Saturday I drove down the steep twisty gravel road down to the Methow River then down to the Columbia and out into the dry central Washington desert. Continued all the way to Spokane. Randy’s city place up on south hill had shade. Just plain 90 degree hot.

A brew fest was underway downtown. Randy contacted UBER that is pretty cool. Driver and car showed up carrying us downtown. Sampled a few beers. Most were hoppy that I don’t care for. Not many ales. Hung there for a while. Lisa picked us up and drove us back uphill. Randy and Lisa made dinner of the last of his salmon. I spent the night in their driveway.

Sunday we drove over to Farragut SP in Idaho. Randy rides a large Turner Burner, I ride a medium RFX, Lisa rides a small 5 Spot. We were papa, mamma, and baby Turner sizes. I missed getting our pic. Farragut trails have  numbered intersections with arrows pointing to respective intersections so you are always found when you make sense of the map. At the start leadership was being contested. I suggested that what we do is first person picks a direction of travel, we ride that way until the next intersection where the next person in line would chose which way to go, their choice. This would let each of us lead. Worked for a little bit until others figured out the map and planned a route. We rode along the lake shore, some of the trails were part of a race course I raced on years ago. After our ride we enjoyed a cooling off immersion in the lake. Lots of people. Back in Spokane a clean shower then went out to dinner. I slept in their driveway again.

Monday was a rest day in town. I drove out to my former neighbors’ house to check out sleeping in their driveway. All cool as in a bit cooler in the canyon. I slept in the driveway.

Tuesday PM was my money man meeting which is what my hard schedule created. $ doing conservatively fine, will not be eating dog food. I drank only 1 beer as there would be enough time post meeting for a ride at Riverside SP. 96 degrees at the start. I worked to keep my effort easier. Hottttt. I pedaled for 1hr 36 mins, when I finished around 7PM the temp had dropped to 77 degrees.  Amazing.

Wed another 90 something day. I chose to ride up in MT Spokane SP hoping to pick berries. The park road is closed right at the ranger station which prevented me riding the road part way up. I stopped at the RS where a ranger was just getting on a Rokon dirt bike. I asked him if there was another way to gain access to the trails other than riding the piece of shit abused non sustainable trail. He allowed me i time to ride then push my bike up a closed road. I gained the trail I wanted then continued to climb up to Kit Carson outhouse. I know of a berry patch along the way. I saw berries enough for speculation. I stashed my bike then hung my berry bag around my neck then waded into the brush. Pitifully small amount of berries. There are years when the bushes don’t produce fruit as was this year where I picked. I did pick enough for a pancake bfast this AM.

Today it is 93 again. Just too hot to ride. I did my wash in an air conditioned laundromat. Then I searched for bike parts. I searched for Formula brake pads and presta valve cores. As a rule Spokane bike shops are lacking which is beyond sucking.

I am parked on a side street under tree shade near the Elk, a favorite Pub for chill and dinner.

Hot forecast again for tomorrow and thru the weekend of the Ironman in Coeur d’Alene.

Yesterday I started researching where to go when I leave here. I originally thought about dropping down to CO for fall colors. Amazing what a map of the US shows: CO is way south and North Dakota is way north. I don’t like to wander drive so CO is scratched. I have no real plan. MTBProject is not populated with a lot of ride choices. I will start w/ Cd’A mtn and river. Helena.MT is still running shuttles.

This issue of Bike has a 2 page political screed about the election. It doesn’t pick either major candidate.

Just hot.

Spokane is the biggest town I have been in since the last time I was here. City and some urban streets are torn up for repair. Argonne going up out of the valley is down to choked off 1 lane down from 2 each way. Lots of drivers competing for space.

I have ridden 103 rides and 1650 miles on the RFX to date. I shared it with Turner.

 

Clean clothes and provisioned out I drove up the Methow River to Gold Creek rd which started out 2 lane paved then 1 1/2 lanes paved then wide single lane gravel climbing up to Crater Lake TH at 4,4xx’. Steep in places and tight and twisty in most others. I believe that my transmission is what is causing the rumble noise and that the transmission slips or was the jerky ride caused by the traction wheel rolling over the bumps and loose gravel?. The temp gauge almost made overheat. I slithered over the stutter bumps. I scored the same camp site I have used during previous visits. The drive up and the following drive down were almost main reasons for not doing the ride. I made the drive, the next morning would reveal how I would dress: Big boy pants and get’er done or just enjoy life sitting in a chair working on my tan.

Friday I put on my bike gear, made bfast, and got stuff ready. A brief test spin in the parking lot: systems check: pedal onward and upward. I left a little after 9AM. MTBProject ride data was 21 miles and 5,000′ climbing. Big day. The first part was down in the trees until Cooney Lake on a rideable trail. I walked spots as my engine lacked the desire to surmount the challenge. Cooney lake basin is almost alpine, tree cover is mostly tamarack.

