My lifestyle is pretty static: ride, resupply, find a spot for the night, sleep, repeat. Same ol. Today I took a rest day after riding 6 days straight. I took care of “chores” in town. I treated myself to a black and white chocolate malted milkshake today as a calorie award and and good feeling. Visited with Tom, the owner, at his independent bookstore, Dudley’s. Nearby a street musician strummed and picked on a banjo and sang. Blue grass rock. I have no water level gauge, the tank is 7 gals. A shurflo pump pumps water from that tank thru a sink faucet. The pump will go thru micro pumps when the level gets to maybe a gallon. The pump pumps when I depress the paddle on the faucet. I capture sink water in a 10 qt bucket that shows how much water has been run thru the plumbing, it’s a minimum as not all the water goes down the drain. I get water at a sports field on the way to Phils, it’s city water that I don’t drink. Drinking water is filtered and stored in a 2 gal jug positioned at back of van on floor. It lasts 2 days. I swapped 2 books that I decided I didn’t want to finish for credit applied to Kesey’s, Sometimes a Great Notion that this will be the 3rd time thru. Every visit to Oakridge conjures up this book. OK, bit of a stretch. 1970 I was on a fire crew stopping fires. I wore a cruiser’s vest which had many pockets, in 1 was a book I was reading during breaks. I believe it was that summer that I read it. Or, maybe that was 8 years later when I was off PCT hanging in Gig Harbor. Reading old works from authors that have stood the test of time as validation of their value. I have no knowledge of any new writers whose works will stand the test of time.
My body is not happy. I gather O2 saturation, pulse, and blood pressure from instruments I have. Morning resting pulse is 41, while riding my pulse hits 140s. Almost 100 beats more during exertion. Digestive system is out of whack, health care provider visit tomorrow.
On the weekends all trails are open to ride, during the week a population of trails are closed because of logging. Yesterday I rode entire length of Storm King because it was open. It had been feller-bunchered. Felled trees were wind rowed awaiting grapple skidder to drag bunches to a landing to be limbed and cut to length. You only know change if you had seen it before.
Storm King trail thru the harvested area rode differently as tree cover had been altered. I was sadden by the change. One thing about the cutting machines is the short stump height
I allowed myself to be saddened. Trail continued down going thru past machine logging. Grasses start regrowth process, their stalks are taller than the stumps
Ride was miles climbing 1800 feet. Good ride. Temps in the 80s.
Sat I rode out and back on Catch and Release connecting with Afternoon Delight adding Round about and back. This time the computer worked the entire ride. Finally data 19 miles and climbing 1437′, I sought a less demanding ride as an easy ride. Lots of short ups.
Yellow full size former school buses are in vogue this year. There is 1 at Phils where I like to stay. At this place off rd 41 a flat nosed bus arrived. Yesterday a regular front bus continued into the woods past me.
A zipper pull on my Wingnut wore out as it no longer knitted the teeth to close the zipper. Gear Fix is a gear repair shop and consignment store. They have fixed my stuff in the past. Today I was in the neighborhood so I made a stop. A sign read 2 weeks out for sewing. I explained my situation and needing the pack for riding. Bring it in the woman said. She looked at the zipper, talked to the repair person, I was told it would be repaired before end of the day. Score. They called me before end of day. I weighed the contents of pack: just 10 pounds. The padding has lost its comfort, the pack has been well worn and will wear into the future. 100oz bladder, I fill the bladder to my planned ride. Last several rides I came in just above fumes.
It’s hot here on high desert. Next 3 days forecast for 10X degrees. I still do not use the air conditioning in the van. My reasoning is I live and play outside so I want to be acclimated to outside temp. It’s 71 degrees at 9 PM, at 3933′ elevation.
My van is so much more enjoyable with new transmission that’s noticeable and drive shaft. The original transmission shook the drive shaft, I do not know what improvement would be with new driveshaft. I figured out to lessen the episodes by keeping a load on the engine. Years and years of that shaking. I continue to enjoy performance and work to remove old memories. I haven’t filled tank to start a miles per gallon figure. The pumps shut off because of programed maximum charge on a card. $95, at $6.50/gal. Refrigerator cools to 40 degrees overnight. Its efficiency is diminishing.
Dry and dusty.
Learned from FS that the Cloverpatch tie is a continuation of existing trail so its open to ebikes and dirt bikes. SO far I haven’t seen dirt bike tracks on any of the trails here.
Box wine, equals 3 bottles, and retains it quality. Big white wine glass full pre dinner fixing.
Blood draw today for testing my gut health healing.