Sitting in heated van at parking lot for Waba Sabi community thanksgiving feed. I’m working first shift. My connection to community and giving of myself. I am able to fix my own eats but this is a connection event.

Chilly, 20 degrees this morning and forecast is liking cold and some wet. Weather conditions telling me to move on to Hurricane.

Yesterday I rode the Raptor Route out Sand Flats road. I rode same ride this spring on completed center trail piece. Same shuttle. Riding up road past low trailhead I shuddered at nastiness of road that I drove my van up years ago for Freehub shoot. Beater. Crowded van plus a second van, many riders. I pedaled away on first section, Eagle Eye, other riders were riding Porcupine Rim letting me have entire ride almost all alone. Raptor route consists of 3 linked trails, Eagle Eye, Hawks Glide,  and Falcon Flow. Tyson said another piece will be built to continue further down Sand Flats road.

Sheer vastness of desert out there.

Drop off point is 7,2xx’, town is at 4,2xx’. Pedal ride was 9.28 miles pedaling and hike a bike what I chose not to ride 1 hr 11 mins, dropping 2329′ while climbing only 121′. Trail ends back on Sand Flats for 7.4 mile ride back to van parked in town dropping another 1184′. Dirt road becomes paved and the steepness of the road allowed me a max speed of 34mph. I held back on turns as I have no idea if the tires will remain seated on their rims. Still average heart rate was 111. Appreciate travel and stability of bike.

Been city camping in Reid’s driveway.

Anyway, time to prepare for my helping role.

PT figured out what I need to do to fix my foot problem but the pain is caused by leg bones not moving. Rhonda gave me 2 exercises to do, I rigged an anchor inside the van so I can do PT on the floor.

Spent night in Reid’s driveway location out of town but neighbors. Just not out way out. His driveway offers town sleeping  as dispersed spots are a ways out of town. 4277′ elevation.

Sat I drove up to Horsethief area way up and out of town. Parked where Chisholm crosses Horsethief rd. to ride down Chisholm to Coney Island of Navajo Rocks loop to low elevation of ride.

Climb out was 7Up which is part jeep road till single track takes off. I rode the shorter of each of the loop trails to connect to Chisholm back to van. 15.3 miles climbing 1306′. Late afternoon light and shade means paying attention to time to finish in the light. Drove out the road  passing mostly empty BLM XG. I scored my favorite spot down the first turn past XG, elevation is 5702′. Forecast wanted rain Sat night into Sunday. Staying at this location I can pick up Rodeo loop and be back inside van before rain would fall.

Rodeo ride was 10.7 miles climbing 797′. Directional trail which avoids head ons and keeps the trail more narrow. I saw foot prints on the tread. I caught up with the attached body, it was guy I sat beside at the Trail Mix evening earlier in the week. I told him I’m helping at the Waba Sabi feed, he said he was also, we are on same shift.

Back at van. I did cover my bike protecting it from showers that did fall that night into Sunday AM.

Sunday was a rest day. I spent the night up on Sand Flats paying $15 / night. Pretty empty, scored my preferred site.

Monday the Zags played Purdue, I managed my day to watch it. First I rode Brand M trails outside of town. There are challenging chunky trails there requiring full body work out. I have ridden these trails numerous times to recall features. Lots of body damaging challenges. Chilly day. Pedaled for 1 hr 43 mins covering 10.5 miles climbing 1086′. Lots of climb for small system.

Back to town to find a public house that had TV for game. Moab Brewery. Scored seat at bar looking up at TV. Zags lost as their shooting accuracy plummeted second half. Night at Reid’s.

This AM I was chiro adjusted in hope of relieving constriction of my throat. Adjustments were successful albeit my throat remains constricted needing an ENT deep drive down the trachea, prolly next stop ST George.

Zags played again earlier today, I watched form same place and seat. They beat Syracuse well played.

Tomorrow I ride shuttle from town up to high point of Raptor route connecting 3 separate pieces of single track finishing of 6 mile road ride back to town. For Freehub film I drove my van to this point, never again. Another time I drove to bottom of last piece, Falcon Flow, and pedaled up the road to that high point to ride with Peter and his wife. Again, never to drive that piece. $30 ride saves van beating.

Thurs is Waba Sabi feed. Weather forecast calls for lower temp and tease of snow Fri night into Sunday then back to sun but day temps in low 40s. I checked Hurricane, UT forecast which calls for slightly warmer temp. Is getting seasonal time to move to Hurkin.

4:50 PM, sun has dropped behind cliff band above town. Sundown is 4:54 at Junction which is closest location per Suunto computer. Time to drive out to Reid’s while still light to see intersection off busy US 191.

Traffic and visitors are affected by temp. This spring as always lots of people, night temps were bearable. This time cold repels visitors unless they have heat be it brick and mortar of few heated RVs. My heater keeps me bearably warm.

Diesel is $4.95. Not right.

As is my posture to this keyboard. Seems Utah uses the paved edges of their streets as open gutters which puts serious out slope from center line. I’m parked on the street away from downtown.

So, van suspension is functioning. I did open the hood and to what did my wondering eyes did see was large patches of insulation removed, chewed off and relocated preferably not on van.

Drove to town Mon for DR appointment regarding my increasingly tight throat. Affects my breathing however O2 sat is upper 90s. Thyroid physical check, blood work, CT scan. All came back body within specs. Office is establishing referral to throat dr in ST George.

Drove out to N Klondike trailhead and namesake paid BLM campground for 2 nights and days of sleeping and riding. 2 miles of washboard stutter bump road. I picked preferred site 1, only 2 sites were occupied. Seeing desert here in fall condition is sparse brown with dead cow uneatable plants. Cattle grazing is a scourge on our public land and should not be allowed. Chilly enough for heater to run all night.

Tues I dallied waiting for temp to ride into 50s to pedal away. I chose to ride out on the easier trails on the west side. Amazing pedal trails, I put my back into effort. I returned on the N side where the single track slabs all tilted tread. Dino is the lowest of the traversing trails. Several features challenge me, some I have overcome with effort, others I just can’t best mostly because I lack the 1 or 2 punch strokes. Pedaled back road to van. Now only occupant.

Wed I started out on warmup Dino then up Little Salty to Mega Steps over then down to Dino back. riding generally here is technical, degree of separations are the size. I ride blue rated trails as a choice while riding blacks if needed but not stupid hard like the Portal here. I walked more of the climbs today as I just couldn’t open engine up. I am working on riding with smiles not curled lips.

Stutter bump road out to paved US 191 to town. Tonight an appreciation event was planned by Trail Mix, a collective group of heart propelled activities members. I arrived just before  start. Here I might know  1 or 2 people otherwise a stranger in their midst. Awards regonition. I watched their slide show seeing the massive amount of rock work performed on the new piece of raptor route. To me amazing number of volunteers. I spoke with Tyson briefly.  Back out to city camping at Reid’s.

At earlier health visit I forgot to ask for PT referral for my foot. I called PT to start appointment learning first opening will be after I have left. I called health care office and scored an appointment for this morning for referrral. Before appointment time PT office called offering an appointment same time I was obtaining the referral. She offered a 4 PM today which is rapidly approaching. Owner Rhonda is a mountain biker guide.

So, no pics, just a catch up.