Getting lost in a novel means I am not messing with my life. I immerse myself in the book which gives me the excuse to do just 1 thing at a time which is reading. Presently I’m reading Kingsolver’s new work, Demon Copperhead. Being immersed reading the character’s life which is in stark contrast to my childhood. John Irving in Hotel New Hampshire wrote “all families are dysfunctional” ( memory correct?). Each of us are shaped by our experiences which cause our current actions. My dad was a reader, I read as a kid. That kid has way different experiences.

Anyway, so evenings have been spent exercising my eyes and not my connected fingers.

Still here in Hurricane Valley, Hurkin to local dialect. Wet weather event forecasted staring today, some rain maybe snow, none the less precip wetting desert dirt that here has much clay that will become puddy sticking to tires and shoes etc. Yesterday I might have ridden the last of the Hurricane Cliffs trails if forecast dumps. I parked down low on Sheep Bridge rd then pedaled up Dead Ringer

Trail ends at upper JEM TH, my high point. On this trail there is a nasty descent rated black difficulty. First part is on pavers, rock slabs placed on the ground for tread which offers traction and eliminates brake drag ruts. The pavers stop right at the landing for a sharp left hand turn. This piece is sun shaded. A skiff of snow fell on Wed, temp was below freezing last night, trail was still in shade. The landing was greasy from freeze thaw mud which never occurred to me to be present. My speed was checked before I hit the dirt. One track preceded me showing me the rider’s slippery slide descent. No traction, I slithered onto the exposed crib wall rock and wrangled my bike down to the flat before the bottom out. Sheesh. Tires were mud caked adding many pounds to my work effort. Nasty mud and more coming with temps below freezing at night to turn the upper trails just slimy. Once I got out of the wash the trails were all wet firmed. Cows are ranged here. One walked across optimistically named Dead Ringer trail:

See no print on trail tread: rolled firm. First year these trails were completed cows walked on the trail leaving the depressions that still to this day remain albeit rolled over.

Finished 16.1 mile, climbing 1207′ pedaling for 2 hrs 8 mins, average heart rate of 123, ride then drove down to town. Forecast again is calling for wet. I need to position myself to weather conditions. I needed coffee beans, water and groceries, and a firm spot to anchor on. The primitive spots at Quail Lake are graveled and the dirt rd appears to be firm. Which is where I am. Van nose is pointed SW into the incoming weather which appears to be as forecasted. The early morning sunshine and solar energy has long been covered. I’ll run the engine later today for 30 mins to charge the batteries for the night. 11.6 volts at 12:38 solar gain but needing more for the night. I estimated sufficient propane till tomorrow, tank will be filled prolly in the rain.

So, here for the day and my book is closed.

I learned of a new trail which is on a mesa above Goulds and at same elevation as upper JEM TH. Fri I rode from anchor spot near the corral on Goulds to where I saw an unmarked trail leading away. This must be the start. For several years I saw this track but never took it. Today I took it. The trail winds the perimeter of the mesa mostly, about 4 miles long, hand built almost with a stiff push broom, little climbing. Then rejoins Goulds at a wash.

 

Thursday was a busy day as it was wash day and at 11 I had an appointment in ST George to have new stickers stuck on my van. I anchored at Quail which is between Hurkin and St George to shorten my drive. 2 laundromats are on the way. I left early enough to make clean clothes, even shopping at Natural Grocers. Made the install appointment early. The installer had the necessary equipment to strip the old stickers and adhesive, I would not have been able to do what he did. So, replace stickers are all shiny and whole.

The bike is the same Turner 5 Spot, DW link, 26″ wheels, 3X10. The one on the right lacked a seat dropper.

I rode some Santa Clara trails as I was able to match my ride desire to trails. I rode the loop then looked at bike computer screen: not quite an hour. Too short, I repeated short Barrel Roll loop.

I am pointed on a cut through trail across belly of Barrel Roll. Bail trail.

Gotta break to relocate to a more preferred anchor spot recently vacated. Was occupied last night. Guy left. Spot is like below grade which blocks long distance view, I now am short range. Plus out of sight of highway. Sprinkles.

Odyssey to date: 2949 rides covering 42,635 miles. Well used body. My left elbow has been sending unhappy signals lately that I will schedule PT for. I need to score a DR appointment for a referral then score the PT. My knees hurt. My right TMJ is degenerative. I rode 3 days straight, after yesterday’s ride the bike computer algorithm computes 41 hr recovery. Today is planned rest day. Monday will prolly be one because of weather.

Zags have won 2 straight however, ranked 18th, down from preseason #2.

