Precip fell on Sedona and color went out of the sky. I waited and waited finally on Wed I pedaled Turkey Creek from VOC. Dirt on this ride would be sand, no clay. Starting from the outlet mall several miles of pavement went under my wheels till I turned on to dirt which turned out to be just soft sucking effort. Red sandstone even when wet offers traction, it’s a matter of trusting grip. I worked on configuring my reflexes to match the tread. This sandstone is soft so it does not skate away under angled wheels, how far can I lean trusting the side knobs on my tires? As to be expected my engine continues its loss of compression as I walked what I had in the past.

Clean bike.

Dirt side roads were too soft to venture out on so i had been staying on pavement at overlook.

Tues I undertook heater treatment. I just needed a mechanic to remove heater. I started with Johnny’s, a local legend, he gave me other shops to try. Next one did not want to be servicing propane. The next was the shop that has serviced the van in the past but getting in to him is a lengthy process. He sort of accepted to do the work but no date was set so i drove away. The next shop said they would do the work and I scored an appointment. The service tech at the place where I bought the heater called which resulted in maybe 20 mins of miscommunication to my succinct questions. He walked me thru a different reset process which started the heater. Warmth. Seems the heater blew itself out attempting to fire and the different method he shared caused it to light. Canceled the appointment. Heater no working as it should.

Thurs was my annual dentist visit. Teeth cleaned. Dentist exam and review of X-Rays determined that 2 teeth need to be recrowned as my gum line receded like my hair line exposing the roots. No new underwear this year as the bill is $3,xxx. Work starts in 2 weeks.

last night I drove out onto the desert at MP4 rd, preferred spot was and the furthest out was also occupied. The ***** rancher put a cattle trough at another preferred spot and the cows made a manure mess of it. I settled on a spot between the spots parking nose into upcoming sunrise. I like sleeping with no privacy curtains, last night the moon provided light while I listened to the Zags game on XM. Pulled a win out in the waning seconds of the game.

Today I invited Doug to join me on a ride down here. Sunshine but chilly 50 degrees at start. We hit dirt at Bell Rock TH finding it firm and dry albeit infrequent puddles, good dirt. Another acclimation ride. I need homework on missed problems. The Llama problem is still there.

I am cautious riding as because my past experienced features last year but time and environmental forces move rocks and change lines. More home work on my own.

So, 2 rides here under my butt. Still upright. Tomorrow will ride additional trails.

Only the number changes with the day. Everything is a carry over. Continue doing good things. Be the reason someone else has a better day.

Now in Sedona which is wet. Arrived Thurs about 5, drove thru Page. Did drive through falling snow but only a few pieces where I could not see the pavement. Windy. Flag is at 7,000′ under white from storm several days prior. Driving down I 17 required several thousand feet of elevation drop to get below snow and less rain. Checked in at the overlook because it is on pavement, I knew it, and where I like at MP 4 was unknown. Weather so far is overcast much like the Puget Sound weather. Fri I visited the coffee roaster and Absolute Bike. Spent my day. Drove back to Beaverhead and ventured off pavement to MP4 spot. The dirt was soft but allowed forward motion. Made the spot. Ran into Lee in grocery store, she is a seasonal local. Ian invited me on a Black Canyon (BCT) ride yesterday that Lee sparked the idea. Just the 3 of us from the invites made the ride.

BCT: Ian drove the 3 of us down I17 to Bumblebee interchange then the twisty snaking pavement part of the road then bumpy ATV’d dirt road to Bumblebee where we would start and finish. The ride was an out and back, or more up then down. Sonoran desert riding under gray skies. Not bright desert dry air. Amazing that our rig was only one both at start and finish. Forecast called for today to be dry with wet moving in Sun thru the week . We pedaled away and up. I have ridden this trail several times. Pedaled over the piece I helped build long time ago. The piece of trail from start to the tank is more technical than the climbing piece from the tank to the gate, our turn around. This piece has exposure.

And then Doug and Leia stopped by where I am parked at the Collective. They are Canadian nomads who rent a house at their visiting location. They have been here for many years. Doug and I ride together a lot, I visit with Leia. The 3 of us plus their mid sized white coat dog Swift squeezed into my heated van. Heat now provided by backup cat heater as the Propex died. Death seems to be internal which means removing, shipping back to Seattle for repair, then reinstalling it. I prefer this heater but their life is suspect. This appears to be the internal mother board. Moving forward.

