And sober also.

Yesterday I finally decided to start the Giardia med I bought back @ Christmas, flagyl only which means no alcohol for 10 more days.

I drove down canyon to meet Dave & Rebeca for a ride, me fixing dinner, a shower, bfast today, and greatest of all, watch the Zags on a real TV in a house.

We rode from their rental on a mellow social ride. Our return route was one of neat ST trails ending up near B & B. I have ridden this piece maybe 10 times both ways. I have 2 nemesis on a wash section. I overcame my butterflies and have been riding them down but walking them up. Rama offers encouragement of putting the front wheel further into the problem and 1 day I will ride thru it. I sought to put into play his advice. I knew the first was coming up and was thinking positively about putting my front wheel up & over the step up. Rebeca following me asked me if I was nearing my nemesis. Yes I said. I slightly speeded up my pedaling and hit the rock ramp. My front wheel hit the concave surface on the step up which stalled me and then the rear wheel hit the first step, my chain ring scratched on the step, and blue plastic from my Candy smeared the rock. This time I chose to fall uphill instead of wash bottom 3 feet below on the sharp sided rocks. I couldn’t clip out. I fell hard flat on my lower back on the rock. Perfect match of rock slope and back bend. Instantly I recalled the OSU B-ball player who landed on his back during a game and broke several vertebrae. Did I get his injury? Pain but no numbness and all muscle functions seemed in accord. Rebeca righted my bike and slowly i pedaled off.Pedal action uses the small of the back. Could ride but gingerly. Slow to move and not very flexible. Iced it w/ ibu and slept OK.

My dinner turned out very good as evidenced by clean plates.

The Zags destroyed ST Mary’s. Game over @ 11:00. Late bed.

This AM Rebeca fixed b-fast burritos. We had a trail work date w/ Dean. Dave did swaeetheart shopping so it was just Rebeca & I that joined Dean. We built some new trail on Schzwan Chicken trail which will be a high speed downhill bike trail. It is legal trail and well built. Will be great to ride as there are G-outs, uphill turn berms, and kickers that will launch you to at least next Tuesday. Use a McCloud to work the earth which is primo w/ just the right amount of h2o to pack down but not so much that it is hard to move. Shape the earth and then tamp it down w/ face of tool. Dean did most of work and worked up a sweat. In shirt sleeves. Got in a few licks. Need conditioning to do this work. I just remember the hours spent digging fireline w/ a hazel hoe back in 1970 when I was on a fire crew back in the Umpqua in Oregon. Lot of nights sleeping since them. We worked from 9:30 to 2:30 under blue skies & sleeves.

Forecast for next bunch of days is low 60s & sunny.

Specialized is warranting my shoes (again). My Kendal Excavator tire arrived today to warranty replace my Nevegal. Garmin is replacing my Edge. I am searching for a younger replacement body. Must be looking in all the wrong places.

Hung @ B & B waiting for my new rear wheel. Georgeous Heather dropped in & gave me her undivided attention. Whew. She said that I am not threatening.

Back out @ deer pass. Tomorrow the hot air ballons should be landing around me and I’m sticking to that story.

Will try a gentle ride tomorrow. Fix dinner @ D & R, laundry, & watch the Zags.

Forecast for today was wet. Several moments of light rain fell before the MBH shop ride @ 10:00. Will it go? I drove into town to find out.

Start time moved to 10:30. Jan showed up. Rama backed out. Doug skipped. Jan & I, we each started w/ wet gear jackets. She lead me on a wonderful loop starting from shop and picking up trails N of town. The houses build up against the USFS land, here we were maybe 6 residential blocks till we were on dirt. A few drops fell. Sun came out, i packed my jacket; later on I almost removed my wool long under wear top to work on my suntan. We rode a piece of Oak Creek to Buddha beach, named because of all the people stacked rocks into like snowmen, balanced radiused river rock. Added s new piece of trail off Ridge. Almost every ride I am adding some new trail to my hazy memory bank. There are just so many trails. We rode 13.44 miles in just under 2 hours. Its a workout. Rode washes. Conditions were primo.

Back @ MBH & visited w/ Rama.

Forecast for near future is clear & 60 deg. No snow to shovel here.

Camp @ deer pass by myself.

Thurs is a ride & visit w/ Dave & Rebeca. Friday i give up my bike for rear wheel build and do trail work w/ Dean.

Comfortable enough to run heater on low @ night.

Not liking my new Candy pedals as they are difficult & timely to clip in. I depend upon being clipped in for tech moves. If I walk and then hop on I need to get clipped back in for next move. I miss the move if 1 or both feet unclipped.

That’s it.