Seasonal Affected Riding

Which is what I have. I am either going to favorable riding conditions riding area or fleeing from somewhere when conditions become less desirable. Or, how willing am I to tolerate conditions to remain or have few choices of desirable conditions. Prolly no vaccine to prevent or cure my malady. Winter drives me to the desert, heat drives me to cool. It’s what I will tolerate for the benefit of a location. So far here in the SW corner of Utah the temp has not dropped low enough to wear winter riding gloves or tights. Weather check after Sunday’s ride from Gould’s the temp was 63 degrees under cloudless skies. Just right. So SAR.

It is what it is and I am what I do. (Duh?). My body sends signals the next day after a ride that it feels wear. I take a day off, the next ride my body relishes the work. So I ride the next day, like 2 on, 1 off. Today my knees are barking. Last night a brief intense rain fell turning dirt to glop, now I have another reason to rest.

Late afternoon light low angle sun produces sights that the camera can not capture. That light can also be blinding as looking up puts that light in my eyes. I spend more time looking down versus far ahead.

Yesterday I rode from corral to end of Gould’s, crossed the highway to upper JEM TH descending namesake trail to junction with Chinatown wash, down to Cliff trail which offers blue level tech challenges, then climbed Crypto, then big climb of Dead Ringer to JEM TH finishing back on Gould’s. Cloudy means trail visibility. Saw just 2 riders entire time. Oh, 1 other rider on an ebike, who passed me at the top of Dead Ringer, and he was wearing ear buds. I watched him just rocket away from me, just too fast.

Yesterday I visited at OTE, I chatted with Pierce. I asked him his age, he said 23, I told him that I was 73, reality: 50 years of living difference. Recent college grad, he prolly remembers book learning.

Repetition and familiarity. Once what was exotic is now common place just like a local. Local is a term that defines, well, a person who lives in immediate locale. Used for us wanderers to perhaps establish credibility of their knowledge. I am not a local but I have stayed in places for enough time to figure out where I go to meet my needs. Long enough for like scenery to be just another day of same ol beauty. At present I am in SW Utah desert which is certainly exotic to a person say from the east coast where sight lines are limited by tree trunks and green.

There are days of cloud cover to change views, mostly conditions are per pic, at least for my annual November visits.

I mix my rides between riding per above on less tech trails, more about pedaling, and the chunky that I will ride such as Barrel Roll etc. The Hurricane Cliffs trails  have some connecting trails to make for possible shortening a ride because my eyes were bigger than my legs when I planned my ride. Recently I rode to the end of the JEM trail along and above the Virgin River gorge. I saw official BLM carsonite posts with one way stickers on them. The intent is to make this part of the JEM 1 way to eliminate user conflict at sketchy places. A new return trail named Carne Asada stays on wide open terrain climbing back out. Trail is aptly named to what is wanted to do to the ecological destroyers: grazing cows. Dead Ringer trail fits in the scheme. The tread here is rough from cast in cow foot prints. The jarring is from the tire dropping into the depression then hitting to far side edge. They are just foot prints, it’s the sheer number of them. Seems cows chose the path of least resistance of a cleared path. I spoke with a BLM range manager, I expressed concern about what those cows would eat and if they were meeting terms of grazing contract. He said yes, end of discussion.

Back to familiarity is me not capturing images digitally.

Yesterday I drove down to Santa Clara to ride barrel Roll etc. I park at the bottom of the Cove wash access, the ride starts right out punch in the gut climb. I am having some success on mitigating my drive to match my breathing which lessens my speed but lengthens my time on my bike. I climb techy Precipice to junction with Side winder and Barrel Roll. Sidewinder is an up then turn around down. I was passed by ebike riders who were not the said target audience of older riders keeping up with their younger rider buddies. This is BLM land and ebikes are not allowed, but if there is no enforcement, what the heck, this motor eliminates dehydration from exertion sweating.

Becoming older is not for the weak as the effects of years of wearing the body increases intensity and frequency of reminders of past decisions. The Garmin computer I use calculates number of recovery hours before next abuse. As an example after yesterday’s 7.99 miles climbing 955′ pedaling for 1 hr 16 mins was 31 hours. I will ride the Cliffs today inside the recovery time. I should abide. My bdoy does not jump out of bed any more, it is a more slide over the edge of the bed putting weight on my first leg down and gently increasing weight while listening to signals of discontent then the other leg then standing up. OK so far legs have worked, now take 3 steps to front of van. What’s barking, will getting moving make the bark (s) go away? I am not riding as frequently as in younger years, I have strung 2 days of rest betwen rides to my body’s benefit. Some pains go away, some remain and I ride because that’s what I do. I am letting sunshine warm before embarking on upcoming ride out on Cliffs.

Reading Kingsolver’s newest book, Devon Copperhead. She was inspired by Dickens David Copperfield.