That is the color that jumped out @ me as I approached Moab. First red rock.

Drove into Cortex from Delores to await the USPS delivery of my new POC Trabec helmet. Big buying point on the helmet is the increased protection to the lower back of the head. Clear day w/ some wind. I could have ridden Phil’s again but said no. Took care of some business and hit the PO @ opening: standing line almost out the door. Ooh, this is gone to be a long wait. I juggled my shower sequence and made for the rec center. 30 mins later the line is inside the inside door but still maybe 10 people ahead of me. A mail sorter sticks his head out and asks if anyone is here to pick up something. Score. I was gone.

Two days ago I hooked up the new XM receiver but no recognition by the tuner to the receiver. Won’t work. I called Crutchfield tech support to explain my results. He said, no problem, we’ll replace it. I’ll give Hurricane as my shipping address.

Windy drive to Moab. Cortez is juniper green and blond rock color.  Seeing the red color livens up the scenery.

Stopped @ Chili Pepper to pass Turner’s compliment on to Dave Bagley who replaced my bushings. Hung around for a short while. Grocery shop @ City Market where so many foreign languages are heard from the world travelers. Off season, I heard only English.

Decided to spend $10 to camp at Sand Flats for the road quality as rain was forecast Sat night into Sunday. I didn’t need to be driving on clay. Very few campers. Found a spot that allowed me to face into the wind. Pretty windy that rocked the van w/ me in it.

Coyote was to run a shuttle to Upper Porcupine Rim on Sunday. Sunday’s forecast was for 40% rain. Monday the weather becomes sunny. My plan was to ride locally and shuttle on Monday. However, the rain came in mid AM and continued till mid afternoon.  I bagged the ride. I drove down to the Slickrock parking lot in the rain. Just a few cars in the lot w/ riders out in the rain.

Drove down into town to Chili Pepper to learn about Monday’s shuttle. No word from Christine. Shuttle leaves @ 10:30, I’ll be there.

Drank a pint of brew pub beer and watched some pro football. Interesting, this bar did not require buying food w/ beer.

Camped back @ Sand Flats. Set out to capture the sunset that happens so fast. Sundown is 5:07PM. 6:49AM it returns.

Moab is warmer than Cortez and lower elevation from 6200 to ~4500′. No big box stores but lots of chain motels. Streets have a high crown that allows the gutters to carry water away.

Back in Sept of 1992 was my first visit to Moab. I was riding my Klein Adroit. Memory escapes me if I had a suspension fork and clipless pedals. I rode Porcupine Rim from town. I have a picture slide that shows my waxed shiny VW Golf GT and my bike on top. I have ridden here maybe 14 times since.

22 degrees this AM at the airport. Frost line was about 4″ up the windshield.

Today is a drive back to Delores, a late AM ride, and stay for beer @ Delores River brew pub that the woman from yesterday told me about. Forecast called for mostly sunny perhaps from their location but it never made it in Delores. As I entered the town I drove side streets looking for the pub. I missed its subtle presence. I stopped @ a state park information office to ask for directions. Attractive single woman working the info. Only two people in the office. I told her that I was an atypical male for asking for directions. She said the smart ones stop and ask… because of their wives. friendly conversation. She told about a local cattle roundup where the cows are horse driven on city streets. I told her about the article i read in the Mountain Gazette(?) about an old Delores rancher  on his latest drive. The woman said she will ride a horse helping her boyfriend drive his family’s cows somewhere. Time came to leave to be able to do my ride. Joni said to watch for muddy trails that I assumed was from the freeze thaw mud from last week. Early in the conversation Joni retrieved a flyer on Bicycling from the rack and signed it as her pic is on the front and how I learned her name. I drove up cty rd 31 that leaves the river valley. The road was fouled by past cow traffic. AH, the west still moves cows by hoof.

As I climbed up i noticed snow on the ground. I didn’t remember snow last week or a storm that would have dumped it. I drove to the TH. Patches of snow all over. Temp in 40s. The trail leading out of the parking lot was just slime. No ride today. Snow must have fallen earlier this week, the same day that I hiked Sand Canyon.

