09-30-2023 Ride

Solo ride to the Bisikleta starting point, riding through the neighborhood and taking the long way up by the water tower through the 4S Ranch neighborhood.  On this ride at the start were: Jed, Fritz, Rush, Edson, Nel, Charlie, Ray, Gideon, Arnold, Perse, Andy, and Jhonar.  We rode the new default Bisikleta route, down Camino del Sur to San Dieguito Rd.  Then over to El Apajo and up Via de la Valle to Stud Loop.  On the front end of this ride, I was out in the lead for much of it, including up this last climb and through Stud Loop.  We rode over to Paseo Delicias and took a right to get to El Camino del Norte, where I was leading and pushed the pace to the extent that I rode solo all the way down to Rancho Santa Fe Rd.  Several of the riders skipped Stud Loop, but we didn't catch up with them.  At the turn, Perse started heading back to get ready for the party in the afternoon.  The rest of us rode up to the left turn onto Olivenhain Rd, taking it down to El Camino Real and turning right.  We then rode over to La Costa Ave, turning left there and riding a fast pace line over to the freeway.  From there, we rode to the Coast Hwy and stopped for a break at the 7-Eleven, where we met up with the other riders.  After this break, we continued on the Coast Hwy down to Via de la Valle, turning left there and then following the normal route over to Three Witches.  There was something like an attempt at a pace line on the flats on San Dieguito Rd, but it fell apart quickly.  After a fairly short break at the gas station before the climb, we headed out but were strung out on the road.  I was near the front and ended up finishing the climb first, but only because Jed had his chain come off.  I waited for the other riders at the turn onto Camino del Sur, and then Arnold and I kept going once he made the turn.  I pulled him up the climbs, and then he had enough left at the end to ride away without me being able to respond.  Legs were too tired by then, but they didn't cramp.  I was just a short time at the meet-up point before heading home, taking the W Bernardo Dr route.  Not a lot of strength left for that section, so I took it pretty easy.

Avg speed = 18.0 mph. Total distance = 51.6 mi

Bisikleta route avg speed = 18.3 mph

Avg power = 153 W. Weighted avg power = 181 W

Total elevation gain = 2980'

Avg heartrate = 131 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9951119210

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58851355024

09-29-2023 Entry

Went for an hourlong walk in the morning and then for a swim afterward.  Ann had her COVID booster the previous day, so she was feeling a little under the weather.  It was National Coffee Day, so I rode the scooter over to Krispy Kreme and got two donuts and a free coffee.  Coffee was decent, on the better side of the kind of regular coffee you get out.  Caffeine hit me pretty good, since I haven't been drinking many caffeinated drinks lately.

Later in the morning, I loaded the old dryer into the back of the car and took it to the recycling center at the Miramar dump.

09-28-2023 Ride

Went for an hourlong walk in the morning and talked to Pinni to get caught up on some of the things going on in HP Indigo.  That put my schedule for swimming off, and I ended up not going, instead Ann and I went to the Museum of Man in Balboa Park, since she had free tickets from the library.  It was interesting, I particularly liked the exhibit on Postsecret, started by Frank Warren.  Wished I hadn't left my reading glasses in the car, or I could have read more of the postcards with small handwriting.

In the afternoon, took a solo ride over to the back parking lot at HP, following the normal way there and the long way around the parking lot, since I got there early.  Met up with Blair, who was putting in the last miles for the team Ironman Tri Challenge at work and wanted to go longer than usual.  We headed out Carmel Valley Rd on a day with swirling winds, and it was a little sketchy on the downhill stretches for me but ultimately okay.  Down to Del Mar Heights Rd, turning right there and taking it to the Coast Hwy.  I powered up the first climb before the high school but ran out of gas near the top and had to slow down more than I wanted to.  Second climb was more steady paced, and I watched my speed closely on the steep descent.  Blair probably pushed it too much on those climbs and suffered the effects later.  We continued over to Carmel Valley Rd and then took the normal way to get to the 56 bike path.  I kept a pretty steady pace here and Blair was with me until we got to the little climb before the other Carmel Valley Rd.  Again steady on the stretch up to Camino del Sur, benefitting from a nice tailwind.  We made the turn there, and Blair had the first twinges in his left quad around that point.  So we slowed down and rode together up to the turn onto RB Rd.  To Via del Campo from there and then back to our meet-up point.  His legs held out until we finished, but he was ready to be done when we finished.  I rode home the normal way, a little more tired than usual but all good, no muscle soreness.

