Forecast delivered another blow of winter nasty. Sun was last nice day for maybe this weekend. Monday conditions changed, I rested because of. Tues became nastier with rain and wind. Drove out to paved spot for the night but told can’t camp at scenic overlooks just as light faded. dashed out to MP4 with hopes dirt was firm and would remain that way in the morning to drive out. Van stumbles at a low rpm which negates slow driving speed over ruts. Score the first spot. Temp dropped and rain changed to snow  blown by strong wind. Van rocked during the night. I had opened the roof fan while cooking dinner then shut it for the night, in the morning it was frozen shut as was the ground. Please van start and drive out was what I worried about all night. Van started and I bounced over ruts to pavement back to VOC. Check engine control light turned back on and engine runs rough. Made VOC and spent the day there. Little solar gain but fan hatch did melt free. Spent night on side drive in VOC. Cold, 23 degrees out, 51 inside.

My body is not happy matching van’s health. Seems my blood pressure is climbing. Drove up to Instant Care in Sedona for understanding. I have been recording BP from my home device and medical instruments. At IC the nurse took my BP, result was 120/70 which is well below my data. She tried again on other arm, same result. I brought my device that agreed with my data which was not per theirs. IC said I need to see primary DR for diagnosis as they did with acute and mine is chronic. Concern was their reading was not correct so I visited a dr office for their check which agreed with both my data and device revealing for me elevated BP. I will make appointment w/ primary up in Flag.

Then over to laundromat for Thurs wash. I saw a CA licensed car parked there with 2 muddy mountain bikes, handicap license to boot. I took pics of same as below. Woman jumps out of car yelling at me not having permission to take pics of her car. I asked her if she rides her local trails when muddy.

DR appointment in Flag on Mon, will prolly rent a car for the day for the round trip.

Van work won’t be done till late next week hopefully. Will drop transmission and prolly install new flex plate.

Sunny  at 40 degrees but well below freezing at night creating dreaded free thaw that above riders trashed our trails on.

Sunday I rode with Ian down to join Jimmy and Christine, Lee, and Elijah to ride a piece of the Black Canyon trail going north. Jimmy is former owner of Bike and Bean, Ian is part of that former gang, I met Lee her first ride here back years ago. We met at TH off AZ 69 near Mayer. Route was lollipop on BCT then side loop on S shoulder of Copper mtn. Weather was shorts warm, last nice day for near forecast future, get it today before Sedona trails receive more precip and freeze thaw mud. The tread on BCT is firm.

Trail is pedal ride, nothing to lift up the front wheel. 14.7 miles climbing 1476′. Elevation in low 4,xxx’.

Rode thru this patch of purple rocks. Share reason for color.

Jimmy rides a Revel Rascal, Christine, his wife, rides a Ranger, Craig, the friend, rides a Rail. 3 Revel riders.

Back at the TH we lingered in the more pleasant weather visiting. Jimmy and Christine are looking forward to traveling the country like I have been doing.

Super Bowl was played yesterday.

Today forecast called for snow after 11. I drove up to Sedona for PT, snow started falling at completion of treatment. Back with Eric, an avid mountain biker and other activities. I returned to VOC where snow had let up with none sticking. Forecast calls for well below freezing at night and not much above freezing during sunshine.

Group ride dynamics are different than just Doug and I riding together. Today we pretty much kept our heads down and pedaled. Doug and I pedal the same effort but seem to stop more frequently. But when I ride by myself I pretty much ride with maybe a short safety meeting break. In every ride our heart rates are well above a hike.  You are either a biker or a tourist, multi recreating sucks: your body follows your eyes.

ORBIC device for internet access to replace failed one had the incomplete ship to address because the agent didn’t include it as a result the carrier could not deliver. Almost an hour of customer service for them to contact carrier to correct address. Replacement arrived last night after I left town. This PM I took the device and computer to VOC verizon store: Closed on Sat and Sun. Now it’s up to me to start up and connect the 2. I was “coached” by a rep with me raising my voice several times in frustration as it seemed he was not familiar with this device. So now I have mobile internet access. Took 6 days.

Van health still needs help. Shop learned that replacement sensor they put in threw a code, they replaced the original. The stumble remains. Shop[ thinks its flex plate connected to the engine. I spoke with the transmission rep learning that the plate is upstream of their transmission. I called the Bend shop that installed the transmission. Probable resolution is dropping the transmission  then look at plate and replace if defective caused by? Control light turned off till this afternoon. Sheesh. Learned that interior fan issue is caused by an easily replaced resistor and not the module, that shop has not called back.

So Doug and I have been riding like every other day then hiking with Leia, his partner, and dog on rest days. Sedona riding and hiking.

We rode Llama which still has pockets of sloppy freeze thaw mud. More sunny days still needed to dry it out,  forecast for next week has more precip and cold.

We rode 1 day in Carroll Canyon slope where the trails are dry. Challenge here is to figure out climbs  to link traverses and downhills. Rode down Herkinham that bike keeps me on top of the rubber. Sedona riding. No pics taken.

Yesterday was a free wheeling Western Gateway ramble, 15.3 miles climbing 1483′, pedaling for 2 hrs 18 mins, average bpm was 126,spent 1 hr 34 mins anaerobic, 72 hours recovery.

Today was an FS volunteer trail work day, we met at Aerie TH. Doug, Leia, and I walked our loppers over trails that they and mostly me cleared the original corridor then hiked again last year and again this year. Today we hiked Ground Control a black rated trail. Way above my threshold for safety.

Zags game tonight at 8, a late night. Overlook has become popular, 2 nights ago there were 3 vans posted up, so far the spot I choose has been open. Scoring a sleep spot late at night causes stress as I might not score an open spot.

Sedona riding. Doug and I ride blue level and black if it takes us where we need to go.

Reading “Winners” by Backman, author of Anxious People. I like his people behavior writings.

Cold and snow forecast for next week. Yesterday I rode in shorts and 1 wool top. I washed and put away the colder weather clothes, another rotation. I am still wearing the Bedrock sandals.