for sale in the next 2 years as people spent money on toys who will have grown tired of them and or in $ trouble. If so perhaps the sheer numbers of campers will diminish.

They all left and I returned to my nearby van. I set up my chair and sat in the sunshine reading Sooley.

I had a scheduled telemed call with the alternative care provider to go over last lab results: not good, I still have leaky gut. She told me just to avoid gluten and rice and can eat beyond the SIBO diet. I will pick up new meds when I arrive in Bend later this month.

Hot fully exposed to sun at the corral. Sun has gone down bringing coolness.

Tomorrow is laundry day back in town using the same laundromat I used on a previous visit. Troy told me of 2 newly built trails that I will get a kick out of riding which I will do then spend another night here before heading to Red Fleet trails.

It’s 9:22 PM. I need to wipe off today’s sweat then get my nose buried back in the book.

 

Thing about most of this desert riding is lots of full body exertion and hence wear and inflammation. Change: body wears out or wears down, slowly slowly slowly; may that be my speed.

I made Thurs rest day from riding but chores continue as the pursuit of clean clothes, and today clean sheets and the first night on tight sheets. But I previously documented that experience. The sleep was wonderful.

So, really this picks up on Friday. Today is a ride day, going to ride from Mack interchange which is the next interchange west from Loma where I stay. Route was counter clockwise  leaving Mack TH pedaling frontage road for a bit to start of Troy Built then connected with Lions dirt road a 4X4 challenge at several rock outcroppings. Turn right on Mack Ridge road for pedaling on smoother dirt road but had a grunt climb. Road ends at Mack Ridge trail that stays up on like a mesa until intersection with Hawkeye for downhill finish.

Reward today was riding down Hawkeye which a newer purpose trail. It wanders across the face mixing mostly climbing with short pieces of not pedal so hard.

While getting ready in the almost plugged full parking lot a woman rider pulled in. A conversation rolled on. Rita. She was going to ride my route in the opposite direction. We missed each other because she rode down the nasty Mack descent while I pedaled up a road. I used to choose her route pushing my bike up most of it as it was shorter to top of ridge.

Then I arrived at intersection with Hawkeye when I heard my name called, I recognized the voice among a group of riders. It was Don from Galena Lodge in Idaho. We chatted a bit.

Back down at TH Rita arrived and we figured out how we missed each other. Chatted for more socializing.

Drove back to Loma spot which is full on exposed to weather. It’s been windy, like 26 mph my wind gauge reported. I maneuvered the van as best I could on this narrow ridge to face into the wind, not completely successful as the strong wind made it hard to open the slider.

OK, that takes care of Friday. Now Saturday, the day of my covid vaccination at 10 AM in Fruita at a mobile vaccine  site right across the street from a Hot Tomato originated coffee shop. Maybe less than 20 recipients were around while I was there. Paper work to be filled out, wait my turn then step into the big diesel pusher mobile shot bus. Because I signed up on line I had the option of the J & J 1 shot vaccine which I chose. I sat in a seat, the shooter positioned herself to stab my left upper arm which she did. SHIT, it hurt, I tensed up, she said stop that. I relaxed  for seconds as the pain level increased. I did not see the syringe for needle size and quantity to be shot into me. After all it was a puncture wound.

Today was also a no ride day. Outside was wind chilled and sunny. I drove out to McInnis canyon Devils Canyon TH for a day hike. I left camera back home. I mixed dirt and slick rock for a loop. I took my shirt off for sun exposure which later proved to be excessive where my bike jersey doesn’t cover. Red neck.

I checked my stash quantifying it if sufficient to last till I made next legal state of Oregon. Decided I did not want to run out so I drove out to Palisade to the closet dispensary. The Palisade Plunge comes down off Big Mesa into town somewhere. The trail is not on Trailforks yet.  Snow is still on the mesa, still too early.

Dinner again a Sedona salad from Hot Tomato.

Change: Across the street is the new location of the Copper Club which is a small brew pub that formerly was located in a small building. It was like a dive bar in that to me it seemed most patrons were locals which connected me to community. The new location is way more spacious with a large gravel outside seating area. After dinner I walked over to check it out. People spread out, the customers appeared to be all visitors, no longer local. A band was scheduled to play. I listened to the first song which was OK but I was not going to connect with anybody so I left and drove back to Loma and the wind.

Today was another go out at Mack and Hawkeye. First was short drive back to town to buy locally roasted beans for tonight’s batch of cold brewed coffee concentrate.

Arrived at packed TH causing me to drive down the frontage road to a pull over spot. Going to pedal up Hawkeye climbing  for 34 mins gaining 476′ in 2.91 miles, then down Mack Ridge to Marys start a short ways then turn on Wrangler climbing, traversing, then descending.

Took first cut over to Marys not yielding to an uphill illegal e bike rider. I just told him he was illegal, end of conversation. Continued on Marys to its end then pedaled the road back. This was the same loop I did earlier.

Returned to Loma spot to wind.

Thought is to leave tomorrow for Vernal. Drive goes over Douglas Pass at 82xx feet. Snow forecast in AM with little accumulation. Still better leave time will be mid afternoon. Vernal has rain forecast.