Avg speed = 14.9 mph. Total mileage = 36.0 mi

Avg power = 122 W. Weighted avg power = 160 W

Total elevation gain = 2480'

Avg heartrate = 114 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9940488078

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58871722154

09-27-2023 Ride

Rode solo over to the Park n' Ride by Ted Williams Pkwy, taking the time trial route to Bernardo Center Dr and then the Bernardo Heights Pkwy route, staying on Carmel Mountain Rd until turning left onto Rancho Carmel Dr.  I was just a little late, seemed like I hit every light going through CMR.  We met at the start of the 56 bike path, and we took it all the way down to El Camino Real.  I didn't push the pace on this day, and still John fell back, especially on any uphill stretches or when I forgot to dial the pace back.  We rode over to the coast the normal way and then into Del Mar, turning off on Jimmy Durante Blvd to get over to Via de la Valle.  Usual way from there to the top of Three Witches, which I took slower than I had done in a long time.  We turned right on Camino del Sur and rode over to Carmel Valley Rd, where we turned left and headed up to Black Mountain Rd.  John was feeling the effects of the climbing, but he was a trooper and agreed to the route back, which had us taking Carmel Mountain Rd all the way back to Rancho Carmel Dr.  There were a couple of climbs on that section, nothing major but still a challenge at the end of a ride.  We rode back to the meet-up point and split there, after which I headed home following the time trial route and including a stop at the credit union to get some money.  This was the first time riding on my new pedals and with my integrated power meter.  The pedals will take some getting used to, since my Q factor is narrower than it has been and my shoes are much closer to the crank arms.  The power meter worked well, seems like its output is about the same as what I was seeing with my Assioma pedals, maybe a little higher.  We will see.

Avg speed = 14.9 mph. Total mileage = 46.4 mi

Avg power = 128 W. Weighted avg power = 162 W

Total elevation gain = 3090'

Avg heartrate = 112 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9931884692

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58797867453

In the evening, I went to Mom's Pizza to celebrate Blair's birthday with him, his parents, and his friends and colleagues from work.

09-26-2023 Entry

Went swimming in the morning, was originally scheduled to talk with Pinni at 8:00 but he postponed our chat.  So I got to the pool as it opened, talked to Howard Doumaux for a while, it had been a while since we caught up with each other.  Because of the cool weather and fog, it was just him and me at the start.  Didn't feel as fast as the previous day, but I was actually about a minute faster.  Middle half with swim pads and first half without swim snorkel.  I still need to get feeling more comfortable swimming without it, but it appears to be getting better.  80 lengths total, took about 44 minutes, including time to put on and take off gear.  Was a little cool in the water at the start, and I could feel that the water in middle of the pool was not as warm as at the ends.  Will be interesting to see how swimming feels as the outside temperature in the morning gets even cooler.

The appliance repairman was looking at the dryer when I got home, he said it was probably, although not definitely, the heating coil.  Given the condition of the top surface of the dryer and the cost of the repair, I suggested getting a new dryer instead.  So we both looked at options, and I found some apparently good deals on Open Box dryers at American Freight.  We went down to the showroom in La Mesa around noon and ended up picking up a pretty nice high-end GE dryer with very minor cosmetic damage.  Got new attachment accessories at the Home Depot down there after we had a pretty good lunch at an Ethiopian food restaurant, The Red Sea.  The dryer fit into the back of the car, since it didn't have all the cardboard to bulk it up.  It was a little bit of a chore to get it out of the car at home, I ended up turning it upside down briefly as I got it out of the back.  I got the old dryer out of the laundry room and into the garage, then installed a new gas line, vent hose, and water line (for the dryer's steam drying function).  Brought the new dryer in, attached everything, made sure all the connections were tight, and it worked on the first power-up.  Whoohoo!

Later, around dinnertime, I went for a 2-mile walk.

09-25-2023 Entry

Got up fairly early and went for an hour+ walk, on this day, Yom Kippur, before heading over to the WWC for a swim.  It was fairly busy at the opening, weather starting to get cool enough in the morning to notice.  I swam for 80 lengths, middle half with swim pads and first half without my swim snorkel, finishing in about 45 minutes, which was faster than I remember swimming this distance.

I spent a fair amount of time in the afternoon checking, and fixing, drip sprinklers and clearing out weeds from between the rocks.  I started weeding the backyard path and got about halfway done.  Backyard needs a fair amount of work, again, and it will be easier to do with the cooler weather.

09-24-2023 Ride

Ride up to Jim's house and then to the end of Corazon Pl, since I got there a little early.  I then rode around Jim's block before meeting him and John for a time trial route ride.  Not fast at all on this day, as I rode at Jim's pace and heard details about Elizabeth's accident and recovery as well as the home remodeling he and Krista will be doing to prepare for having her back at home.  The accident was life-changing for them all, and they are still figuring out what that life will be.

In the afternoon, I trimmed the bushes in the front yard, not my favorite thing to do.  I had also received my new Shimano Ultegra pedals in the mail, so I switched them out on my new bike and put the old pedals on my old bike.  I also set up the Quarc power meter by connecting it to my Wahoo head unit.  Looking forward to seeing how they both work.

In the evening, we went to see the musical Saturday Night Fever in Vista at Moonlight Amphitheatre.  The dancing was really good, and a couple of the singers were decent.  The storyline was weak, but what do you expect?  Evening was cool, and we were well covered there.  A nice evening, I'm glad we didn't shell out a lot of money for this musical.