I hung in the parking lot making time pass till 4:00 pub opening. Drove to pub per Joni’s directions. Small local flavor place. Drank 2 beers and ate a sandwich. Struck up a conversation w/ 2 younger men who are from Flag and are mtn bike riders. We shared stories and rides. They were familiar w/ Sedona saying that Highline is now a signed official trail and several others. Gotta check that out. Stayed for a short while after they left keeping myself open for a conversation. Patience didn’t reward me.

Gonzaga vs EWU is to be on XM radio almost right now.

Tomorrow I drive back to Cortez Post Office for package pick up. If not there I will request it be forwarded to Hurricane. I will probably drive the 95 miles to Moab. Wet weekend forecast even in Moab. Place to hang for several days before departure to Hurricane. Thanksgiving is coming closer.

I told Joni about the tarantula I saw yesterday. She said her X is a state trooper and that sometimes the hwy there @ Phil’s would be closed because of the slippery slime from the splattered tarantulas because they crossed the highway, a spider run.

Tues I left for Durango to meet w/ Craig that I met last year and hopes of locals leading me on rides. I treated myself to Bfast @ Mr. Happy in Cortez as I forgot to grocery shop. I stopped @ the fair grounds on the way out to check on a shower. Bldg was opened for maintenance however the hot h2o was turned off.

Nice hwy and day for a drive to Durango 45 miles to the east. Hit Main st and put $ in a parking meter then walked the main drag. Stopped @ Specialized dealer. I checked out the overbooties and bought electrolytes. No winter shoes, just over booties. Bought a senior shower @ rec center. Drove up Junction Creek to the FS XG, Road had patches of snow that I negotiated. XG is open but outhouse is locked. Back into town. Beers @ Old Timers @ 5:30 for Craig and his gang. $2.00 pints and raucous conversation until the locals departed for home. 8:00PM and even the Subway closed early. No dinner. Drove back to XG. Turned on the heat. Temp dropped to 17 degrees.

Wrong amount of snow and temp rising above freezing put a stop to my riding. Wed my plan of adventure was to drive down to Aztec, NM and ride Alien Run on Thurs. Drove the 30 some miles to Aztec. Visited a plastics welding company to pursue my floorless tent idea. Met owner Jack and sketched out my idea. Might make it happen but will cost $. Last spring I saw the shop and didn’t stop in. I kicked myself a bit when thinking of my idea and not checking a fabricator.

Visited w/ Ralph @ Cottonwood Cycles. Last spring he was building up a Turner Sultan. He finished it and is enjoying its performance. He’s a Turner guy now. Learned that Alien is experiencing the same freeze thaw mud. I received a call from my medicine man that necessitated a return to Durango. State licensed dispensary, customer satisfaction guaranteed .

Reoccurring pain somewhat medicated I drove back up to Junction creek XG for another chilly outside but tolerable inside night.

Plan today is to drive back to snowless Cortez, ride Phil’s checking out the new overbooties I bought, get a shower @ nice local rec center, do wash, and pick up my new helmet sent via USPS.

Beautiful day @ Phil’s as I wandered around on trails just enjoying the day and ride. My breathing or lack of it slows me down as I get winded so quickly on uphills and poke along the flats. Booties kept my feet toasty and stayed in place.Watched my first tarantula traveling right beside the trail. 6 legs coordinated to travel over rocky terrain. Temp was in upper 30s and it was ambulatory.

Showered, I drove to the USPS. Helmet not delivered in spite of postage premium i paid. USPS doesn’t really track delivery or commit to an ecd. Stuck in Cortez till Sat mail arrival.

This AM I received a call from Fruita PO notifying me that my tabs finally arrived. The date of postmark tells a story not favorable to King County and the USPS. Tabs are forwarded to Hurricane next week.

A woman in the grocery store parking lot saw my WA plates and stopped to talk. Her husband is from Spokane, she went to school in Olympia. She told me about a wonderful brew pub in Delores. I might go back and ride some Boggy Draw trails then sip some beer. Funny article in an alt paper about a Delores rancher that drives his cows down main st. Small town w/ dead economic engine. Counter culture breathes some life. Place yet to be “discovered”.

Plan was to drive up to Moab and ride for several days. Rain is forecast for this weekend followed by sunny Monday.