Trail continued climbing to the left of pic to gain the ridge line. Shortly above the lake it became an increasingly steep drag a bike climb. My head was down as I fought for every vertical foot gained. Backcountry Navigator is an app I use and record ride data. It spit out elevation data: descent 22%, climb 42%. This year the snow had melted away leaving just talus. Previous rides I kicked steps in the snow but I rode w/ rigid clipless shoes. Today I rode in the flats shoes which would have been too fragile to kick steps. Up on top at 8,XXX’:

Up here and until I got down below Eagle lake the trail was badly churned up by horses. The trail continued along the ridge until almost the left hand edge. From there the drop which is the ride name sake switchbacked over chewed up talus. I encountered 3 riders carrying their bikes up. I asked one guy why this way and he said variation. They were gone by the time I made the parking lot.

Down below Cooney lake I encountered 2 dirt bikers. They both stopped and were very courteous and we engaged in conversation. We encountered each other again on this side of the ridge, again pleasant.

Horse damage

It’s just that a whole lot of us are recreating on finite land, each user group created their own impact on the land.

I finally set down for a break at Boiling lake and ate my almond butter honey whole wheat sandwich at 2:15PM, thsi was my first real break since my 9AM start. The trail up to Horsehead Pass and the long downhill was badly loosened by horse hooves causing me to walk almost the entire climb.

Then looking down and out east over Eagle lake

From the pass the trail dropped from 7,xxx’ down to 4,xxx’ at the TH. There were several short climbs.

I gather ride data from my Garmin edge 800 which is GPS, a wheel driven computer and backcountry navigator. I have suspected the 800 not capturing completely the effort. The garmin recorded 17.98 miles pedaling 3 hrs 8 mins and gaining 5012′. The wheel recorded 21.6 miles for 4 hrs 30 mins. Backcountry recorded almost exact data as the wheel.It took me total time of 7 hrs 11 mins. Big day. I proved to myself that I can still complete a mass effort.

On the way down from Horsehead my dropper refused to push the saddle back up. I could manually raise it and it would stay at that height. Not good. Back at my van I removed the saddle to gain access to the air valve and threaded on the shock pump: no pressure. I pumped pressure up that the post let escape. Product failure: Won’t hold air. Not good. I removed it and reinstalled the LEV.

Thursday night I scanned the skies looking for meteor showers. I saw 3 short streaks. I wanted to sleep more than I wanted to trip on a potential light show.

Today I dallied leaving to listen to Wait Wait. Before I drove away a rider came up to me. He said he has down this ride maybe 20 times. He owns the bike shop in Winthrop where he worked on my brake several years prior.

Today I have  a gathering with friend Randy and Lisa in Spokane. Wide open spaces. I’m city camping parked in their driveway.

So I am here in Spokane for a short visit.

I like this part of the country: the high tamarack alpine. I want to make a backpacking trip. To me this mountainous area is my favorite.

Right now I am sitting in air conditioned library in Chelan, WA. The Staircase is just down the way. Tonight is peak Perseid shower.

Some catch up.

I liked Devils Gulch I rode it a second time on Tuesday after a little rain fell. I thought it would be hero dirt. However, on the road climb the dust had loosened to mud which was slower than the dust. Still a good ride. On the ST the dust was washed away leaving the rocks visible and secure. I did ride it faster on the downhill. Sure have a great bike. And I still like Devils Gulch trail which is not a purpose built trail which adds excitement and challenge. 3,200′ in 11 miles drop. Can’t beat that with a flat tire.

I stayed at the TH which is in the gulch and protected from early sun meaning morning temps were cold enough for heat and a sweater. No crowds.

Yesterday I rode Red hill/ Sand creek again, another bruiser of 3,XXX’ in short distance.

I have lost my plans to be anywhere. I left Wenatchee yesterday heading up the Columbia. Figured Chelan then heading to Spokane. I am putting my big boy pants on to ride the demanding Staircase on Friday. Sat I drive to Spokane.

Last night I drove up the Entiat River looking for a place to sleep. 28 miles upstream I arrived at the closed Fox creek FS XG. I drove just a little further and found a small turnout above the river for the night. Today I drove back downstream then stopped at the FS RS to gather data. The XG is closed because of last year’s massive fire which killed vegetation that would hold water back, Fear is downfall blocking the river creating an impoundment then bursting on any campgrounds. Lessons learned apparently from XG flooded in AR years ago. I chatted w/ an information person about past fires. I was on a big’un back in 1970.

Got my dropper post to working again: tighten the pinch bolt just enough to hold the post. Speed is still launching nuts into the sky.

Should prolly return to Safeway to buy a sixer. Hot and dry.

Gotta go.

Go Mariners.

E Pluras Unium. From many one. Get rid of In God we trust. On US currency.