Avg speed = 13.6 mph. Total mileage = 18.1 mi

Avg power = 92 W. Weighted avg power = 113 W

Total elevation gain = 1180'

Avg heartrate = 95 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9912767740

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58727264036

09-23-2024 Ride

Crazy day on the Bisikleta ride.  I went through the neighborhood and then the long way through the 4S Ranch neighborhood to get to the 4S Target, where I met up with the other riders.  They really trickled in on this day, and we ended up getting a really late start.  On this day at the start, there were: Arnold, Ray, Gio, Nel, Kamal, Jamil, Gideon, Jed, Fritz, and Andy.  Eric showed up but had really loose bearings on his front wheel and decided, correctly, not to ride.  We headed out Camino del Sur all the way to the 56 bike path and took it down to El Camino Real.  I felt good on the first part of this ride, it was cool and I was keeping up with the others.  Shortly after we turned onto El Camino Real, Kamal had the first of his three flats.  I rode back to see if I could help, but he said to go on with the others and he would catch up with us on the Coast Hwy.  So we rode over to the coast and then turned south to ride up Torrey Pines.  Around this point, Arnold turned around and headed back.  Jed and I took the inside route and the others (not Kamil and Andy) rode the outside route.  I felt pretty good on the steeper section of the climb, but my Wahoo was showing low battery for my rear derailleur and, it turned out, for the Wahoo itself.  I swapped out the front and rear derailleur batteries at the top of the hill, figuring I use the back battery much more.  It was fine for the rest of the ride home.  The ride back downhill was exhilarating, the bike handled very well and I didn't use the brakes.  We then rode through Del Mar and over to just past Via de la Valle, where Kamal, Jamil, and Andy were waiting for us.  Andy turned back at this point, and the rest of us kept on going.  Around this time, Romeo and his riding buddy Ed met up with us, and so we rode with them.  At some point near here, Ray also turned around to ride back.  We were pretty fast on the stretch down to Cardiff and into Encinitas, as well as the following stretch to La Costa Ave.  We stopped at the 7-Eleven near there and that's where the second set of fun began.  Fritz had a leak but it appeared to seal itself.  But Jed noticed, as we were getting ready to ride after the break, that his rear tire was flat.  They tried several times to fill it (he's riding tubeless) with CO2 and with Romeo's hand pump, to no avail.  So we thought it was the tube.  We moved over to the air station and got it turned on by calling the number.  Still no luck.  I gave Jed my tube and apparently it got pinched while it was being installed, because it wouldn't hold air.  Finally, we went back to the original tube and got it to work.  Took around a half hour for all of this to occur.  Then we headed back on the Coast Hwy to Via de la Valle, taking this common route back to the starting point.  The riders were really stretched out by now, and both Jed and Kamal ended up having another flat each, needed to get picked up because they were out of tubes.  On the flats on San Dieguito Rd, Gio and I rode together for most of it before we caught up with Nel and Jamil.  At the gas station, I decided to keep going and not stop, and Gio, Fritz, and Jamil did the same thing.  I couldn't keep up with Fritz on 3 Witches, losing him after the first of the three climbs.  Was feeling the effects of not having ridden as much recently by this time.  Gio and I reconnected at the top of the climb, around the turn back onto Camino del Sur.  We rode together back to the start, I was a little in front but he wasn't too far behind.  He is getting stronger by the ride, it's fun to watch his progress.  On the way home, I took it easy, didn't have much left to give.  Took RB Rd down to W Bernardo Dr and home from there.  My leg muscles were sore but didn't cramp, and I was really tired at the end.

In the evening, we went to see Brian Regan at Harrah's Rincon.  We made margaritas and I got some snacks from the grocery store so we tailgated for a bit before heading into the concert.  The comedy show was good, not great.  Regan was funny, but his act was kinda short.  The drive home was a little sketchy, as I was tired and the roads were winding and dark.  Made it home okay.

Avg speed = 15.1 mph. Total mileage = 57.5 mi

Total elevation gain = 2970'

Avg heartrate = 131 bpm

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58727842052

09-22-2023 Entry

Morning swim after walking around the neighborhood for an hour.  I went 60 lengths of the pool and finished in around 35 minutes.  I did the first 20 lengths without my swim snorkel and lengths 10-40 with the swim pads on.  Other than that, on this day I cleaned up and arranged my tool bench and toolbox and cleaned out all of the plant growth behind the fence.  That took about an hour, but the day was fairly cool and so it was good weather to get it done.

09-21-2023 Ride

Went for a swim in the morning after nearly 3 weeks without it.  Took it easy, only 50 lengths, and I think 20 of them were with the swim pads.  All with my swim snorkel.  Elapsed time was about 28 minutes.

In the afternoon, rode over through the neighborhood to work, met Blair and saw James in the back parking lot.  Blair and I rode back out to Via del Campo and then to RB Rd, heading through the 4S Ranch neighborhood the long way up by the water tower before getting back to Camino del Sur and turning right.  We took it all the way to the 56 bike path.  I wasn't pushing the pace on this ride, content to ride with him and catch up on what's been going on.  We took the 56 bike path back to Black Mountain Rd, turning there and using it to get to Carmel Valley Rd.  Up the little climb to Bernardo Center Dr and then back to our meet-up spot.  I rode home the normal way from there.

