Sunday I left Beaverhead for Prescott. I have  a van checkup appointment on Tues. I scored campsite reservation at Yavapai XG for Sun and Mon. I chose paid camping as I wanted an assured spot after my ride with local Jimmy and Christine that might go later than I would feel comfortable finding an open dispersed spot. Dispersed camping is limited to assigned spots that I suspected would be filled. 2 nights for the price of 1 with my senior discount card.

Warren drove the van for evaluation of fan clutch and I hoped that if he noticed anything amiss he would sense it. Whatever the secondary rev sound did not occur for him and the cooling system performed. He giving it a goodness pat that should have lessened my apprehension of climbing out of Verde Rive basin on l 17. I worry. van pulled the grade and the extra revving didn’t happen.

Arrived Jimmy & Christine’s, Lee arrived later. Jimmy lead us on a Goldwater Lake loop ride. Jimmy, Christine, and me ride Revel bikes, a rascal, Ranger, and Rail in that order. Lee don’t remember. Pedaled road a ways to start of dirt, FS land. Nice single track. Rode around the lakes, Upper and Lower.

Hung out at their house afterwards visiting. Late afternoon I bid adieu driving up to Yavapai XG and my reserved spot. Campgrounds have instituted an on line reservation system that does what it is. There are several first come sites that are just that. Again paying for a site is eliminated stress. Nice site. Campground not full. Chilly night necessitated heater running before leaving cover comfort.

Trailforks was my ride research medium. Jimmy told me to ride trail 332. I found it on TF then used the trail as on a posted route. I was able to ride from the van following the selected route. My Patagonia bike shorts have a side pocket on the left thigh holding the phone flat against the outside of my leg. Location keeps the phone in place and easy access. I used to carry the phone inside my pack but to read the map I would have to take the pack off, read the phone, then put the pack back on. Took time and attention to place pack straps in place.

Trail tread here is mostly decomposed granite that acts like ball bearings when not weighted correctly. Trails I rode were well designed and built single track except for climb up Little Granite which was eroded wide, steeper fall line. I walked quite a few places. Elevation is 6,000′, 1,500′ higher than Sedona, I say I was affected.

Great signage at every intersection

Oak trees are leaving out.

I first rode at Prescott before Trailforks using paper map and description that kept me confused and not enjoying my ride as navigation was what it was back then.

Today’s ride was 14.7 miles climbing1795′, pedaling for 2 hrs 13 mins. Elapsed  time was more. 2 hours seems to be most ride time that I can survive. My average speed on my rides is upper 6 mph.

Friday night I socialized in VOC, dinner at Colt at the bar, then a glass of wine at PJs, spent the night at the mall parking lot.

Sat I drove up to Sedona for a Western Gateway ramble with  dry Dry Creek. I  crossed it at this spot. Spring runoff moved lots of sand

Sat driving back from Sedona Jimmy and I passed each other I learned later. This is Jimmy I met back at The Hub in Brevard. We have shared camp spots in several states. I replied to his text telling him where I would be sleeping. He arrived later, he told me he had spent the previous night at this spot. Jimmy travel living vehicle is a VW Westy, he’s making it work. Live in what you drive.

Yuccas are flowering. Blossoms are open during the day, some are closed, either because they haven’t reached maturity, or have not been pollinated. Nature’s way: Blossoms open at night in anticipation of the yucca moth that pollinates. Specific relationship.

I called bike shop in Dolores to learn of conditions. Scott said Boggy Draw still has its name sake. It might be still too wet for a visit maybe later this week. Plan is fluid dependent upon van check up tomorrow. If I am able to drive away I will head back to VOC. Wed final ride in Sedona, then Thurs head for Moab. Figure if I leave in time I can do laundry in Moab.

Finished ” Nowhere  for  Very Long” written by a woman who embraced van life in the SW. Even life distilled can be complicated.

Read the season first trail news from Wood River Valley. Effects of winter have not melted out, just lower trails like at Croy are rideable, most as up to snow then coast back down. So far I have a mid June Bend appointment as a commitment. I will allocate time for snow free rides like Moab.

