Dateline: Sedona, AZ

Hello, jack. I camped @ Quaking Aspen TH. The conservation corps kids came in and I suspected a trail work day but there were no riders. I saw a person wave on my way down. i didn’t recognize you or put it together until your phone message. I was tossed as to ride QA for the 3rd time, the dawn to dusk for 3rd or drive to Sedona for the first. I chose the latter. If you would have arrived 15 mins earlier I would have helped.

But catch up after the software ate my homework.

Pleasant night in abandoned bldg parking lot. Up for bfast. plan is to hit visitor center for growler and down to Santa Fe to reride Dale Ball trail. Center opened @ 9:00 which I waited for and then returned to taos Bike to offer feedback on McGaffey ridge ride as I sometimes wonder if the shoips don’t depend upon riders to fill them in on ride details.

drove along Rio Grande which up high is a “white” water rafting river. The color is beyond thick brown. All that silt stops somewhere wherever the h2o velocity drops.

Made dale Ball TH around 11:00, getting warm. Rode off. Shortly I encountered a female hiker standing off the edge of the trail to let me pass. She had ear buds in to the iPod and even I could hear the music. I pedaled ahead and stopped @ an intersection to study the map and she walked by w/ an attitude. I pushed off shortly and caught up to her. We were both going uphill and I matched her speed and she had no idea I was behind her as I was also listening to her music. This went on for maybe 2 mins before she glanced over her shoulder and did a slight jump and stepped off the trail. I rode by w/o any necessary words as they would not have been heard.

Hung in the parking lot for lunch. As i was leaving 2 rigs pulled in and the first driver jumped out w/ a big friendly smile on his face, Hello Ru, who wrote a comment inviting me on the Windsor trail ride but I was up in Taos for the ride. We chatted a few minutes but he was in a hurry to hit the trail. He knows Steinar and the trail work in Gallup

Drove down to rec center for $1.85 shower.

Stopped @ Bike n Sport to buy a chain. Exchanged greetings w/ owners wife who gave me ride ideas on my initial visit.

Now I am faced w/ big interstate drive west. Friday eve rush hour in Albuquerque wasn’t enjoyable. Long westward drive into setting sun and forest fire smoke. A fire was burning just off I-40 but flames were not visible. I smelled the smoke before I discerned the smoke.

Made Ft Wingate, Les, and drove up to Quaking Aspen Th for evening @ dusk. Quiet eve.

Enjoyed sleeping in. Struggled w/ what to ride today as I stated to jack. Sedona won out. Big 230 miles of interstate driving as there just aren’t any 2 lane highways going my way. Just tooled along about 60mph for fuel efficiency.

Before leaving gallup I logged on & checked the weather forecast. Sedona high is 94 deg. Whooppeeee.

Sedona is down in a deep canyon from the north. Spectacular road cut into mountainside. Once you drop in you are in for the ride. Lots of traffic people seeking heat relief in shaded canyon and small h2o pools on Oak creek.

Found Bike n Bean and met Jim, the owner and enjoyed an amicable conversation. The shop rents about 80 bikes a day. he sells new bikes but buys the frame etc when the buyer makes purchase. Novel concept sort of in that he doesn’t have to carry the inventory. Meeting w/ varying degrees of success w/ manufactures. He will have Turners this fall. Jim gave me Danny of the window guy that I met @ Fruita. Jim told me of primitive camping just S of town.

I called Danny & left message and found camp spot on a plateau above the canyon. I found a spot shaded by juniper trees. The inside van temp was 111 degs. It wasn’t much cooler in shade of van.

Danny called back and he is in Spokane visiting his girlfriend. Isn’t that something? I’m in his hometown and he is in my former hometown. So no hookup w/ him for a ride.

Sun is ,long gone from teh sky and there is a slight temp drop. The fridge doesn’t seem to be keeping cold. darn.

I will ride here for several days as again this is the best place to ride. Lots of people in canyon and resort towns. Too many for me. Jim assures me that riding just a short distance  leaves crowd behind. Tomorrow I will find out. Certainly get ride in early in day and then hunker down to avoid the heat. Normal high temp is in low 80s.

Drinking lots of fluids but nothing much seems to be coming out the far end. Most goes as sweat or in my breathing.

Short story: Angle Fire is a bust. Didn’t even take bike off rack.

back in Taos, rode close to town. If i carried a gun there would be 1 dead dog. The ride trails aren’t marked, i ended up at a No Treaspassing 4 strand barb wire fence. Figured it out & road highway back to van. Spending night in town. Driving back to Albequerque for Sprinter oil change and then on to Sedona, AZ.

Dateline: Angel Fire NM ski area

Up & at it before kayakers showed life.

Into town to dr office appointment. 2 days ago I wrestled w/ insurance carriers and was assured that health care providers are covered.

Dr wiggled & twisted my right knee and was satisfied enough to give me a PT script. Also received a script for an antibiotic for sinus infection. resting pulse of 47. Body mass index approaching overweight. Index misses muscle mass.

Off to PT appointment. Therapist again wiggled & twisted w/ greater emphasis and concluded that i might have torn a meniscus but she couldn’t get the loose piece to flap over. She said that if I treat my knee kindly if there is a tear that it will knit. My hip problem could be a bursitis caused by my over enthusiastic stretch. She prescribed ice on hip and gentle stretch. Cool, I’m not grounded yet.

Drove out of Taos canyon down to Philmont Scout ranch in Cimarron, NM. Story: Back in 1964 as a 14 year old from Ohio I spent 12 days backbacking the trails, my first backpacking experience. I visited because it was 50 miles away and I wanted to touch something that so changed my life. I found the trading post which is now a total complete backpacking store. I visited w/ 2 staff members to learn more and to share my experience. Now costs $540, back then it was $140 for travel and camp fee. I struck on the idea of buying the red wool scout jacket and the Philmont badge. Unfortunately sort of that the jacket wasn’t in stock and that it costs about $100. I did buy the patch sticky for the van.

Much has changed since ’64: use camper supplied camp stoves, no tarp tent, and almost all trails have been remade to current standards. Decided that if I were to backpack Philmont it would not capture the experience of a 14 year old.

Checked out main street town and concluded that dirt bag camping would be too visible and I drove back West. I stopped @ Angel Fire ski area that was host to a UCI race meaning that there must be good riding here although a Single track review dissed it.

Camped tucked away by grocery store and bike shop mall.

Canyons on both sides of pass follow surging stream drainage, no roads lead out. Once you’re in, you’re in. Beautiful country: if there is h2o there is p-pine and doug fir, rugged.

Tomorrow is check out Angel Fire and then back thru Taos.

XM radio and have been listening to mariners games albeit announcers are based on home team.

Last night I rented The Wrestler from Red Box but could not finish it as to me it was too depressing, perhaps if I could have finished it, it might have put my mind right. I am also ready Ken Burn’s The War which is also stressful. What our fathers did fighting the war, well, words can’t capture the experience if they ever tried.

Wind picking up and rocking van. Mariners & Rangers in 11th inning.