Avg speed = 14.6 mph. Total mileage = 25.4 mi

Avg power = 111 W. Weighted avg power = 142 W

Total elevation gain = 1820'

Avg heartrate = 103 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9896081764

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58726941597

09-20-2023 Ride

Ride over, through the neighborhood to Matinal Rd and then to W Bernardo Dr, to the Park n' Ride at Ted Williams Pkwy, taking Bernardo Heights Pkwy route.  There, I met up with John, and we followed the old time trial route up past Dave's old street and eventually to Poway Rd.  The little climb up to there was a small challenge.  Then it was down to Community Rd, turning left there and riding over to Metate Ln to Pomerado Rd.  We turned left and headed up the climb.  I felt decent during parts of this climb but not fully ready to push the pace consistently all the way to the top.  We then rode downhill, watching for lots of traffic on Pomerado Rd and heading over the freeway to get to Kearny Villa Rd, where we turned right and took it to Black Mountain Rd, following this road through Mira Mesa and downhill until we had to climb back up to the 56 bike path.  This climb is not as long as the Pomerado hill climb, but it has some steeper sections to deal with after the traffic light.  We then rode back to our meet-up point, splitting there.  I rode home by retracing my route back by the high school, taking Bernardo Center Dr to Duenda Rd and then home that way.  Legs held up fine, no real big effort, although the three climbs took some doing.  Was a little tired later on but not so much.

Avg speed = 15.7 mph. Total mileage = 41.2 mi

Avg power = 129 W. Weighted avg power = 163 W

Total elevation gain = 3020'

Avg heartrate = 123 bp,

https://www.strava.com/activities/9887526951

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58698928356

Later, around 5:00, Ann and I met Emily at the Park for a hike, following our normal route but in reverse direction.

09-19-2023 Entry

Up fairly early, packed our stuff up, then got a couple of bagels from the food court at the hotel for breakfast. We were in the car around 8:00, on the way home. I drove to Victorville, again watching the tachometer to avoid extended high RPMs. Then Ann took over the driving. Home around 1:00, and the drive was uneventful.  While Ann drove, I took some time to update the blog from our trip and travels.

09-18-2023 Entry

After Bisquik breakfast pancakes, a good choice for future camping trips, we met Matt, the mobile auto repair guy. He checked the car computer and reset the oil pressure warning light, added another quart of oil, and gave us some really useful advice about what was going on and how to monitor the car's condition on the way home. So we packed up our stuff, stopped in town to buy oil and get gas, then dropped off the rental car before getting on the way home. I watched the tachometer closely during the entire ride and kept it below 3000 rpm for almost the entire time. While we were on the way, Ann checked out hotel availability in Las Vegas and booked us a room at the Excalibur. We stopped a couple of times, one for takeaway lunch at Taco Time, another time at DQ for a discount Blizzard, and then again for gas. Got into Las Vegas around 5:00 PM PDT. The Excalibur was clean, a little dated, but the room was just fine. After putting our stuff in the room, we walked down to the Strip, bought a couple of daiquiris, and strolled down until turning around at Caesar's Palace and heading back. I got a slice of pizza and Ann ended up eating some of the food we had brought up to the room. No oil lost during the trip, which was a good thing.

09-17-2023 Entry

We arranged to rent a car from the airport and got a shuttle ride from Cody at KOA. It was more expensive than it should have been, but he was a nice guy, telling us about his time at the campground, where his husband is the GM. Once we got the car, we drove to Canyonlands NP, Island of the Sky area. There were a number of viewpoints on the way to the Grand View area, and we hiked out to Mesa Arch at one of them. The canyon views were spectacular. After the Grand View stop, we drove over to another hiking spot, to an overlook for the Upheaval Dome. I really didn't think Ann would hike up to the first overlook, but she made it. Fantastic! We then drove back into Moab, hoping to get some shave ice, but the shop was closed. So we shopped for dinner food and bought some Popsicles. Dinner was Mexican food that we made, and it was pretty good. We walked over to the pool after dinner and sat by the fire pit for a while, talking to another family a little bit.

Overlook near the Island in the Sky Visitor Center

Shafer Canyon Overlook

Mesa Arch

Grand View Point Overlook

Upheaval Dome

Map of the Island in the Sky area of Canyonlands National Park

09-16-2023 Entry

No luck in getting someone to come take a look at the car until Monday, so we got one of the last sites, a deluxe cabin, in the campground for two nights and waited it out. Packed up our stuff and moved to the cabin before noon. It's pretty plush, doesn't really qualify as camping. We did have a good, chill time hanging around the camp during the day. Went to the pool in the afternoon, it was nice and cool. Spoke with a guy, Jeff, from BC in the evening at the pool, he and his family were on a 5-week tour of Canada and the United States. He had a couple of car incidents that he shared, probably something we need to be more prepared for, mentally and physically, in the future. We also talked to a lady visiting the US from Israel, where she lives in the Tel Aviv area. She and her husband needed a break from all the political distress in Israel, this the extended vacation. The campground staff were serving ice cream, which wasn't too bad. We also had a beer and hard kombucha, respectively. Most significantly, my phone dried out enough to enable me to charge it again. Not sure if it is fully functional, but it looks to be operational enough. 

