Chose to believe the weather forecast for less than ideal weather by riding Phil’s again. Temp was just above freezing to minimize any freeze thaw mud. Trails were stellar again and except for the 2 bikes ahead of me by the tracks they left, I was all alone. Rain and snow wetted the dust making the trails even faster. I tried to ride a shorter loop which turned out to be longer than I intended but shorter than yesterday. Phil’s is fun for pedaling w/ minor tech stuff mixed in.

Charlie told me about the county fairground across the highway. I watched mucho horse carrying rigs pulling into the parking lot. I finished my ride then drove over to check it out. Charlie said that there are showers somewhere. I walked into what turned out to be a big indoor arena for horse activities. What was going on was barrel racing. I found the mens room and found a shower stall that ran on quarters. I turned on the sink faucet and felt hot water. Great a cheap shower. the quarter must have bought 10 mins. Afterwards I watched a few barrel racers and talked w/ an arena hand. They use a tractor pulled tiller to churn up the ruts the horses make at the barrels after every 5 racers. There is a seniors division for racers over 55 which I don’t understand as the horse does all the work, why would a 55 yo racer be special? Maybe a 55 year old horse.

I stopped at the Main st brew pub for a beer and watched some pro football. Had enough. Drove back out to airport parking lot.

Forecast for today was for 60% rain & snow. I chose to go hiking out @ Sand Canyon where I rode last year. I would rather hike in the precipitation than ride. I also wanted to look around. Conditions would be described as “raw”, no rain or snow, that was held up by a nearby peak. Walking allowed me see additional ancient ones’ rock structures underneath the eroded sandstone clefts. The trail dropped into a wash that became the trail. I hiked up aways until the uphill tread straight up the steep bank to exit the wash, and snow started falling, both were omens to turn around. I put on my rain jacket that caused to snow to quit and the sun to reappear. I hiked for just under 3 hours nonstop. My body would need to sport specific condition for hiking to be enjoyable.

Drove back to airport.

My license tabs have not arrived in Fruita yet, 9 days from Seattle. I called license bureau to learn that replacement tabs are not issued until they are 3 weeks late. My tabs expire on this Wed. When the tabs arrive in Fruita they will be forwarded to Cortez. I will travel thru Cortez on my path to Hurkin.

Tomorrow I am heading to Durango. Temps are in the teens this week.

I log when & how much propane I buy. W/ the heater running more I burn about 1 gallon per day.

Finished up @ Boggy Draw then drove to Cortez. Senior discount for $3.00 shower in new nice rec center. Did wash in 1 of 2 almost neighbor laundromats. Stopped @ Main st brew pub for local beer. Checked out Kokepelli’s bike shop, nothing happening that I could spool up.  Check USPS for license tabs forward mail, not yet. After dark I drove to the overflow parking lot @ the Cortez airport that I found last year. Airport rotating beacon circled all night notifying pilots of the airport, for me it shone on the back side of my van…. no harm, no light.

I have been paying more attention to the weather forecast as the seasons are changing that affect riding. Friday forecast high winds w/ showers later. I jumped on Phil’s mid AM hoping to beat the winds that were forecast for gusts to 40mph. The skies were overcast and the winds were less than gentle. Phil’s is cool as the trails are open just to mtn bikes and go in 1 direction: at every intersection turn left and sometime later you will arrive back @ the TH. The trail tread is so ridden that the tread appears to be hard back adobe w/ slight berms. Can really fly on it. There are tech challenges several that bettered me that I walked. I rode others that last year I walked. Greater confidence.

At every intersection there was a map and a blow up of present location, text provided route info. I kept turning left causing my route to grow. I rode thru 2 swoopy sections that dropped into a wash, climbed the other side, then dropped back in. I managed to use the kickers to launch a few inches off the ground. My Edge 305 gps computer displayed’ Low Battery” warning at around 2 hrs 15 mins into my ride. Funny, my body was saying the same message. Finally I read a sign directing me to the TH. Funny: the TH was still a ways to ride to. Made it back to van before battery and body died and the high winds. 20 miles in 2hrs 35 min climbed 2069′ on almost flat ground. Trail system is really a maze as it kept turning around on itself that I lost my sense of direction. My computer displays compass direction. Boy, was I confused. Catch the ride data below:

Didn’t see another rider the entire time.

Yesterday I started programing my new XM tuner until almost the last step when the needed software couldn’t be found. I googled computer in Cortez and picked a likely looking shop and called explaining my problem. I was asking for a knowledgeable person to look over my shoulder while I attempted to load the data. Crazy. Older guy has a brick and mortar on Main st. Wore strong prescription glasses and still used a large diameter magnifying glass to read the screens. He was like a shade tree auto mechanic repairing computer hardware. Between us I did not succeed. I called the tech line @ Crutchfield and a tech walked me thru programing the receiver successfully. Now I need to find a weather protected place to crawl under the dash to replace the 2 hardware pieces and connect to XM.

Winds did pick up. Drove back out to airport parking lot. Gusts buffeted my land vessel.

Today is Sat. Forecast is for rain and snow. Temp is just above freezing w/ scattered showers and wind gusts. Good day to watch college football and drink some local beer.

Back at Grand Junction where I met Charlie and Theresa Charlie and I talked about living on the road. Our strategy for picking a public parking camp spot: Cruise a location to find a spot then drive to a public place like a park and do your living then drive back to the chosen spot and sleep. Charlie emailed me telling me about his camp spots @ Phil’s. Thanks Charlie who shared another spot.

I called King Cty license registration tracking down my tabs after calling USPS in Fruita as they had not received the mail. I will be chasing the tabs from forwarded USPS towns. Need them by 11/21 to be legal.

Quiet cold night @ Boggy Draw TH, 17 degrees in the dark when i crawled out from under the covers. Ran the heater on high, 53 degrees inside.

Yesterday I hiked several miles of the Boggy Draw trail and noticed patches of freeze thaw mud. Today i could either ride early when the mud was frozen but temps  below freezing or, the better choice, wait till temp climbed above freezing and deal w/ the slime. I rode Bean Canyon. The trail climbed over several USFS cattle guards separating grazing lands from thinned P-pine forests. The trail wiggled and waggled thru the forest. On the cattle grazing side the trail was either a cow path or the trail became a cow path. Very water run off gulleyed. Out by myself. Nice day. Cottonwoods seem to be holding onto golden leaves. I made first tracks in patches of fresh snow.

Wore long underwear top, short sleeve jersey, lycra shorts, Zoic baggies over, insulated leg warmers, & long fingered gloves.

Finished ride. Changed clothes and headed for Cortez. First was a shower, then laundry, check out Kokopeli Bike and Board, grocery shop, brew pub beer, check mail for forwarded mail, then drive out to airport parking lot for dinner and sleep. For spending the night places I seek a mostly flat surface that is safe and either on free public land or on less threatening private land. Aesthetics is of little concern. Senior discount @ the Cortez rec center for a shower. Tabs not in the mail.Parked in same parking lot @ the municipal airport.

Forecast undulates between clear skies and next day some precipitation, some is forecast as snow.

Tomorrow is Phil’s World in high winds. Might stay overnight in Cortez again to wait out snowy drive to Durango.