I dallied in Hurkin because of forecasted wet weather here. That last week I just hung out. Laundry performed in well maintained laundromat one last time before almost 3rd world condition of the one here in Sedona.

Bucketing time by year allows for summation of years activities and a clean slate for the upcoming year.

I rode 204 times covering 2,726 miles climbing 297,957′. I drove about 11,000 miles buying $2,807 of diesel. I rode in AZ, NM, CO, UT, OR, ID, and WA states never straying further east than Grand Junction, CO and Spokane, WA was furthest north. New transmission and drive shaft in van was a chunk of change. I spent nights on my property. My invested money took a big hit which I am using as an excuse as to not making arrangements for house construction this year. Anticipation of recouped loss this year will put house back in play.

This year I figure to continue with my vagabond lifestyle. Should diesel price lower to my affording level I would consider travels east.

500 plus views of my Turner RFX for sale ad in PinkBike but no offers. There is the opportunity to own a piece of Turner’s and my history.

Internet speed at overlook is a dribble. Going to be sleeping there for foreseeable future until the side roads firm up. Outlet mall parking is now signed as no camping. I have been building possible other sites.

$100 for a Maxxis Minnion DHR ll evc. 2 hrs 47 mins at average bpm 123 climbing 1696′, 19.9 miles.

Sheesh, the price of the tire. Why I remember way back in the day of buying a Panaracer Smoke and Dart for $40 together.  I am unable to construct from memory of higher heart rates and faster average speed. What was is was. Prices rise and my body goes in the other direction.

The distance of a ride is a function of time and exertion. Lessen the exertion and lengthen the ride. Yesterday I rode Santa Clara from the bottom, climbed Precipice then up and down Sidewinder rejoining Barrel Roll. I learned of the catch that cuts across Barrel Roll which cuts out the more technical Namesake loop. I lessened the exertion and shortened the ride. Oops. 8 miles climbing 971′, average bpm was 126 (anaerobic), covering only 8 miles. Big exertion tech moves, time seemed longer than measured time.

Returned to corral: isolated, exposed, some traffic, right on Goulds piece of Hurricane Cliffs epic ride. Today I rode what I planned matching my eyes with exertion. Picked up Goulds from my door step to its end at upper JEM TH, down JEM finding the steep pitch ridable even the dirt piece. Turned down Chinatown wash to its junction with Cliffs

The Cliffs is an old hiking trail and is light tech, less pedal, to its end at JEM, then climbed JEM, some I had never climbed prior. Dead Ringer up to JEM TH.

Then repedaled Goulds back. Wonderful day. Shared trails with maybe 6 others. I was expecting people using gifts. Ran into a rider 2 times. He is visiting from FL, airline sent his bike somewhere else. He was riding a rental. Second time he had just salvaged a flat tire that the sealant wouldn’t plug the hole.

Joy for me is lengthening daylight hours. I just know that each day will be longer, margin of late afternoon ride completion is later. The change is less than a minute each end, it’s a mental thing.

Service on my van seemed to improve its performance favorably. However, the mileage dropped to the lowest I have ever measured of 19 mpg, normal this type of driving would be 21 to 22. Wonder if service improvement comes at a drop of economy.  Should check this out before Sedona.

Forecast is calling for wet here and Sedona. I will hang here until Sedona dries out. Living here in the wet is easier so if I have to stay inside, here works.

Time to fix standard dinner of ingredients of boneless, and skinless chicken thighs (2), carrot, broccoli, maybe black beans or Quinoa or both. What changes from dinner to dinner is variation of spices and herbs. Certainly healthy and meets my dietary requirements. desert tonight is Rocky Road ice cream.

Left arm still hurts, just too nice to rest.

This pot seems to lean more to indica as my fingers are heavy and the seat cushion is crushed. Coupled with ride effort earlier. I know what I need to do, I can see the steps in my mind, the mind is making promises that the body won’t do. The body needs energy, the brain salivates, but the body has to go to work.

Here’s to the start of a new year.