09-15-2023 Entry

Not a great day. Second one touring Arches NP. I was bummed about my phone not being able to be charged, so I kept it mostly off to conserve the battery. We drove up to the viewpoint for the Delicate Arch and saw it from a distance. But Ann wasn't ready to do the hike to get closer, so that was as close as we got. Kinda disappointing. Some people whom we met at the overlook said that there was a wedding party up by the arch, which they could see with their binoculars. Crazy! We then drove up to the turnoff for Broken Arch and walked to it. Was pretty, we hiked to its base and I climbed into the arch itself and took a picture from the backside, my only one of the day in the NP with my phone. Hiked back and Ann was starting to slow down. Not a great sign of things to come. We then drove up to the parking lot by Devil's Garden and hiked in to see several more arches. We took the spur that led us to Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch. The hiking was slow. I walked slowly and still kept getting ahead of her. Frustrating! I just can't walk that slow. Out to Landscape Arch, which was actually quite beautiful from the right angle. I saw a mule deer right by the viewpoint. He wasn't paying attention to me. The hike back to the car was slow, agonizingly in some places. Ann wanted to eat lunch in town, but I wasn't interested. So the afternoon was a little chilly.

We decided after dinner to go into town, but as we were driving out of the campground, an oil pressure warning light went on

So I pulled over to the side of the road, put the flashers on, and checked the oil level. It was low, so I added the spare quart I keep in the car. Still low, so I walked down to the Shell station and bought 4 more quarts. Put two of them in the car to get it back to normal level, but the light stayed on

So we turned around and drove back to the campsite, slowly, and started figuring out what to do.

09-14-2023 Entry

First day visiting Arches National Park. We got up early, I had a shower, and we drove to the entrance before sunrise and before the 7:00 time reservation start. Got to the Park Avenue viewpoint, had some yogurt and fruit, and saw this vista in pre-dawn light. Amazing! Then we watched the sunrise at the next turnoff, and the light really accented the rock features. Ann's sides and back were bothering her, so we took it slow. The Balanced Rock was cool, I hiked a little more here. Really beautiful at the Windows turnoff, with North and South Arch and Turret Arch. We hiked up to North Arch, and I went a little further to get a picture of her from the sun-facing side. At South Arch, I hiked around the back and came up that way, got a good Pic of me alone in the arch. Turret Arch was also nice although not as impressive. Then we hiked, slowly, over to Double Arch before heading on. A couple more viewpoints before we hiked to Sandy Arch. Saw a group of bike riders along the way, and that was some serious climbing form them on this day. Ann was done hiking by then, so we drove back to the campsite after stopping at the store in town. Later, we went swimming in the KOA pool and I got my phone wet. It still worked, so I powered it off and am hoping for the best.

09-13-2023 Entry

Long driving day, leaving Mustang Ridge Campground a little earlier than usual. It rained a couple of times in the early morning, and we were worried about getting rained on during breakfast. So we ate cold food and packed up our gear. Out across Flaming Gorge Dam and over to Vernal, which was a surprisingly big town, has some oil and mining money there. We stopped at the Visitor Center of the Dinosaur National Monument and took the shuttle up to the quarry building. First dig was begun by Earl Douglass, and he was instrumental in setting up this viewing area. Part of the original site was left with exposed fossils embedded in the sandstone, and it was quite impressive. Pictures didn't capture how densely packed the fossilized bones were. We then hiked back down to the Visitor Center, the promise of fossils and pictographs along the was was a little underwhelming. Ann was slow, I think her back was bothering her. We then drove on into Colorado, which was a surprise for both of us regarding the route. It went through Dinosaur, which is a forgettable little town. The next driving section took a lot longer than expected, through some serious up and down terrain. It wore me out, so by the time we got back into Utah and onto an interstate, I-70, I was ready for a break. She drove the last hour and a half into Moab, which has a lot of restaurants, bars, outfitters, and tourist services. We camped at the Koa Holiday Campground south of downtown. It's very corporate, with small tent sites, at least they were shaded. Did laundry in the evening, it took longer than expected but we could use the laundry at the campground instead of driving into town. Had some funny flashbacks to our "We Are the World" days and watched the video from almost 40 years ago. Man! Ann's back was bothering her in the evening. Jack fruit Sloppy Joe's were tasty for dinner.

09-12-2023 Entry

We packed up our stuff and left Pat's house after a fun time in Wyoming. He was a great host. Turns out that a bear had been on his property on Saturday evening while we were having dinner at the dude ranch in Turpin Flats. Found out on Tuesday or Wednesday. The drive to Mustang Ridge Campground was uneventful. We stopped in Jackson to get groceries at the Albertson's, and it took us quite a while. Then we stopped for a couple of items at the Walmart in Rock Ridge. We were going to walk to a McDonald's for ice cream, but it was too far and hard to get to by driving, so we got ice cream at a convenience store instead. Not so great. Ann drove for a while, but I took over for the last stretch. We didn't get to the campsite until a little before 4:00. Set up camp and endured a brief rainfall before cooking dinner. It was grilled vegetables and chicken, and it was tasty. Toasted some marshmallows and then to sleep.

