I did. This morning outside was 14 degrees and the sun was still asleep. Yes, yesterday did reach 53 degrees as was today’s forecast high but another teens at night. Hurricane was much warmer. I would end up there later, or quicker. Thunder Mountain for the 4th time holds little interest. I looked closer at Navajo lake seeing it was at 9,000′ and colder. I have a free pass thru Zion NP. I needed a laundromat and Hurricane has a good one. Better grocery store in Hurricane. I can be anywhere I want to be. Hurricane is where I am now. Drove thru Zion NP, scenery is like wow. Didn’t spectate.
By driving thru the park I would go by the lower end of the JEM trail on the Hurricane Rim. Why I went to Hurkin. Drove to TH. Geared up then pedaled away. Wearing shorts and 1 long sleeve wool jersey. Just right temp.
Tread here is a mix of rolled firm and slabs of flat rock mostly embeded other times broken. Balance challenging. I find that going slow and tractoring I can pedal over whatever. More control over the suspension. I rode the climbing route to top of JEM at a developed trailhead. Dead Ringer.
The dirt here is like fine flour, my bike looks like it has been dredged in flour.
Climb to top of JEM trail then JEM all the way back to the van with almost no elevation gain. Ground is white and the sun bright creates overexposure for my vision. I am considering darker tinted glasses.
17.4 miles climbing 1060′, pedaling for 2 hr 5 mins. I encountered maybe 8 riders, all were trail love savvy. 73 degrees at 2 PM.
Next stop was the laundromat, I am back on Thursday wash days. Next door is a used bookstore where I seek another Russo novel and I have store credit. She found one The Old Cape Magic in hard cover.
Clean clothes next was Over the Edge Hurricane. I walked in and saw all new faces. Quentin, the owner, heard me and engaged us in conversation. This visit here is the 12 year in a row. The first was back in 09 while I was recovering from a lacerated kidney suffered up on Little Creek. Spent 3 days in a hospital in ST George. Laceration healed by itself, told 6 weeks recovery, nursing my body. I hung at shop which was just 1 year old. Every year since I visit Hurricane this time of year.
Harmon’s grocery store in ST George is huge stuffed with good stuff like aged Gouda, quality salmon, maybe Happy Camper bread. The Santa Clara trails are nearby.
47 degrees at 9:23 PM at 2779′.