Temp inside van @ 6:00 Am was 69 deg. Never really slept.

Today is a list of tasks: wash, pen refill, cooler & ice & defrost fridge, find a tennis ball for bursa massage, learn what a 25 degree knee bend looks like, & hang.

Only 1 laundromat up in West Sedona by Mtn Bike Heaven shop. Clean clothes. Hung the air dry bike stuff on the clothes line in back of van. Temp got to 93 degs and the clothes were oven dried.

Small styrofoam cooler & bag of ice where the real necessary cold things from fridge went and opened the doors. 15 mins in to open door and the ice was almost all scarped free of walls. Turned the fridge back on and the inside temp was upper 70s. Temp might reach safe food temp @ 40 degs this evening. Believing that removing the ice will allow for correct operation. 10 months since turned on @start.

Found a PT office & made an appointment for measuring knee angle. Yesterday I lowered it 23 degrees per PT measuring tool. I lowered once and measured 25 degs. Now I know the engineering value. This will be my fixed saddle height, expecting great things of climbing rougher, steeper stuff while staying in breath. Had the feel on Sunday.

Today is a rest day. I took some pictures.

Early PM ski started darkening to the East, winds came up, lightning flashed, faint thunder claps, scattered splats of rain, just showing what it could do if it really had rain. After dinner a hard wind blown sprinkle muddied my windshield.

I walked to high end of jeep road going up to peak above where I am camped.

As I was folding socks I saw headlights in  the rear view mirror, it was the law. Fit and focused 30 something USFS officer greeted me. He asked me if I knew about this place. I said No. He said it is the local gay pickup place. This will be my 3rd night here and so far I not been propositioned except maybe that was what Jack was about Sunday eve and I didn’t sense his purpose. He is a serious mtn biker also. Can’t take the law on an outlaw ride like some of Sunday’s trails were as in namesake: Under the Radar. Its like he alluded to reasons why he is not wanted on some rides. Safety meetings? Green team and he is odd man out.

Bought pack of 3 tennis balls, bursa on rt hip is tender from that over gusto stretching I did.

Hung briefly @ Mtn Bike heaven.

Lightning show to SE under clouds. Rain cooled air slightly. A meterological term describes rain that evaporates before it hits earth. Hot w/ no moisture w/ the air wanting h20, nad the air takes the moisture.

I crawled into bed around 10:30 with the inside temp of 86. I fell asleep. Temp dropped during night but nowhere close to down comforter great sleeping temp.

dashed thru bfast to get to Mtn bike heaven before ride left that I did not knowabout other than it left early Sun AM. Arrived just before 9:00. The shop was closed, there was a white board in window announcing ride and said that slimed tubes are mandatory. I don’t have, will the shop open in time to buy tubes and make ride? Guy showed up w/ a bike looking for ride also. He told me that AZ does not do daylight savings so I was really early. The shop did open & I bought my slime tubes and caught up w/ 8 riders, 2 were outsiders and then me. Several of the locals were wearing leg armour & riding platform pedals & big hit bikes. I asked about the leg stuff and I learned it wasn’t for falling necessarily but for protection against sharp things in the desert. I said OK. As we rode into the desert I learned that leg iron avoids consequences of bad line choice with cactus spines. Shortly I made my mistake and stuck maybe 25 spines into my right forward ankle area. Ouch. Shortly,  after the 2 outsiders bailed we stopped and I learned lessons in pulling the spines out: Pull @ the same angle that they went in on; need tweezers.  Several were buried deeper and drew blood after extraction. I believe it is the yucca that has sharp spine at then end of each leaf? They puncture & scrape. My lower legs are beat.

I got a ride of all rides in this incredibly unique desert w/ these local guys. I had the image of a shop ride w/ a smattering of abilities but mostly riders of my ability and would last maybe 2 hours, stops along the way, beer afterwards kind of ride. The armour & bikes and lack of my eke of rider were not comprehended right away. Several exposed shelf sandstone crossings and the first “downhill” Wow, walking down was challenging, several of them rode it. Big bikes. I received a tip that I should lower my saddle, which I did but I did it for being able to get behind the seat better as i thought that was what the ride would be like: Butt behind saddle to put weight over rear rear for controlled braking and lessening the dreaded over the bars fall.  I lowered it maybe 3/8″ and the first pedal stroke was like, where have you been all along? What a stoke & controlled ride, the suspension floating and being able to pedal more, and most importantly lowering the center of gravity. John in Vermont was correct that I should have lowered it back then. My breathing became controlled and I had stamina: I climbed longer and rougher stuff. Some of the ride was actually first track in the red desert.

When we rode we rode. I took hardly a picture.  Before I leave I will take pics and put a few up. This is the most unique different place i have ever been. The reds and the landscape.

My rear slimed tube went flat. Short story, pumped it back up. The slime is to ooze out the puncture and coagulate sealing the puncture. Normally reinflating  a flat seals the leak. Later in the ride the tube was down, pumped up again and the tube remained riding pressure full. Slime tubes are necessary for desert riding. Shit, left plain tubes @ shop.

Group split up after a road climb that I spun with a break away, then my flat and I was out alone w/ a slight idea how to bail for road ride back. Dean arrived just in time and he, the ninja of bike handling, brought me home. There might have been other guys in ride like Dean, I have never seen a bike ridden like he did. Dean is custom making a unique flat platform pedal that has more engineering features than I imagined. Way cool reasonable reason for design.

Dean invited me to his house for beef stew. i said i have beer for the cause and may I have  a shower. Yes.

Successful green team refill.