09-11-2023 Entry

Staying at the Yellowstone Lodge in a cabin, which was very nice. We had a little breakfast at the coffee kiosk, got some bread and peanut butter at the general store, and saw Old Faithful erupt before packing up and getting on the road. Drove up to Norris Geyser Basin and walked around there. It was decent, not as good as the geysers around the Lodge, but it was a fine walking loop. Back to the car and driving over to the Yellowstone Grand Canyon, where we stopped and walked on a trail that had a good view of the upper falls of the Yellowstone River. I walked a little further down the trail before heading back up. Then we drove to the viewpoint for the Lower Falls, which was pretty impressive. This was along the North Rim, and we decided to skip the South Rim drive because of time. Was a kinda long drive to West Thumb, which Ann wanted to see. That little looping trail wss better than expected, the Black Pool was cool, and there was a little spouting geyser right by the lakeshore that was interesting. Beck in the car for the drive to Pat's house, where we got stuck behind some slow drivers, annoying. Still, we made decent time and were back before 5:00.  Soup for dinner and then getting packed up for the next day.

09-10-2023 Entry

Drive in the morning through Grand Teton NP to get to the south entrance to Yellowstone NP. Pat was in his car, and we followed him. Stopped at the Visitor Center first, where Ann talked to a ranger about a recommended itinerary. Pat's suggestion was better, so we skipped the areas close to Old Faithful and headed up to the first geyser viewpoint, Biscuit Basin. It was oddly salient landscape, and the sulfur odor was pretty strong. Still, cool to see. We stopped further down the road at another geyser viewpoint, Midway Geyser Basin, then for a longer stay to hike up to the overlook for the Grand Prismatic Spring. That was cool, but the hike was painfully slow at Ann's pace. Hiked back to the car, even slower, and then we had lunch in the shade by the side of the road. Drove up to the Lower Geyser Basin and the Fountain Paint Pots and walked around that loop before heading to Firehole Canyon Drive and the Firehole Falls. This is where we turned around and headed back to the Yellowstone Inn for a drink before Pat headed back and we checked in to the Yellowstone Lodge Cabin. We watched Old Faithful erupt, and it was an impressive sight. The accommodations were just fine, although dinner at the cafeteria was sub-par, skip the burritos next time. Then we walked after dinner around the geyser loop near the lodge, and that was a nice evening stroll. Nothing absolutely magnificent, but there were some interesting sights. To bed relatively early.

09-09-2023 Ride

Ride in the morning while staying at Pat's place in Wyoming. I borrowed his Moots gravel bike, and he rode an older road bike. We drove to the base on Signal Mountain in Grand Teton NP, where we parked the car and started riding. Initially headed generally southwest on the main road in the national park until we turned onto the bypass road that leads to Jenny Lake. This was a scenic section, and we rode it until we got back to the main road. We kept going until the turnoff for the campground area by Jenny Lake. There we got onto the bike path and kept heading south until we reached another parking lot and decided to turn around. Back to Jenny Lake parking lot, then we got onto the main road and took it all the way back to the starting point. I traded leads with Pat on the return and tried to dial the pace up a bit. The terrain was rolling but without much actual climbing. That changed when we got onto the road up to the top of Signal Mountain. It starts out with a shallow climb, up to 4%,then after a flat section kicks up to >7%. I was fine on the climb, able to keep to Pat's pace and feeling some, but not much, altitude effect. The last sections were longer than Pat had indicated, so I was ready to be done at the top. The ride down was fun, couldn't match his speed but didn't get too far behind. About halfway down we got caught behind a very slow line of cars, with a truck in front. So that lowered our return speed quite a bit. Was a very good day on the bike.

Afterward, we went back to his place, had lunch, then drove into Jackson for gas and sightseeing. The downtown area was too kitchy and upscale for my taste. Had a drink at a local microbrewery before heading back. In the evening, we drove, with Cooper, to Turpin Meadows and had dinner at the dude ranch there. Food and setting were fine, nothing really special.

09-08-2023 Entry

We drove to Grand Teton NP with Pat and saw the sights. Started with an overlook by a bend in the river, then we stopped at a chapel in the park where Pat goes to mass regularly. Then it was on to a parking area near String Lake, where we got out and hiked over to Jenny Lake. It was a nice hike through a wooded area, and the views by Jenny Lake were pretty. Then we hiked back and found a place to have a picnic lunch. Afterwards we drove along the scenic drive until we got back to the main road, where we continued south until the turnoff for the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center. There was a viewing area for moose sighting on the way, but no moose were around. The Center was mildly interesting, nothing noteworthy. Back in the car and over to Moose Junction, where we started heading back. We stopped on the way at Mormon Row, a series of old structures from a Mormon settlement. Mildly interesting. We stopped afterward and saw a herd of bison, then later on at an old log cabin from way back that was still standing. Then it was back to his place for dinner and a quiet evening.

09-07-2023 Entry

Drive from Deer Creek State Park Campground to meet Pat in Jackson, WY. The drive was relatively uneventful. We met him at the Albertson's in town, where we shopped for groceries for the stay. We did have lunch at a nice little place in Elkhorn that was surprisingly good. And the town claims to have the largest Elkhorn arch in the world. A quiet evening at his house, where we went for a walk with Cooper and had dinner.

09-06-2023 Entry

We broke camp at Duck Creek Campground and got on the road a little before 10:00. Not much to report on the drive to Deer Creek State Park. The drive up the canyon to get there was pretty. A couple of traffic stops on the way down the hill from the campsite. We stopped in Provo at a soda shop, I had a special mix soda and Ann had a cookie that was too sweet for her, so I ended up eating it. The campground we stayed at that evening was right by a large reservoir, and we were the only ones in the tent sites. All the rest were RV campers. The site was nice, although it was a little far to the restrooms. But they had showers, which was a plus. OK for an overnight stay, but no hiking to speak of.

