Back to Sedona

Maybe back to the future? New years of 2010 was my first winter here, so this visit is the 12th winter here. Monday I left cold Hurricane driving on dry roads, I chose the flatter route thru Page versus a slightly shorter but snow covered road via Jacob Lake. Flag had been snowed on several days prior but  that snow melted. I prefer to not drive on snow in the van. Drive was 300 miles. Chose to check out Beaverhead camp spots to learn how muddy camp spots would be. My preferred spot was accessible with just 2 muddy spots. Spent the night, warmer than Hurkin, but temp did freeze the dirt. I walked a bit checking the health of the desert not seeing signs that cows were in here this summer. The desert is damaged, I noticed that every ant colony was still dead. The ants create an open spot with no vegetation and paved with ant size rocks. They started disappearing 2 years ago.

Yesterday was making connections with people in Sedona. Visited with Jimmy. Picked up packages from The Worm. That’s as far as I got for connections.

Sunshine with 50 degrees riding enticed me. I figures if I rode trails that faced the sun there might be freeze thaw mud which would turn me around. I parked at Sunset Park then rode out to start of Old Post. Dry. The trail  was dry. There are places on the trail where it was protected from full benefit of sunshine but very few and short soft spots. I kept on. I turned on Skywalker, another sun exposed trail. Again, almost completely dry. I was looking for a shorter ride as I had not ridden for 7 days and seeking dry trails. I chose to drop down Herkinham basked by sunshine then make the ummph climb up Old Post returning to my van. My tires were clean and my bike had some small blobs of mud. I was kind to the trails I rode. I didn’t stop to snap pics. Ride was 7 miles climbing 718′, seems typical of Sedona 100′ vert per mile.

This Revel Rail bike, coupled with my stronger legs and improved tech skills, made for a smile on my face. My engine still blows up.

Joe says Hero dirt. I will find out more tomorrow after volunteer trail work in the morning. Tomorrow is wash day up in Sedona, wash first then go try W Sedona. How dry was Girdner down along Dry Creek?

Doug from Canada is here again after the US allowed Canadians across the border. He and Leia caught up with me while I was creating this. Doug and I rode quite a few rides 2 years ago during our shared time here.

Another night of below freezing is visible by how the dirt is shrunk away from rocks in the ground. Warming trend, tomorrow forecast high is 62 degrees. Super.

Installed a new smoke and CO detector replacing worn out one. I had been without a warning generator since start of heating season. I sometimes buy needed items on line as for this one. The order forms requires a ship to address and sometimes a choice of shippers is available to me. I sometimes use General delivery to a city. Sometimes the shipper is established with no provider. If the shipper is UPS they can not deliver to the USPS. Sometimes the ordering process wants a street address to go along with general delivery. My considerable experience with general delivery is no street address is required but the ordering form hiccups erroring on a their required street address. Then I schedule my travel to either be at the present location or to where my next stop will be then I need to go to that place. One time I had mail sent to me at Oakridge while I was in Bend, I planned on riding at Oakridge. A weather system came in blanketing Oakridge etc with rain. The mail was a mail ballot that I needed to vote and postmark prior to election date. I drove over, picked up the ballot, voted it, and made the date. I bought a shuttle ride up Alpine, I was the only customer. I was held hostage at a location because of slower than figured time. Here in Sedona I have a business address to receive my stuff such as this detector. Just another variable on living on the road.