Adaptive. Hard date: Tues 11 AM in Centerville 2 hours away. Adaptive where and when I want to be where I end up or have planned on it. I’m above Price, UT at old TH for start of Luke’s trail. There are few public land sleep spots between here and Centerville. Adaptive: weather forecast called for snow and cold at Soldier Summit, enough snow to make winter driving on May 29. OK stay here for 2 days.

Yesterday I drove like 30 miles from spot S of Price to above Price. Very windy, van swerving within lane. I needed groceries. Small town with national chain stores still lack exotic fare like aged Gouda cheese. White bread. Bike shop, Altitude, same name and owner as the original in Vernal was closed as it was Sunday. No place to buy coffee beans except packaged grocery store selections. I drank the last cup of my cold brewed coffee this morning, Morning Thunder tea for breakfast tomorrow.

Headed out for Luke’s TH. City streets then turn on to wide gravel road to climb out of basin to mesa above. Steepest climbing van has done since prolly back in 2010 when I previously rode here, but this time the van is experiencing drive train issues. Van pulled the hill with the transmission doing what it should. Relief cresting the climb. Pulled into small parking area. Two blue plastic 55gal trash barrels and a carsonite post with sticker for Luke’s. First time here was 10/28/10. I visited with local bike shop, different owner, think it was “Fuzzy’s Bikeworks”. Long haired guy greeted me while his dog, Luke, checked me out. Guy told me that if the shop does not have a long haired guy or a dog, go elsewhere. Shop met both criteria. Shop had a sticker, ” Crappy bikes make baby jesus cry” I bought 2, put 1 on van that is now about gone but treasuring the other. He told me about the trails which were rough and not mapped. Verbal description that my memory would not recall once riding. The main trail, Luke’s, is named after his dog who made the trail layout. Guy said he followed Luke as he wandered around flagging it as he went. Today the trail is better defined, signed, and on Trailforks.

A nasty cold has invaded my body dragging me down for a week. For 3 days now I am wracked by nasty wet coughs. Health rule is if it’s below the neck, rest. I had been resting. Yesterday I hiked several miles of trails here and did not cough once which provided encouragement for perhaps an easy ride today which I did. Still adversely affected but meeting recovery hours. Luke’s maybe didn’t wander like namesake as trail is methodically twisty on rolled in firmly packed sand populated by babyheads. Early on while I was learning what my body would do I attempted a small rock move but stalled by small wheel trap. I lost my balance toppling left. I was tangled in a pinyon pine with my left cheek pressing on a small cactus which limited options for hand placement to return to upright. I ended up with small thorns in my left glove and cheek. I picked what I could pull while wearing gloves. I gave is a second go with success.

Sage and juniper over small rocks. Twisty with almost no sight line, just a wiggle but for how long and what is next?

Short ride and low effort provided exercise. Cold has now gone to my head and still coughing albeit less. yesterday I performed the 2nd COVID home test, result still clean. I have a nasty cold as I have no COVID symptoms.

Cold again, ran furnace all last night, 40 degrees at wake up at 5944′. 36 degrees tonight. Propane will reach.

Tomorrow is into mass of people, 4 lane interstate, packed. Will learn of van health and possible repair while city living. Adaptive.

Played shits for my plans. Spending today at same spot as forecast weather and dearth of sleep spots between here and SLC. Snow is forecast at higher riding elevations. Dunno effect of water on trails I planned to ride.

Oh, seek knowledge, I spoke with bike shop in Payson, a desired place to ride: Put some water on the tread and it becomes hero dirt. Lots of potential. Holiday weekend with wet forecast might lessen recreaters. I’ll drive over there tomorrow, 2 hr drive and few backward direction miles, staged still for Tues appointment.

Camped around short junipers on dry desert dirt.

Yesterday driving in on the hard road I noticed a string of almost blooming thistle plants which is an invasive species. Blooming and fertilization then shedding offspring that crowd out native vegetation and nothing eats it. Put a sock over it or just sever the potential from life system. I walked from sleep spot down the road to the patch then cut every blossom off each plant. Unfortunately it is a perennial, I just stopped the next generation. Because it is perennial the plant structure will survive for another go next year.