09-05-2023 Entry

This was the start of our big travel trip. We got up early and we're on the road before 4:30. Some traffic where the 215 and the 60 merged, but it wasn't too bad. Got through Las Vegas, again with a little bit of traffic, before noon. Had lunch in a little park somewhere in Utah, I think. Ann drove after that. We got to Duck Creek Campground in the early afternoon and set up camp. Then we found out that there was no water in the campground, which was a bummer. We luckily had a couple of bottles of water, which got us by. But we conserved it during cooking and clean-up. In the later afternoon, we went for a hike over to a nearby lake and back. Quiet evening and early to sleep.

09-04-2023 Ride

2023 Tour de Labor with John and Dave.  I rode over to John's house via W Bernardo Dr to RB Rd and then to Pomerado Rd and the normal way from there.  Got a little bit of a late start, so I pushed the pace for much of the ride over, including a pretty hard push up the last little hill to his neighborhood.  Dave was a little bit late to arrive, so we sat and chatted for a while and talked with Jayden.  Then we headed back down the hill and onto Poway Rd, turning right and taking it all the way to the 67.  This was the first time in a long time that I had ridden this road, and it was a little longer than I remembered.  Steep at the very beginning, then lots of sections with 5-6% grade.  Some areas in the middle with a little bit less incline, but I was still glad to reach the top.  Waited for Dave, who was about 10 minutes behind me, and John, who was maybe another 5 minutes behind.  The temperature was quite nice for a ride, for the most part, but I could feel the effects of the higher humidity.  We headed north on the 67, and the gradual climb up to the high point near Mt Woodson went fairly quickly for me.  We gathered again there and then rode down to Archie Moore Rd to cut out some of the distance.  Then it was Archie Moore Trail to Highland Valley Rd, where we turned left and started heading back.  On the initial part of this gradual climb, I was slower than I liked, but I did better as the grade got more shallow and had a good stretch up to the high point.  A short break there, and then we rode downhill, I was out front and took it pretty easy, testing out how the bike performed on these kinds of roads, it was just fine.  All the way down into the flats, where I stopped and waited for the others to catch up, then we continued on.  A little past this point, Dave got a little bit emotional, so we stopped for another short break while he collected himself before continuing on.  From this point, I dropped my pace to match his for the the rest of the ride.  We headed back to Pomerado Rd and took the normal way from there back to John's house, slow and steady pace, not pushing it.  Made it back okay, although it was slow going up the last little hill into John's neighborhood.  At the finish, Vivian had made smoothies and chocolate muffins, and the calories really hit the spot for me.  I visited with them for a while before heading home, following the same route back except for taking Bernardo Center Dr to Duenda Rd and then home via Azucar Way.  On the way back home, I didn't ride super fast, just tried to stay within myself.  Legs felt really good at the end, not to much tiredness and no soreness.

Avg speed = 15.7 mph. Total mileage = 50.8 mi

Avg power = 143 W. Weighted avg power = 173 W

Total elevation gain = 3500'

Avg heartrate = 114 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9783134338

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58314994101

09-03-2023 Ride

Solo ride initially over to Dave's house, leaving a little before 6:30 after having walked for an hour.  I took it fairly easy on the way over, heading over the freeway and then taking the back way through Kit Carson Park.  Stayed on Centre City Pkwy until Felicita Rd, where I turned left and took it up to Redwood St.  Then to Montview Dr and Alexander Dr, where I met John and Dave at Dave's place.  We then rode the Escondido time trial route, I took it fairly slow until we got past the high school, and then I put a little more effort into the climbs up to Deer Springs Rd.  We gathered back at the turn there, and then I kicked in the burners on the stretch along Mesa Rock Rd.  John wasn't too far behind me after the turn back onto Centre City Pkwy, and he was motoring on the slight downhill back into town.  It seemed that we hit almost every light on the way back, and I would pull hard after each stop and then have to slow down, frustrating.  Home the normal way from Dave's place, didn't stay around too long after we finished.  With the hard push on the return route, I averaged about 17.4 mph for the time trial section, and if my calculations are correct I rode that section in about 57:26.  I wasn't so fast on the way home, kinda struggled up the two little hills, feeling the effects of the previous day's ride.

