Sat I drove up Skyliner road to rd 300 for meet up for trail work volunteer. Paved smooth road, so enjoyable van performance, not working around the transmission idiocycrancies, smooth shifting. So much nicer.

Trail work was on the bottom end of Upper Whoops, we drove up the now opened up logging road which is also the uphill access for start of Lower Whoops. You only know change if you had seen it before. What destruction modern timber harvesting machines do to the land and kill so many trees so fast. Upper Whoops ends at a major trails intersection where there used to be this creative bench. It was at the top of the fresh cut.. We walked uphill in the uncut forest to where we would work. I worked with 2 other guys to reshape 2 berms and dig several drains. My put is this trail is primarily downhill and COTA has spent resources to make this a smooth trail with bermed turns, all hand built.

Shuttle riders. Prolly sold as fun fast downhill, many riders not equipped to be prepared mountain bikers as noticed shoe wear and some 2 finger on the brake levers. Most thanked us for our work. Forecast was for cloudy but sprinkles fell towards end of work.

Drove into town visiting Sunnyside to visit with Barb who puts Barb Tight on my cassette nut.

Drove back out to Phils, my spot was taken, turned around, took another road where more pullouts exist. Each one was taken, I took the first open spot tucked just off the road. Nobody on another’s bumper but full occupancy. Another heater running night.

Sun I set out to ride the weekday closed trails from my sleep spot. Closed is Pine Drop. upper Storm King, and upper COD. Chilly and overcast. 20 miles climbing 2234′ pedaling for 2 hrs 50 mins. I was climbing up a piece of Ticket to Ride soon to be crowded by a non yielding man. I might have said climbing. A bit more uphill I saw a rider descending at speed. I hollered Climbing and stayed in the trail. Shit, she was not going to slow down or yield, I rode off the outslope edge and she pushed the steep back slope.

Spent the night same spot. Gauge on propane tank showed concern for sufficient fuel till town run today.

Yesterday afternoon I hiked on a piece of Marvins Gardens, a group of riders approached, one was Mark from Hood River and 2 of his sons. They had just descended S Fork trail which I really enjoy. Snow free and clear. I’m in, that’s what I rode today.

This morn I drove into town, the west end which abuts to Phils trails, to take on propane, 5.1gals, empty is 5.6.

Then drove all the way to Skyliner TH. Ride went up Tumalo Ridge to SST over to Swampy, down S Fork then down Tumalo Creek trail. Over the years I have ridden this same route. I always record ride data after every ride. Short story today’s ride was 19 mins slower, I was 2 mins slower on road climb piece of Tumalo Ridge and same amount descending S Fork. Last year last ride of this loop my time was 1 hr 50 mins, today it was 2hr 9 mins. I worked the road with effort that I perceived to be fastest time, not so. The downhill is peculiar as I coast and only pedal when gravity turns flat or uphill and I brake sparingly. I will ride this loop several more times before I leave.

Back into town to Sunnyside to drop off my bike for rear hub service tomorrow. Dinner at 10 Barrel. It ain’t the same.

Back out past Phils, my spot still occupied by same white van.

I do have a pet peeve and that is for riders overtaking me not letting me know they are back there until they are right on my wheel, the suddenness startles me. It’s not that I am aware someone is behind me. Courtesy says makes sense early warning.

Tomorrow is 3rd insurrection hearing which I will listen to on NPR. Rest day as bike is in the shop.

Tonight my Ubolt that locks the cable for locking my bike to the rack failed while at Sunnyside. As I fiddled with the lock a guy told me of his story with a failed lock. His bike was locked to his rig. He drove to a hardware store and bought a cable cutter that he used to cut his bike cable  then returned the cutter for credit. I was close to having the bike shop cut the cable to free my bike. I bought a new U bolt.

Van transmission turned its gears to arrive at Bend. Grocery shopped at Whole Foods. Bought Grisham’s new book, Sparring Partners at B&N nearby. Finished drive out to Phils TH then continued to score my preferred tucked in spot for the night. Geared up then pedaled away picked up Marvins Garden trail over to TH picked up Ben’s which is 1 way climbing trail. Forest management occurring on upper trails here. Ben’s ends on resource extraction road where on the other side Pine Drops is closed preventing further climbing. Trail EXT parallels the road then ends at the road. Phils is closed here also, could descend Phils but jumped on the road, I had never ridden on it. It joined another road then descended to where I picked up Voodoo Child which goes over several rock gardens. The CBF suspension and I9 Hydra hub worked for instantaneous pedal engagement and the suspension moved forward over the rocks. Confidence inspiring handling. Next was down Grand Slam. I noticed leaf rake scratches on the tread. WTF? Shortly I ran into the raker, Kent. We visited. On to ELV to expressway to KGB with the climbing turns which I powered up. Strong legs. Finished on Marvins back to van. Cold enough at night for heater, 28 degrees at wake up, frost.

