Dateline: Mt Ida, AR

A bit from Sunday and some from today.

Drove from Texas to Mena to ride Foran Gap trail. Found TH but appeared to be a hiking trail. I checked my NAt Geo topo maps on line and the trail system wasn’t on map. Bailed.

Drove to Oden where the start & finish of the Womble challenge a 60 to 80 mile mtn bike race. Racers were on the road as I drove in. Way too late to offer to sweep. Cold & strong wind. Got internet access @ Oden. researched Womble. Race course is silk screened onto a red bandanna handkerchief that I was given. Figured mid point of Womble & drove out into woods searching a TH and place to camp. Short story, drove back spur road and found Womble mid point. perfect. Ride from here both days.

Walked 1 mile of trail checking what i could find. It is a hiking trail 35 miles long, an IMBA epic. My plan is to find mid point and ride out & back, first to North which has more climbing.

Sun night temp dropped to 34 degs. Had the heater going for part of night. Blowing & cold temp. Might have finally patched the hole in my balance ball. Sitting on it typing.

Started @ 10:00 AM waiting for bfast to settle & temps to climb. Former worked but later stayed down. Tights, wool long underwear top, long fingered gloves & heavy socks. Trail is a hiking trail. Some parts were very narrow cut into hillside. Nothing technical. A bit of muddy spots & numerous small creek crossings. Spring is not yet here. Poison ivy sure is sprouting however. Wonder how Indians dealt w/ it? Out & back. Rode almost all of it. 28.39 miles, 3912′ vert climbing, 4 hour ride time, 4 hours 47 mins total time. Race course shanghied the Womble @ Round top junction and made a hellish rock infested steep climb up to Ouachita national Scenic Trail, the 2nd trail for the Challenge race. Discovered this on way back down.

Back @ van pleased with my decison and execution of successful out & back. There were several road return routes available but I spun on ST. Solar panel charged batterie from last night. Great. No internet out in boonies.

Drove to camping resort on hwy 27 hoping for a shower. Propritor said he didn’t have 1 for xg. Suggested Denby Point, Army Corps of Eng. Drove a ways there. Host said the shower was free, no negotation.

Back into MT Ida to grocery store to learn of laundromat. Nix on that. Learned that this is a dry county.

Out to Southern terminus of Womble for tomorrow’s ride and then off to Little Rock. And dinner. I’m hungry. yesterday I decided that starting today I am cutting the sugar treats from my diet.

Quiet night, at least motorheads did not ride under lights.

1st motorhead in @ 7:15.

Drove N to Bergan Peak, Taylor’s 2nd ride.

Going over Spot, checked shock pressure w/ pump that has gauge on it. Disconnected the pump and all the air ran out of the shock. I repumped but same result. I fiddled with the what appears to be a regular Schraeder valve. Valve fails: all air escapes rendering the shock and bike unrideable.

I remember that Bicycle Outfitters in Bergan Park are open today. Pull in out back, stick my nose inside, and pester a mechanic trying to set shop up before opening. Shock is unserviceable by them. Suggest PUSH on front range.

Find laundromat in Evergreen, park in shade, do wash & google PUSH. Find them in Loveland,  N of Denver. Going to be there first thing Tues morn pleading my case for day turn around.

Toured downtown Evergreen.

Plan now is to drink beer at Golden City brew pub & dirtbag camp on the street somewhere.

Leaving Evergreen by back way before museum, a small herd of elk gathered to graze both sides of the street in peoples’ yards. Deer are minimal compared to these chewers.

Note the bull has no velvet. He has brush in his eye tines. There are several spike bulls still in velvet.

But first a shower @ Jefferson CTY health club. Wonderful facility. $3.00 shower. Head wound is not infected but it is an owie.

Driving I-70: heavy traffic. Not much enjoyment. Drive into Golden & find Golden City. Time for 1 pint before it starts raining. Seating is mostly outside. Medium rain seems to be here for awhile. Forgot to cover bikes until shower almost played out.

Left knee a bit of pain, day off will help. I hardly walked, mostly inactivity.

Weather is clearing. Back for another pint.

IAM & Boeing contract up for vote this week. IAM says reject, Boeing says it is their last and final offer. Usual rhetoric.

787 is still delayed. SPEEA is weighing in saying that the outsourcing was not the right thing to do sending work around the world to unskilled workers. Bring it home where it can be down right by the proffesionals.

Joy of staying in the same spot is not having to get moving fast in the morning.

Plan is to ride the CDT from camp & hook up somehow w/ Sandy Wash. CDT mostly drops down to road 543 a ways up canyon. Working on handling moves, practicing of sorts for the rocks of the East.

Dropped down to Buffalo XG group site, checked out outhouse: yep CXT.

Chatted w/ rider in parking lot, he described a new trail for me to take to get to Miller’s Gulch. New trail piece built for bikes, I rode it, missed another new piece and road gasline down to the climb up Baldy which I rode stronger.. New shoes worked OK.

Missed Charlie’s again; it goes off homestead and I missed turn off.

Sandy Wash still fun. Down to road 543 and ride home. Hot & dry. Climbed Shinglemill to intersection w/ Morrison. 3 riders gathered. One was guy I met earlier and other 2 are from shared campsite. We all split & I ride up trail to hit CDT and home.

Edge cut out temporarily up on Miller’s but Garmin GPS kept working:26.49 miles & 3130′ vert.

On drier slopes P-pine is climax tree. Forest has a noticeable smell of vanilla.

Gasline trail in burn

Here’s the vision it is desert:

Another Coleman shower. Scab on head appears to be holding the gray matter in.

Drying carpet out from h2o jug leak from yesterday. Carpet is sure taking a beating. From the plastic floor covering in the Element I knew lots of junk come in on shoe bottoms. But is sure feels good on bare feet and looks good. Stain it all one color.

No plans for tomorrow yet.