Avg speed = 16.9 mph. Total mileage = 28.2 mi

Avg power = 150 W. Weighted avg power = 168 W

Total elevation gain = 1300'

Avg heartrate = 110 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9776305185

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58261827829

09-02-2023 Ride

Gideon's 2023 Ride For A Cause.  I headed over early to the starting point to help out with set-up, going through the neighborhood and down Dove Canyon Rd to Dove Creek Rd.  We set up the pop-ups and got chairs arranged, along with bringing over the coolers.  Lots of riders on this day, so I probably don't have an accurate count of Bisikleta riders.  But they included (the ones wearing Bisikleta jerseys and affiliates):  Gideon, Ray, Arnold, Perse, Andy (turned back early), Rob, Jed, Kamal, Jamil (got lost along the way), Fritz, Eric, Levi, Ron, Tony, Romeo, Nel, Irwin, Cam, Gio, Charlie, Jhonar, and possibly others.  Also, there were a bunch of riders from Adobo Velo as well as NDR (No Dropped Riders) from LA and 619 (Romeo also rides with them, I understand).  Jerry from LA, who I rode with on the Palm Springs Century was there, as was J.D. from last year's ride.  It took a while for everybody to show up ready to ride, and there were a lot of pictures as we got ready.  Then we started up 4S Ranch Pkwy to Lone Quail Rd, with me in the lead and others nearby.  My role, as I understood it, was to be out among the leaders and to help set the pace to be moderate but not extreme.  Over Lone Quail Rd to Dove Canyon Rd, where we headed downhill to Carmel Valley Rd for the first significant climb of the day.  It went okay, although I heard that somebody had a flat at the turn onto Carmel Valley Rd, so we were already starting to split up.  Over to Black Mountain Rd, staying straight and on down to Camino del Sur, where we turned left and rode over to the 56 bike path.  We headed west and I set the pace for the group of riders with me, a number of who passed me just as we got to Carmel Valley Rd intersection.  Then we rode to the cul-de-sac in the neighborhood and regrouped there for everybody to catch up.  Continued on to El Camino Real, setting the pace as we turned right and rode up into Del Mar Heights and then down into the flats.  Right on San Dieguito Rd, where those of us in the lead group formed a (fast!) pace line and motored over to the gas station before the next turn.  There we met Dan Winkle, who was out for a morning ride and saw us.  He rode with us up to and around Stud Loop before heading back.  We had an extended break at the gas station, and it was a chore to get everybody moving again, so I led out and then Aaron waited behind to encourage them to get going.  He then rode hard to get back near the leaders, he was a beast on this day.  Left on El Apajo and then to Via de Santa Fe to get to Via de la Valle.  We rode up to Stud Loop, Romeo passed me and I couldn't match his pace.  As we turned there, we stopped for a short break and then continued on with the lead group.  A pretty fast pace on this section, not scorching but requiring a significant effort.  Cam was riding hard to stay in the front to be able to man his turn at the end of Stud Loop.  Romeo caught up with me in the lead, along with another rider I don't remember.  As we made the turn there, the weather, which had featured some minor periods of very light sprinkles, got worse.  Up El Montevideo, it started to rain, and it made riding more difficult and the roads slick.  We rode up to Via de Fortuna and turned left there, a fairly small group including me and Aaron, as well as other riders Dan and Tim, who I met on this day.  It was crappy weather at this point, and I dropped my chain from the front chainring.  Was able to get it back on by shifting up and down a couple of times, but it was making an odd sound that stuck around for the next 10-15 minutes and then magically disappeared.  Our group missed the turn onto El Mirlo, where somebody pulled out from that street right in front of us, not cool in wet weather.  We got down to past San Elijo Rd before realizing we had missed our turn, so Aaron started heading back up to the turn and I continued on with the small group to try and get us back on terms.  Right on San Elijo Rd and then left on La Granada.  If I had taken a left there, it would have shortened the ride for us.  I picked the wrong direction and we ended up riding down to where El Mirlo came to a stop, i.e. our originally planned route.  There were riders there, and we turned around and joined them, heading back up the hill we had just come down (sketchy in these weather conditions) and eventually coming to Paseo Delicias and downtown Rancho Santa Fe.  It was steadily drizzling now.  We rode over to the little greenspace park near the downtown and had our next extended break, waiting for everybody to catch back up before continuing on.  On the way out from there on Linea del Cielo, I again led out, along with Rob, who had the next turn to man.  Other riders were with us but not too many near the front.  We rode up to Calzada del Bosque, turning left there and taking this fairly steep downhill.  It was me and J.D. only at this point, and I was extra careful going down, given the wet conditions and the poor road quality.  He and I rode together.  Back to El Apajo, where around the turn onto San Dieguito Rd Aaron caught up with us and motored to the top to be there to direct the riders.  J.D. also got out ahead of me and I couldn't match his pace.  I did okay, not great, on the 3 Witches climb, legs were still feeling in decent shape.  No stopping at the turn onto Camino del Sur, and I pushed pretty hard the rest of the way in, all the way to 4S Ranch Pkwy, which was my turn to direct traffic.  Nobody caught me from behind, although Jerry turned out to be not too far back, which I discovered when I got off the bike and started directing people to turn.  I was there for 15 minutes, maybe a little more, before I saw Perse, Rob and Gio indicating that the back of the pack had arrived.  Then it was down 4S Ranch Pkwy to the finish point.  Ann got there not too long afterward, and we loaded my bike into the back and parked by the school before walking over to where the food (supplied by Lutchi and Mary) and drinks were.  All in all, it was a good day, no major mishaps, just a couple of flats along the way.  We were fortunate, given the poor conditions during the latter part of the ride.

Avg speed = 16.7 mph. Total mileage = 46.8 mi

Avg power = 151 W. Weighted avg power = 179 W

Total elevation gain = 3110'

Avg heartrate = 130 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9770519171

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58265318143