Tuesday morning 8 AM was van service date. Drove to Import Performance shop. Shop had transmission and drive shaft. Plan was for the shop to do work then drive out to selected parking spot for me to spend the night. They kept my van and gave me the keys to a small Subaru SUV. I was overwhelmed with all the tech advances then driving it. I made visits to established contacts starting downtown for The Hub, the shop that built up my bike. Sign on door showed new location. I drank a chocolate malt. Next was Dudley’s bookstore where I buy my books. Visited Kevin at his shop Web Cyclery, then found TJ at new location. Then David at Crow’s Feet. Planned on dinner at 10 Barrel however they are closed Tues and Wed. Street tacos at The Lot for dinner then drove back to Import shop for the night. Permission allowed stress free sleep however street traffic provided background sounds.

Wed AM the shop checked over their work. They were satisfied with their work and my debit card transferred funds. Handshakes around. I climbed behind the wheel and fired the sucker up. I drove maybe 30 feet when van started bucking. Not good. The shop took it back then began their trouble shooting. They identified a suspect part and ordered it but it would be in later in AM. The part was put in but it still had a problem. Landon ordered replacement part plus other possible unhappy parts. Landon offered up the shop truck so I could transport my bike to drive out to Phils. Toyota Tacoma 4X4 short box. I lifted my bike into the bed which was a real challenge because of my inability to lift even a beer above my shoulder. Another ride from Phils. Back at TH I forgot how I positioned the bike in the bed to shut the tailgate, I ended up just jamming it in. I started the truck and drove away. There are 2 levers for the transmission shifting. I must have shifted one of them or both such that the engine reved but the wheels didn’t move. I moved shifters but still no wheels turning. How do I overcome this intransience. I looked back at parking lot and saw a larger Toyota pickup and the driver was driving towards me. I flagged him over and asked him to move the gears which he did. I think I drove it in 4X4 back to shop. Another night city camping. Dumpster trucks were banging things at 5 AM.

Thurs the shop retook the van. Thurs is was day, I decided that I could do my wash while the shop was figuring out the problem. I asked for a loaner, they loaned me another car, the third different rig to drive. Drove over to west side laundromat owned by Doug whom I met last summer. He wasn’t there. I wash 1 load on cold. At finish I separate cotton to be dryer dried from wool and synthetic for line drying inside van. Shit, no van. Dryer load finished, folded clothes and bagged wet others then drove back to shop. Van problem sorted out, van given back to me. Drove away. Cleared shop lot and kept going, van is healthy, the transmission and drive train are working together. Good to go.

Stopped at Newport Market where several of the staff welcomed me. Homecoming.

Drove out of town and up to rd 41 parking spot. Geared up for a ride. Warm enough for light clothing. Catch and Release, Ticket to Ride, Upper COD, Storm King, finish on Catch an Release. Back at van for late dinner but now will be sleeping with nature.

Forecast had been playing with precip forecast for today including a T storm. I packed my raincoat and wore a heavier jersey to manage the chill. My route had been planned last night in the comfort of my van and Trailforks app on my phone. Climb would go up Funner to trail closure then ride a FS road to connect with Tiddlywinks. Shit, the road kept on mostly climbing. Sprinkles had fallen and new batch fell. If precip would not be drenching I could put off wearing the rain jacket. Road climb with no protection. Climb climb. Finally the single track. Hail started perhaps teasing of impending downpour. I put my jacket on. Short lived as clouds parted, packed jacket. Sunshine did not last but no precip. My plan was to ride Tiddly to Larsen’s then back on Storm King and Catch and Release. Rain threatening, lure of longer ride, I have a rain jacket, how bad could I be? Revised plan to go longer to ride Tyler’s all the way down then finish on Catch and Release to van.   Which I did. Tylers traverses with mixed in short ups and downs to finally turn downhill, 6.7 miles dropping 1658′. One way trail. bermed corners. Flow trail. Finished on Catch and release which parallels rd 41 back to van. 20 miles pedaling for 2 hrs 50 mins climbing 2234′. Burned 1130 cals. GRIT value of 99 is highest score of all rides collected on the EDGE 530. GRIT is value of how hard the ride was. This was higher than Bull Canyon at Moab.

