Previous post title was Let’s See.
I find many ways or reasons to not create this blog. I visit with people, I park out of internet access, I ride my bike, hike with Doug, just plain do nothing.
I’m still here in Sedona finding things to do from the time I wake up (6:00AM) to time I slide onto bed (10:00PM). Many days I ride following Doug’s lead, on non ride days I hike with Doug, and some days I couch potato if I had one.
My new Propex heater only arrived at RV shop 2 Tues ago, on Wed it was installed. The wrenches at the shop have experience R&R that heater. Fired right away sending sound of running correctly. It’s thermostatically controlled, its output is all or nothing. Chilly nights provided heater runs for comfort. Starts every time. I sent the dead one to the seller for their examination. To me living in the van with the heater running, listening to maybe Outlaw Country on XM, maybe engaged in energy replenishment and subsequent clean up is like being in a house. Just like home comfort.
Doug and my riding preferences align for pedal trails with some chunder and preferred riding direction. I have ridden most of them with Doug and Doug has ridden some that I have yet to ride because of our preferences. Big attraction to ride Sedona are the 3 Hs: Highline, Hogs, and Hangover. And you tube videos are uploaded. Each of those 3 have their pucker moments. The falls might have greater consequences, However, many of the pedal trails have challenging features with minimal exposure. However, a body in motion not on a bike hits an immovable object (s), read: rock. Bodily damage. Yet the posted videos ignore the pedal chunder action.
Skywalker, Scorpion, and Sketch (SSS) ride Doug has not led me on. On Monday after shoulder PT I set out to add to my yearly trails ridden here. I parked at Sunset Park then rode pavement for 200 yards to trailhead for Old Post. Red dirt. I helped build a piece of a reroute. As I rode the corridor I helped clear I connected to trail and mountain bikers. Contribution. Skywalker starts at junction with Old Post. Skywalker is a reroute of old social Bike Path. One tech feature, a wash crossing, causes hike a bike. It climbs and descends to end out at the high school. Cross the road to start Scorpion which is a challenging test of balance, speed, and line over basalt babyheads less than 16” high. I still walk the same places. Trail descends down passing where I fell 2(?) years ago to connect with Ramshead Cross the road for a short steep climb to start of Ridge. Secret Slick Rock is short pedal away. Ridge recrosses the road and climbs over many rock outcroppings to junction of final S, Sketch. The original trail was social then FS adopted it into trail system. Plenty of exposure on sketchy tread. I walk the same features. Sketch connects to Ridge, ending on Carroll canyon back to TH. 10.3 miles, climbing 1178’, pedaling for 1 hr 41 mins, average beats per minute 118. This is a hard ride with many, many body damaging features.
Other rides have been on Western Gateway trails following Doug. One ride we rode just system trails. One was Aerie. We rode it from the north which uses gravity to negotiate the many sandstone features. No basalt. First is a climb reaching a high point then the happiness of a full suspension 165 and 170 cm suspension travel.
What catclaw looks like, each of above plants are branches with hooks:
Last Wed afternoon was filled with classic sucker holes. Forecast called for strong probability of showers in afternoon. Threatening clouds at wake up bode precip. I was near Cottonwood and Dead Horse ride for heater install. Skies cleared while there. My plan was to drive into Cottonwood and possible ride. Start of sucker holes. From time in sunshine at RV shop to stepping outside from health food store skies lived up to forecast for short intense dump. Shortly blues skies arrived. Sucker hole or start of fair weather? I did not take the bait as I drove out to Beaverhead spot. Before dark another sucker hole opened and closed. Would have been drenched.
OK edible is kicking in. Another reason to not create. Thought process seems to fire. My spelling is affected. I’m creating this in WORD because very slow internet. I’m leaving this in. Internet speed picked up, I am now on line. Condition remains the same.
Bike data: 2 3/4 years of me riding it for 525 rides covering 6,942 miles.