Drove back to last night’ camp spot where i left the carpet and folding chair out to connote I am camping here signal. Knowing that my spot was “saved”, I could stay away longer. I arrived and my spot was mine again.

Still hot but cloudy. The van thermometer read 99 degs at ride’s end. Its a dry heat, it just evaporates sweat before it dries on clothing. No cramps or body failure. Best ride ever!

Fridge is just barely 40 degrees. Ice is built up meaning I should defrost it, will borrow a cooler tomorrow and do it.

The riders all know danny, he lives behind bike shop. He has a VW Vanagan synchro westfallia like mine @ his house. I put my card under his wiper blade. He is in Spokane visiting his girlfriend.

Rode w/ Bob who was in the Fruita gang I met.

Just an incredible ride today. The shop has a Wednesday ride that i plan on doing. Today total time was 5 1/2 hours in desert heat. We stopped for h20 2 places. Dean said it is important to know the location of water holes. We rode form shop in West Sedona on the main drag and dropped into the desert all the time not far from town. 18.28 miles of mostly challenging ST. The rock moves and it is flat sided and hard so it moves. I made some firsts moves today. The local leader is of great benefit. This was what Blue Mtn in New York was about: the locals had it dialed for the trail network

Using mosquito netting across side door opening as flying insects are seeking the reading light.

Forecast for next several days if for 20% prop of T-storms. I would like to experience a desert t-storm.

There were several NODs, knarly old dudes, membership is 50 and older.

Dateline: Sedona, AZ

Hello, jack. I camped @ Quaking Aspen TH. The conservation corps kids came in and I suspected a trail work day but there were no riders. I saw a person wave on my way down. i didn’t recognize you or put it together until your phone message. I was tossed as to ride QA for the 3rd time, the dawn to dusk for 3rd or drive to Sedona for the first. I chose the latter. If you would have arrived 15 mins earlier I would have helped.

But catch up after the software ate my homework.

Pleasant night in abandoned bldg parking lot. Up for bfast. plan is to hit visitor center for growler and down to Santa Fe to reride Dale Ball trail. Center opened @ 9:00 which I waited for and then returned to taos Bike to offer feedback on McGaffey ridge ride as I sometimes wonder if the shoips don’t depend upon riders to fill them in on ride details.

drove along Rio Grande which up high is a “white” water rafting river. The color is beyond thick brown. All that silt stops somewhere wherever the h2o velocity drops.

Made dale Ball TH around 11:00, getting warm. Rode off. Shortly I encountered a female hiker standing off the edge of the trail to let me pass. She had ear buds in to the iPod and even I could hear the music. I pedaled ahead and stopped @ an intersection to study the map and she walked by w/ an attitude. I pushed off shortly and caught up to her. We were both going uphill and I matched her speed and she had no idea I was behind her as I was also listening to her music. This went on for maybe 2 mins before she glanced over her shoulder and did a slight jump and stepped off the trail. I rode by w/o any necessary words as they would not have been heard.

Hung in the parking lot for lunch. As i was leaving 2 rigs pulled in and the first driver jumped out w/ a big friendly smile on his face, Hello Ru, who wrote a comment inviting me on the Windsor trail ride but I was up in Taos for the ride. We chatted a few minutes but he was in a hurry to hit the trail. He knows Steinar and the trail work in Gallup

Drove down to rec center for $1.85 shower.

Stopped @ Bike n Sport to buy a chain. Exchanged greetings w/ owners wife who gave me ride ideas on my initial visit.

Now I am faced w/ big interstate drive west. Friday eve rush hour in Albuquerque wasn’t enjoyable. Long westward drive into setting sun and forest fire smoke. A fire was burning just off I-40 but flames were not visible. I smelled the smoke before I discerned the smoke.

Made Ft Wingate, Les, and drove up to Quaking Aspen Th for evening @ dusk. Quiet eve.

Enjoyed sleeping in. Struggled w/ what to ride today as I stated to jack. Sedona won out. Big 230 miles of interstate driving as there just aren’t any 2 lane highways going my way. Just tooled along about 60mph for fuel efficiency.

Before leaving gallup I logged on & checked the weather forecast. Sedona high is 94 deg. Whooppeeee.

Sedona is down in a deep canyon from the north. Spectacular road cut into mountainside. Once you drop in you are in for the ride. Lots of traffic people seeking heat relief in shaded canyon and small h2o pools on Oak creek.

Found Bike n Bean and met Jim, the owner and enjoyed an amicable conversation. The shop rents about 80 bikes a day. he sells new bikes but buys the frame etc when the buyer makes purchase. Novel concept sort of in that he doesn’t have to carry the inventory. Meeting w/ varying degrees of success w/ manufactures. He will have Turners this fall. Jim gave me Danny of the window guy that I met @ Fruita. Jim told me of primitive camping just S of town.

I called Danny & left message and found camp spot on a plateau above the canyon. I found a spot shaded by juniper trees. The inside van temp was 111 degs. It wasn’t much cooler in shade of van.

Danny called back and he is in Spokane visiting his girlfriend. Isn’t that something? I’m in his hometown and he is in my former hometown. So no hookup w/ him for a ride.

Sun is ,long gone from teh sky and there is a slight temp drop. The fridge doesn’t seem to be keeping cold. darn.

I will ride here for several days as again this is the best place to ride. Lots of people in canyon and resort towns. Too many for me. Jim assures me that riding just a short distance  leaves crowd behind. Tomorrow I will find out. Certainly get ride in early in day and then hunker down to avoid the heat. Normal high temp is in low 80s.

Drinking lots of fluids but nothing much seems to be coming out the far end. Most goes as sweat or in my breathing.