Wed was dentist exam to learn tooth health. My understanding of the pain was validated  can be from cold swollen sinuses squishing nerves from the tooth. The dentist removed some packed in food. He discovered cavity below the present crown line. The repair is to drill out the crown, drill out cavity, make new crown. $2,000 bill.

Signed up for a COTA trail work project tomorrow.

Import treats my van very well. They keep an eye on its health which is considered excellent. I expressed my appreciation to the owner. Landon, my service contact brings to work his 2 year old Golden retriever, Bailey. She allowed me to be friends, she received minutes of my finger rubbing her coat which let loose much shed hair. Landon swept the floor afterwards.

43 degrees at 8:11 PM Pdlt, at 3932′. Back to wearing flannel shirts but still shorts and Bedrock sandals.

During last year’s fall visit I helped at a Wood River Trails Coalition volunteer work event cutting back sage brush bordering a trail, Sage had 2″ wet snow on top. Cutting sage brush needs a saw and not loppers. Nasty work, give me ceanothus. A raffle happened and I won a mountain bike lesson with acceptable conditions. I and the to be instructor, Cameron, scheduled school session for yesterday morning. I invited Steve. Cameron went thru several basic skills then moved on to wheel lifts gained by aggressively compressing the suspension, front or back depending upon which wheel to lift, skilled Cameron showed how each worked. Steve and I struggled to put into effect. He also corrected my body position to put my nose more over the steer tube which weights the front wheel to give traction. We both grabbed onto that change. Then we pedaled out to a slight tech feature to work on. The climb was within my ability but I have fear of stalling and falling downhill. Being spotted didn’t alleviate my fear, I finally got it. Trust the bike and make it work for me.

Today Steve and I met Kirk and his  brother Tony up at Hulen Meadows. Fox Creek and Chocolate Gulch. Pleasant start warm up in creek bottom until the climb out. Steep, Steve continued his streak of pedaling proficiency. Each of us blew up wherever. Steve said he lit a match to describe his blow. Just after that spot a short steep descent that I needed brakes for. I pulled on the levers but the brakes lacked full power. I made it down. My brakes were affected by a free bike clean in Hailey where the cleaner washed the rotors with cleaner. As other braking opportunities arose the brakes restored their grip. Today I made all the switchbacks, one was a previous all time failure. Then the descent screamer. My nose was over the stem which kept that front wheel glued to the dirt and making turns. Sure like this bike’s handling. Finished back at Kirk’s who fed us.

Thursday Steve and I rode a shortened Trade Route, his description. Forecast called for clouds but no rain. Before we started we looked up valley to see rain clouds descending. We added rain coats. The Saddle trail is old forest dirt that I enjoy. Sprinkles caught us up high, raincoats on. I followed Steve down over chunder, I had a loss of confidence moment that caused me to resort to picking my way down. I watched Steve who also rides a Revel but it is the 29″ wheel rascal. He seemed to steer his bike letting it do its suspension work. I took that cue by riding over the rocks. Much faster. 8.43 miles pedaling 1 hr 30 mins climbing 1499′, that’s 178′ / mile, that’s big.

At Steve’s I helped pull up meadow salsify weed on his land.  We picked in the morning leaving no visible yellow flowers. The field across his road is mass salsify:

That evening driving same road the flowers were not visible. Steve found the plant identification, a nickname is “Jack go to bed at noon” because around noon the flowers retract. Crazy. Pull it in the morning as the yellow flowers give it away. After noon they are all green somewhat blending in with other green vegetation.

Aspen is still coming on. This spot on Cow Creek connector is where I shot fall colors

I’m buying shop socks from Revel bike dealers. I added from Idaho Cycles up in Ketchum.

Forecast for tomorrow is rain. My van transmission replacement date is this Tues in Bend. I plan on driving that way tomorrow. Diesel is $5.74 here, Bend is a $100+ bill.

I joined the Wood River Trails Coalition which is the local volunteer group supporting the USFS.