Forecast for today was for wet. Drove into MBH for 10:00 ride to learn that starting time moved to 11:00. yesterday i copied pieces of Sedona ride maps to Thumb drive for copying. Used extra time to print @ Staples. Came out OK but many pieces had to be cut & pasted for full coverage.

Back @ MBH usuals started arriving, all clad in some kind of suitable rain gear except Tim wore cotton sweat pants & like tall LL Bean shoe pacs. He left early b4 his full wetness was known. 2 riders did lay down immersions in their separate creeks. Washes had flow again. Dirt was traction tacky. Started out in rain gear but at several early stops stuff got peeled off. Group is accepting me as a non new person.

From yesterday’s trail day shortened by rain harder and more plentiful to dig in dirt. Idea of terrain trail will be on:

Friday Janet told Sandy to look @ Nov issue of MBA and see her in 2 pictures. I said I had the article and I would bring it by for her to autograph on Sunday. She did. Article has 3 locals signed.

Weather threatened and we blinked by riding back to shop. Broke up and headed back to desert camp. Sitting in front of computer, at least doing what i want instead of reading airplane engineering.

Weather forecast for tomorrow is for more wet, we are just under snow line. Jeff has a big ride planned tomorrow that might get weathered out.

I have a small scale topo map copied to Word that shows Sedona area and rides I have ridden. Impressive amount of trails in small area. I don’t mean Mt Zion trails in Brookhaven, MS tight. I can’t embed it in this blog. I will separately email it to you if you ask.

Thurs AM drove into town to meet Zul for Hangover. We met, his employment called him to a day of driving a Pink Jeep filled w/ tourists around Sedona & up 4X slick rock. His Monday ride will be a doozy.

Plan B, called Janet, Doc’s wife to invite me in on her ride. She is leading the 2 Albuque women: Sandi who just turned 50 and Diane. They left their husbands snowbound. Token guy. Jan lead us on another Sedona ride: technical tight single track. Sandi showed no ill effects from her fall yesterday. Very good riders. First time here.

Janet let me shower.  Headed back to deer pass. Got my place, nobody else here. Sewed up biggest holes in my torn shorts. Dean called, we scheduled another Sat trail build day.

Watched Zags on my computer last night. Got beat.

Called Janet to invite myself on her ride, hoping it was H….e. Sandi returned for her 3rd ride w/ us. Rode Chuck Wagon again. Janet said that this trail is her favorite.

At the TH a woman was looking the back of my van over. She turned to see me and asked if the van was mine and if she could take pictures of it. She owns a sticker making company which printed several of the stickies on the van. Cool.

Bikemag contacted me for a story. A photographer for the mag called me this PM and we scheduled a photo shoot.

1 more day of Flagyl, first beer after 11 days will be Monday. no gurgling belly sounds but still soft stool.

Nights are getting warmer. I start the heater well after dinner and run it on low thru the night. I sleep w/ juts 1 layer of the down blanket. Toasty low 50s when I crawl out. Outside temp is in upper 30s, no more freeze thaw mud.

I counted: 45 days in Sedona on this current visit. I have ridden 29 rides. Missed a bunch of ride days because of rain & wet.

Today the MPH ride went out Dry Creek to a turn around on Mescal Mtn. Bit of exposed slick rock. 11 riders including 2 women from Albuquerque escaping snow. Fast & pretty skillful. One had a fall like I did: stalling, teetering, then falling clipped in downhill. She got a rollover that i did not get. Nothing I could do. Slow motion topple. Younger bodies with stand the stop. It still hurt I am sure. She finished the ride. I followed Doug down 2 rollover drops, he lead and I stayed on his wheel. Previously I might have walked down.

Dave & Rebecca left this AM. Happy Birthday Rebecca.

Back out to desert camp. rented a $1.00 movie from Safeway’s RedBox.

Lining up a ride for tomorrow, hopefully HangOver led by Zul.

I forgot my camera today. Mescal mtn was a kidney bean shaped sandstone massive. The trail was on its lower shoulder on outsloping slick rock. We were above the junipers and pinyon pines, exposed. Amazing traction on rock, however I have been angling into steeper diagonal cautiously. Takes courage and finesse to hold a line on the tire side  knobs.