Weather forecast called for a big drop on temp starting yesterday morning. Last night at bed time I was warm enough to start with the side door open and just the top sheet covering. Before sunup I was chilled so I pulled over a single layer of down blanket but leaving door open, still chilled so I closed the door. Later about sunrise the inside was serious chilly, I switched on the heater that in time took the chill off. Out of bed and checked the temp: like 35. Forecast wanted low probability of precip that the skies said it could rain. Some rain did fall that brought down suspended dirt that made splatter marks on windshield etc. I started to make the day a rest day to stay out of rain. The past 3 days here were very warm to the determent of my enjoyment. I thought to myself that riding here in like Oct I would wear warmed clothes. Give me that temp and beat wheels out of here at this time.  I drove to town for supplies then turned back driving to Kokopelli TH for a ride. I wore a heavier wool top and knickers, I was comfortable. I reversed direction from previous ride, Peter is right in that Steve’s rides better CCW. I pedaled out on Marys then dropped in on Steve’s Connector out to an entrance to Steve’s going CCW, then mostly old 2 track climb on Wranglers up its traversing line.

Marys is both directions which causes trail widening.

Open terrain. Wranglers is more fun to ride this direction. It ends on Marys for a short downhill to road for a 6 min uphill pedal.

Back out N of Loma. I looked at the propane tank gauge, dang, down there. Will there be sufficient for running the furnace etc thru the night and enough for bfast. The furnace did run all night and I ate a cooked bowl of oatmeal. Checked level after bfast: serious empty per gauge. reordered day’s events by driving into town for propane: 4.9 gal, 5.6 empty. My rear tire is wore down such that the cross sipes on knobs were gone. I bought a new tire at other bike shop who broke the tire beads and shop air seated the tire.

I headed back out to Mack exit at the bottom of Hawkeye. Plan is to ride what I was going to ride on Wed. This ride would be brutal, Much hump for little easy downhill. Hawkeye goes uphill right away, brutal on cold body. I stopped for blows along the way. Trail has downhill sections interspersed. I needed 28 mins riding to cover same distance it took me 60 mins to hike. Returning it took 21 mins. As I climbed Hawkeye descending riders pulled off to let me uphill right of way pedal. Outstanding number of riders practicing proper trail etiquette. I thanked them all, reinforcing their behavior. Slithered down entrance to Mack Ridge then allowed bike to roll over just nasty sharp edged rock. I walked places previously ridden, I lack confidence. I don’t wear body armor, on this trail I could embrace leg armor because  a fall here would land on sharp rock. Bottom of Mack  connected with a short piece of Marys till turning onto Lion’s for start of pay back of Mack descent.

Then Lion’s became a jeep road for rest of climb to Mack Ridge. On top[ trail became single track over to intersection of Hawkeye for descent. Nobody to yield to.

Got this ride off my ride list. Brutal: 11.8 miles climbing1473′, that’s 125’/mile, pedaled for 2 hours, average speed was 5.93 mph. Did some walking over nasty tech on Lion’s.

An OTE person, new to me, today asked me if she had just seen a film about me. Where I asked? She said there was a mountain bike film festival in Junction 2 days prior where the Freehub film was shown. Proceeds went for trail work.

Drove back to town for attempted social evening. Gave it a whirl but could not pull it off. Back out above Loma. Tomorrow another ride out at Kokopelli. EDGE calculates my body needs 71 hours before next hard effort.

58 degrees at 4977′, at 8:56 PM. Ah Rocky Road.

This morning wrenches at Mac Daddy in Junction examined my van to figure out the source of the shudder that I understood to be torque convertor issue that could be bigger to a transmission. I rode while the boss’ kid drove the van listening to the signals being sent. I asked for his test drive drop me off at a nearby laundromat because, hey, today is Thursday. Clothes swishing around in older front loader washing machine, phone call: wrenches put microphones at select locations on van. Analysis determined source of shudder is in the drive shaft, there are no stored codes and the fluid levels and cleanliness of fluids close the door on transmission malady. Shop ordered the drive shaft to be installed late next week. I will limit mileage as shaft could fail. Prior to learning the cause and remedy I let the unknown drive stress of the cost of transmission. Now I must not further stress the van and myself.

Tuesday I drove the 1 mile of BLM dirt road to hard road, turned left, south, ending at Kokopelli TH for my ride. Peter at OTE told me the spring flowers were noteworthy on Steve’s trail. I took him up. I parked past the TH on a pull out. Peter told me of another way to get to start of Marys by riding up the road a short ways to a ride a closed jeep road.  Still climbed same vert but not sharing with vehicle created dust. Climbed on Mary’s to junction with Wrangler with its monstrous climbing turns, at the far end the trails drops down to intersect Mary’s, rode short piece to Pizza Point and intersection with Steve’s connector. last fall I flatted nearby then walked my bike 4 miles back to van. The connector connected with Steve’s (duh?) where I could either go left or right. Peter likes going right as I did the 2 times I rode here last fall. I misunderstood the intersection and turned left riding it CW. After seeing several of the tech features I realized I was riding in the opposite direction. Small flowers were plentiful:

Heat affected me. 16.5 miles climbing1365′ in 2 hrs 17 mins.