Rained most of Sunday washing out a ride. Hung in W Sedona, going to watch superbowl @ Oak Creek brewery. Late afternoon the weather was freaky in that sunshine, sleet, & hard rain took turns. Stepped out in a big sucker hole to walk N away from town up into USFS land. Took pictures of views which are like everywhere. Numerous for sale signs. I don’t know how you could get tired of Sedona. The beauty is awesome.

Caught 1st half @ brewery. I needed dinner and headed to red planet next to MBH. Small crowd of 2 couples watching the superbowl channel saying the station will be available soon. Ate a quick dinner form less than attentive staff as I was the only customer in the place. Almost snowing outside. Sedona doesn’t appear to be a go  out to watch a game. I suspected the staff of sabotaging the game as their nationality favors another football. decided that my night was done and that I would listen to the rest of the game on XM. Hwy was blocked @ west end @ top of hill because of slip outs. Returned to the brewery to wait out the road clearing. Never found the game on XM. Watched game which was being received via satellite vs cable. Colts lost.

Cautiously drove out to deer pass. Good bit of slush on road shoulder. Gravel road to camp was fine. Rain is softening it up but should not go sticky slippery. Shouldn’t, back in Jan 4″ fell.

Monday AM into town. UPS the shock to the buyer in CA, buy propane, call Dave & Rebeca for a house companion for the night, and meet Jeff for a ride.

Bit wet because we rode washes running. We did ride over short infrequent sections of soggy wet. Finished up a wash helping to wash mud off and a pavement climb. How fast and easy the riding was on the pavement. Somewhere towards Soldiers Pass a creek flows down sandstone having carved several pools separated by waterfalls. The uphill side is maybe 13 feet overhead, the runout is the relatively flat smooth piece of slickrock. Jeff said that Bryan Lopes gapped it and BikeMag photo’d it to be seen in forthcoming issue. Viewed Devil’s Kitchen which is a somewhat circular opening down thru the respective layers of sandstone. It was like a film of strata formed over like a gas bubble as the sediment settled out. The film wore away leaving the hole.

A rider, the only one met us as we were returning and he was riding out following our tracks which were the only ones. He stopped to talk. He asked if one of us was Craig as he talked w/ Rama who said I might be out there. Eric is his name visiting for first time from Bay area. He is very effusive about hooking up w/ locals to show him around. Just like me. Jeff planned a ride for today and invited Eric along. 10:00 AM west sedona.

I rode a few more technical moves. I am feeling better about my improving skills.

I am making my waldorf salad and Rebeca is making dinner. Buy groceries & drive down canyon to Oak Creek. Continual warm visit. Signals not clear about dinner, resourceful Rebeca dashes to grocery & returned w/ salmon fillets. Score. Visited till 10:00 talking all kinds.

Rained a little bit on me sleeping in their driveway. Woke to sound of auto right behind me. Freaked because there should not have been any vehicle behind me out in desert. Ohhh… I’m in town.

Met Jeff, & John, visitor Eric, & Scott. Drove out to Dry creek TH w/ $5 daily parking fee, the Red Rock Pass. I am told that if you get a failure to pay ticket it is noncollectable. Other cars almost all from out of state also were devoid of a pass. rangers didn’t visit.

Ride turned out to be the same that dean lead several weeks b4 only Dry creek  and the washes were flowing. Riding outsloped slick rock w/ exposure takes nerves. How can side lugs grip the rock w/o side slipping? Counterbalance and going straight. Riding w/ more confidence & comfort. My position on my bike appears to be like sitting upright in a chair, my legs directly underneath, with my hands out front. My saddle & handlebars are just about the same height. This makes my front end light making it easier to loft. The very noticeably stiffer front end allows for steering. My old lighter wheel, smaller axle, & harsh FOX fork were flexie, wiggley; couldn’t stay a line in the rough. Way better bike.

Drove back to WS for beer, a piece of pizza, & Caesar salad @ upscale place still dressed in our muddied riding clothes.

Washed my bike off @ MBH. Sedona red mud leaves a film that requires hand rubbing to remove. Not this wash. Let the red color acreate as a badge of where I have been.

Dean called me as I was driving to TH this AM asking if I wanted to build trail today. Darn Dean for not giving me better notice. We made plans for Friday.

Ride Wed MBH shop ride. Ride w/ Dave &Rebeca Thurs & I fix dinner. Friday B & B builds my new rear wheel. It might be Gonzo. If so I will show his old friend & employer Scott @ ICS in Indi this summer.

Almost everyone I am meeting are mtn bikers and have been wonderful, even George who is 2 handfulls. This goes beyond Sedona. I have met some wonderful people and have been fortunate to enjoy their company. When we are riding we are doing what we want and fills us w/ joy, challenge, success and failure, exhiliration. All riders have been on great bikes.