My Bend care giver sent a referral to a cardio clinic in Bend. I will start pestering them for an appointment. I wore a Holter recorder for 1 week that recorded electrical heart activity. Results were normal. Just dealing with plaque coating the inside of my heart arteries. So far none of the GPs have told me to take it easy, back off on the hard heart work. Will my condition be treated before I break my heart?

Late night. Bed time. Chilly 54 degrees at 5787′.

My big event was finally climbing the Llama ramp problem. I played mental mind games in anticipation of my attempt. I told myself that I was at the top. I postponed my success several times. Finally the day arrived. Not much nerves, almost resignation. I pedaled away from outlet mall parking lot where I start all my VOC rides, 1 mile pavement to Bell Rock TH. My body is manifesting its aged condition as I run ot of breath on climbs. I arrived at slick rock patch at the ramp site. I caught my breath while studying the feature and working solution in my mind. Time to put up: I let gravity pull me downward until pitch turned up and my bigger gear caught up with the load. Attempt number 1 failed short of the top as did 2 and 3. On the 4th go effort clicked and I made it to the top and over like I had been doing it forever. SUCCESS!!. OK, I made it, am I able to do it consistently? I needed to find out. I went at it 2 more times w/o success. I made mistake of looking at my front wheel to steer between rocks. This can be fixed. I continued my ride.

During this ride I encountered 3 of the VVCC elder statesmen, each of us in our 70s. Dan is 78, he just had a valve replaced in his heart. Heart health became a conversation topic as I have my own issue with calcification of my coronary arteries. Dan’s replacement took 6 months from the time the GP wrote referral to walking out of operating room. I waited 3 weeks for heart institute to call and schedule my appointment. I hunted their phone number, called, no human just voice mail that was returned next day. Soonest appoijntment is July. WTF?.  I questioned the person learning that if it becomes a medical emergency go to the hospital where a cardio is on call. SO, only fix it when it becomes broken versus maintenance. I won’t be here in July. My plan is to have the cardio referral sent to the Bend health care organization before I arrive to be scheduled when I am in Bend. I learned that the GPs’ expertise doesn’t include my heart condition.

Writing about another heart issue is van health. It makes like a secondary engine shifting sound. Warren allowed me to stop by for his exam. I drove up but the noise did not happen. Warren would not listen to me attempting to describe the sound. He focused on fan clutch. During our drive the sound never occurred and the temp gauge remained where it should validating fan solution. Fan was never the cause of this noise. I made a service appointment with a shop in Prescott earliest is next Tues. Van runs but this sound unsettles me. I need the cause detected and understood and fixed. I worry constantly about me and things breaking down. Nerves. I will drive over Sunday to ride Prescott trails and spend 2 nights at a FS campground.

Otherwise riding here either here or west Sedona. Starting Monday and lasting for 2 weeks highway 179 to Sedona will be under construction causing delays. I have avoided experiencing the delay until tomorrow, Thurs, laundry day up there.

I like the western gateway trails as there is less climbing. Amazing in spite of number of cars at parking spots I have the trails to myself.

I am parked at the outlet underneath the fully leafed out AZ sycamore trees. Amazing how quickly they leafed out and now producing flowers. Cottonwood trees elsewhere have been letting loose their namesake , many are on my carpet. Dry Beaver is now just a trickle, it is fed by snow melt up on the rim which must be almost melted out.

My forearms are peeling revealing a healthy tan. I have been hiking shirtless timing my exposure to 1 hour.

I replaced my rear tire after 27 rides over 317 miles because it was well worn. Knobs on left side show carving, less so on the right. I know I have more confidence angulating to the left as the left shoulder works. Right side I can’t seem to drive shoulder into turn. Ridden bike 381 rides covering 5191 miles over 454,000′ climbed, like 87’/mile.

Plan is after van health is addressed I will start north.

 

Dropped my bike off last night at Absolute here in VOC to bleed rear brake. Last week I rode 6 out of 7 days, dunno if going to start this week adding to 4th day in a row. Darn EDGE and my body clashing with data, after yesterday’s 14.7 miles climbing 1375′ pedaling for 2 hrs 22 mins with average bpm of 114, EDGE reports 5 hr recovery. Perhaps I am stronger or riding more conservatively that is reason for short recovery. Suspect computer issue, albeit my morning pulse rate is like 45 bpm which indicates recovery.