Cough is moving the cold gunk from my lungs, cough is productive. Exertion is not called for at present. Perhaps a road ride from here. Cough just now said: rest. Maybe easy walk.

Thurs morn as my skillet loaf of corn bread was cooling the repair sho[p called telling me he is in possession of the replacement drive shaft. I asked for an hour to get there for immediate install. He concurred. I stuffed the 8″ dia lsug of cornbread in the food drawer then beat easy feet to sho[p east of Junctipon. Present serviceable conditipon is worn carrier bearing which holld up the drive shaft. If teh bearing grenaded it might precipitate transmission damage. The van sometimes violently shudders in lower gears then mostly goes away at maybe 35 and keeping a load on the engine. Made the shop. Wrench drove it into shop. Office guy gave bill of $1800 and change, if I paid by checke I saved 3.5% service fee. I was told R & R would be quick. I sat in waiting room and waited, and waited beyond quessed time. Walked into shop, wrench greeted me: New drive shaft produced same noises. My drive shaft is fine. He R & R’d new for old. Said now suspects transmission  starts the shake. Back to transmission replacement. This shop could install the transmission but lacked the software to program it. Sprinter transmission shops either east to Denver or west to SLC. I googled SLC shops, first one is a Sprinter specialty shop. We talked, I will be Centerville, UT Tues at 11 for their diagnosis. SO, hope sprung eternal that new driveshaft would be the solution.  Difference now is incorporating van repair and living decisions of city living.

Repair shop is like 4 hours from Fruita on I70 and US 6. Lacking knowledge of transmission health creates stress because of the unknown. I sometimes so close to don’t bid the devil good day until you meet him anxious. Should the van fail I will deal with it. On US 6 a bit south of Price there is a long steep climb that would test the transmission shifting. Made it w/o slipping.

Up top is a rest area on the right on pavement. To the left is gravel which I had taken when here. Today I drove out to spot which had become a cow watering manure trampled in patch of dirt. Not staying here. Retraced drive stopping at a spot. Drove in then opened the side door being greeted by odor of a decaying mammal. I discovered source was an unburied dog. Scratch this spot. Drove to next spot which is very close to the highway. Litter. I checked  BCN map researching the other side of the highway. Promising. I rode my bike across the 4 lane undivided 65mph highway and picked up a paved road leading away from highway noise. I passed close in pull outs, I wondered what was up ahead. I continued to another pull out which lead to a maven of camp spots. I picked a spot. So much better. Over here with indications of high camping load there is no litter where as the other side of the highway was heavily littered: typical beer containers.

I have been planning life till 11 AM on Tues. Tomorrow I will drive to Price and maybe ride there. Next will be over Soldier Summit to Payson canyon.

Fruita held me because of van issue and the trails are taxing for me. Starting cold climbing Hawkeye put me down. I rode from the main Kokopeli TH up Mary’s Steve’s connector and Steve’s loop then climb Wranglers, traverse then descend with closed 2 track single track to Marys for a high speed descent on tilted slick rock with sometimes climbing riders to yield to which regulates brake lever pull.

On Wed I rode from Mack TH right off I70 interchange. I will finish with Hawkeye down. I pedaled the gravel frontage rd to start of Troys built which works its way south to end at Mack Ridge jeep rd climb.

A rider struck up a conversation, we have met elsewhere in the past to my failed recall. He showed a pic of info kiosk on Willow Springs road in Moab, there is now a daily $15 fee.

Duh, bike fork is past due for service. OTE turned to, next bike. Seals and dust rings were dried out. OK. previous service was last Dec.

Forecast calls for possible wetness.

Developed a cough and chest congestion like a chest cold. Insurance paid for a COVID home test kit. Last evening’s test result was clean. Seems like past chest colds.

9:39 PM it is 75 degrees at 5505′. Last summer at Bend Steve bought the last fan at preferred RV store. Sometime later somewhere else I bought my own. I used it all last night and will prolly run all night tonight. Bed time.

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