Drove 6 miles of I70 to Fruita, dinner at Hot Tomato, a Sedona salad. I sat outside on back patio under only shade. A guy passed me and I struck up a conversation. He prefers trail running to formerly mountain biking because of a compound fracture of both bones in his forearm incurred by unplanned contact with Mother Earth. 911 rescued him and medicine plated and screwed repaired the fractures. Guy is the new owner. Drove back out to spot n of Loma.

My next planned ride was ride up Hawkeye, ride a loop, then return down Hawkeye. Already warm at 9 AM start. My ride would have several nasty climbs staring on Hawkeye. I really didn’t want to do this ride. I failed to properly tell the EDGE 305 to collect ride data that I could not figure out on the fly and without corrective lenses to read the small print on the screen. Good enough signal to me to go home. Back at the van, 3 minute climb up, 30 sec down, I figured out the computer, operator error perhaps. I needed to consume some time and exercise so I hiked up Hawkeye to where it breaks over the face. It took me an hour to hike 2.6 miles climbing 571′, startling it took the same time to return.

Temps at night have been warm enough for just the top sheet covering and the side door opened. Another wind event is forecast for today and a temp drop. Tomorrow I give another go at that ride.

So, reconciling diagnosis and repair info from my trusted shop in Bend with a shop I don’t have near the same level  of trust where I happen to be. I will still consul with Bend shop as trusted knowledge.

Today at the laundromat a young man was also making for clean clothes. I showed me the front page of local newspaper which displayed a picture about horse show locally. He wore a beard like Amish men wear. He is from Ohio around Wooster which is home to Amish and Mennonite faiths. He grew up Amish, experienced his 1 year runabout, then decided to not join the church so he was able to leave under good grace. He is here to photograph this horse show which is about working draft horses, 6 horse hitches. I grew up 1 county over so I have some knowledge of the faith and where we both grew up. His business card read X-amish photography.

Today I visited Canfield bike headquarters which is just a plain steel sided warehouse style building. I chatted with only person in shop who does inventory and shipping. Canfield story: Name is a bike brand that uses the CBF suspension design now owned by younger brother Canfield. The CBF is licensed by Revel bikes that is  on my Rail. Crazy, older Canfield bike brand brother pays license fee to younger brother to use the CBF on his bikes. Younger brother pay back.

Rest day today, parked in town with strong internet.

Mercury is climbing higher (analog temperature indicator), newer digital instruments show larger numbers. Each report exercising outside extracts internal water and increases body temperature. Desire to work fades as does the lack of shade. Yesterday I pedaled away on a planned strenuous ride about 9 AM. I had planned this route in the comfort of my “office” chair. This time I made sure to shove the length into my stomach and loss of water and energy. I wanted to descend Chisholm the entire length while seeking a lesser painful climb to start. Place where I stayed was at the high point which needed about a mile of dirt road riding each way to start of single track. I considered driving out to parking on Horsethief rd where Chisholm crossed. I could descend but then the long finish would have been a climb. Because I would be driving anyway to Fruita afterwards I arranged my route to put in the climb at the start by parking at Navajo Rocks main TH where Middle earth crosses the road. I arrived early enough that only 1 other rig was in the parking lot. I pedaled across the road riding Middle Earth to ridea short piece of something to junction of Seven Up which would be the start of my climb. Down low the trail was a double track with sections of loose sand. Finally up onto slick rock patches and single track. I recovered the previous day which was of benefit, however the hump up was beat down causing numerous blows. Turned onto Whirlwind then Mustang to start of Chisholm riding its length to Big Lonely turning into Big Mesa back to van. 18.6 miles climbing1530′ pedaling for  2hr 45 mins during which I encountered a few riders but never enough to feel crowded. I like these trails as they are well laid out and minimal shaping of the tread.

Back at the van I unlocked the sliding door, my entry port, and caught motion on the kitchen counter.

Perhaps it had slithered into my hydration pack 2 days before then exited to checkout what it had got itself into. No rattles. I helped it back to its natural setting.

Hot dry ride, little cooling breeze.

Van transmission has been barking lately. I had made an appointment for service or checkout for this Thurs in Junction. Too much concern about health that I chose to leave Moab to drive to Fruita to hang till appointment. I am so concerned about van breakdown I just wanted out of Utah for legal comfort of CO. Van made it. Today I spoke with repair shop who reiterated these transmissions are good for 300,000 miles or so to which I am 21,405 miles short. Thurs appointment will start with an evaluation of transmission health. Planned service is to replace transmission fluid in which moving parts have made peace with. Replacement fluid might upset that relationship and causing failure. I have been working myself to fact that a new transmission will be needed.

Hung at OTE this morning. Dan rebleed my rear brake.

Staying out N of Loma where there is no shade above the 6 inches of desert flowers. Last night I slept with the door open and just under a sheet.