I rode a piece of Last Frontier, legacy social trail and system trail. New part is bench cut into steep hill side, never a full vertical cliff face but an out slope fall will bounce several times before coming to rest. Rough topography.

Been mixing rides here and up in Sedona. Dry Creek is its name sake which opens up rides crossing the creek multiple times. Because I was here and viewed the high waters then and now the dry creek bed do I know the creek really runs.

 

Sitting at former outlet mall parking lot, had the orbic internet receiver on the passenger’s seat in full shot of sunshine heated it up to its too hot to work mode and shut off. Lost train of thought in my writing.

So I ride Formula Cura brakes, a 2 pot on the front and the more powerful 4 pot on the rear. two days ago I performed some in the sun maintenance by removing the rear wheel to check pad wear and to clean the pods. I squeezed the brake lever to advance the pods then flushed off with alcohol, reinstalled the pads and wheel then pedaled away. I noticed the brake lever pulled like air was in the line yet the brake locked up the wheel as it should. Visited Absolute prior to ride, deemed maybe needed to be bled. After 2 rides I returned yesterday to make a bleed appointment. Received text earlier that bike is ready. My effort was either suspect of there was actually air in the line somehow. Quentin at OTE in Hurricane told me there are 2 kinds on shops: a city shop or a destination shop. The former is drop your bike off and wait for several days for service. The later is you are here for a visit and your bike needs repair to get on your bike quickly. Absolute has been treating me as a destination shop for which i am appreciative. Another shop in town told me to drop my bike off and wait for several days. Didn’t go there. Absolute to my experience better wrenches and service plus I have a better connection to community.

Sedona weather is just right for riding as trails are dry, blue skies, temps below 80. Some days winds are noticeable. A note from Cog Wild in Bend reported snow pack is 172% of average and they have not had a 70 degree day yet. No hurry to make Bend. Suspect similar snow pack conditions on other places heading there.

Once when I was riding behind Bill and watching him climb a feature I asked for tip, He said he accelerates before the climb for momentum. Since then I have attempted same with success but more often than not the feature is on a climb that had already depleted my energy. There is the feature on Llama, a climbing ramp, that I have not been able to master. Last ride there I watched a rider accelerate down the slick rock to carry his speed onto the ramp and make the top. I followed his example for 3 tries. The first i was pleased that the suspension sucked up the rough and almost made the top. Confidence inspiring. Second attempt was more speed and different gear, almost made it. Third attempt almost made it. Thing is pushing a higher gear for speed makes for a hard pedal to finish the climb. I now believe I will make it to the to[p on next ride. Carrying speed and / or helping weight shift to lighten the front.

Rabbit Ears Big Park ride right out of VOC is a climb then descent and some more pedaling up and coasting down. While only 9.14 miles which includes 2 miles of road riding is short, the climb up Rabbit Ears ridge is taxing. This is from the perspective of a 73 year old.

Then there is the Carroll canyon area for enjoyment as in spending time up right on my bike. There ride choices are either up or down, only how you put your choices together determines how much climbing you do to get the downhill. I rode down Scorpion, formerly when a social trail was named Special Ed goes over several basalt rock features. I still walk the same features and able to make others as rocks have been pried out of tread. 9 miles climbing 1040′ pedaling for 1 hr 29 mins.

So far the easiest pedaling is the Western Gateway trails: lesser hard climbing. And knowing how to connect the trails.

Been staying out off Beaverhead Flats road on cattle range grazing. Lots of cows: Equipped bulls, nursing cows, calves. I watched several bulls chase down a cow that was sending mount me signal. Bull mounted and almost collapsed the cow. Dunno if his red stinker found its target. Cows destroy the land that provides their feed. Trampled land and cow shit. Beaverhead does not get the number of campers like rd 525 W of Sedona which is not grazed. Albeit I have noticed more campers off the first right after the overlook. I used to stay there when fewer people were there, now too many people.

Walgreens pharmacy is closed Sat and Sun.

So, pleasant day. Working on first sun burn peel. Will prolly go for timed shirtless walk to blend in white to red.