In Other News

Damn Cute!

That's Trouble x 4

 

I got the pfizer, a my arm was sore for about 3 days....
But I also came home and did a hiit workout that afternoon... So I think the overhead presses may have impacted it a bit.

#2 tomorrow.

 

It's good to be fully vaccinated. No issues but a sore arm with the first pfizer shot. Second shot left me feeling sick for 24 hours with a low fever and body aches, but felt fine after that. Like others have said, I've never even gotten a flu shot before, but I have some family members with compromised immune systems and I've seen some healthy people with no preexisting conditions become very ill with the c-virus. Hopefully we can turn things around soon and get back to some kind of 'normalcy.'

 

It's starting to feel a bit normal out there. Bars which have been closed for a year have opened up again. They weren't allowed to open even with outside seating if they didn't serve food. SD County is opening vaccinations to everyone over 16 on April 15, hopefully it isn't difficult to get an appt.!

 

We were in SD this past week and was expecting restaurants to have more indoor dining options. Surprised to find mostly outdoor. Also when I went to REI they were really limiting in the shoe dept, "give me your cell # and will text you to come into the shoe area", with several numbered benches to sit at. It hasn't been that way at our Cucamonga store.

 

Adorable!

 

REI has been mad house because this has been their 20% off one item / spring sale week. I forgot and stopped in yesterday. Crazy lineup to get in, and again to pay. I don't think it is usually that bad. But this SD store has been pretty militant about counting number of people.

I think restaurants were only allowed to resume indoor dining early last week, so I'm sure it took some of them some time to adjust. They may have had to update permits or modify the interiors for better distancing. I'm sure there are some hoops to jump through so I'm not surprised not everything is open yet.

 

I'm flying into Gand Junction CO and driving to Montrose CO for work soon, and I just noticed that Grand Junction is a stones through from Fruita.
As I'll be going to the Montrose area fairly regularly for work now it appears that I WILL find a way to spend a few extra days to sample the Fruita goods in the near future. An I'll bet there is mtb'in near Montrose too.

New adventures on the horizon!

 

I've been eating indoors as much as I want and this weekend, ate at the Palace Saloon on Whiskey Row and for the first time since March 2020, even the employees were mask-less.

 

Lots of cool stuff out that way. First and foremost the Palisade Plunge should be open in June, a 35 mile'ish shuttle ride to rival the other big daddy shuttle rides like Monarch Crest, TWE, etc...Montrose has it's own big shuttle ride as well, The Whole Uncolada https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/7011029/whole-uncolada The finish on Lower Spring Creek is a blast. South of Grand Junction and outside or Delta & Olathe is the Sidewinder trails that are super fun too https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/4123674/sidewinder-trail

 

I've only seen one fox here and he was dead...apparently rabies is killing a bunch of them is what I have been told. We get two type of regular visitors.... deer and javelina.

 

What Mike said. Fruita is fun for a day but is one of the most overrated trail systems in CO unless you hate rock/tech. Lunch Loops and Kokopelli trails in Grand Junction are good as well with more interesting terrain. And the stuff down by Montrose is well worth checking out. Check into conditions because some of these trail systems are off limits when snow is melting or after rains. Hartman Rocks in Gunnison handles moisture best. Just ride what wherever you'll get the most hours riding in. If you're still visiting thru summer you need to skip all of that stuff and head to the goods in Telluride/Silverton/Durango area or Crested Butte.

 

There’s no good riding out there that can compare to endless Whiting laps!!!

I remember how much you hated Gooseberry when we rode out there in 07 or 08. Fruita’s like that but better, flowier and more varied. You’ll hate it. (Evil, winking, whistling, sarcasm emoji).

BTW - I consider Mack and Loma exits (Kokopelli) as part of Fruita.

 

This is good info from you and @mtbMike .
The factory is actually in Delta, so this might work well.
I'll know the situation next week and how flexible the schedule will be for the upcoming trips. Fingers crossed!

 

Yeah, the goose sucked....so of its like that it'll really suck*....

( *in a really good way )

 

Hate Gooseberry? I've never taken anybody there that didn't love it but I've read many opinions online of people who didn't like it. It's definitely a different kind of riding and not for everybody. A buddy was just in the area from Durango. He loved Prescott but hated Sedona. I can't tell you how many people stop me in Sedona and ask "where's the flow trails"?

@Danimal The Fruita/Grand Junction/Palisade area has something for everybody...
* Fruita has 18 Road which is the smoooooothness that @herzalot is referring to. I was told on my 1st trip there that they literally walked the trails and removed as many rocks as possible by hand. It's one of the only places I know that has legitimate black trails that are as smooth as a roller coaster rail (Zippity do dah). I've literally seen people walking down that trail in tears. It used to be pure, 12-18" singletrack on every trail but it's become too popular (even worse with COVID) and now there's lots of B lines and trails are 4-6 feet wide in many places. On the plus side, they've added some techier stuff if you like to get a lil' air
* Loma has the Kokopelli Trails which @evdog alluded to. Lots of variety and some great views. Check out Moore Fun is you want to work going up but get a kick ass, chunky down that goes what seems like forever
*Grand Junction has Lunch Loops which does have some trails *similar* to The Luge; maybe not quite as racy but much longer, techier and quite frankly...better. There's sooooo much goodness out there it would be where I hung out if I was a local.
* Palisade (just East of Grand Junction) has the Palisade Rim trail which I love but many others don't because of the exposure. As mentioned, the Plunge opens in June. @pdqmach26 is going to meet me out there when it opens for a test ride.

 

I think you missed the sarcasm alert. Dan LOVED chasing dots out there with me (over a decade ago now)!

 

I guess so.

 

I just received my first shingles shot. No way in hell I want to experience shingles again.

 

I just asked my doctor about it today. I will be getting one soon.

 

I had it once before, mild-ish case. 100% stress induced. Luckily not since. I've asked my GP about it, and I guess it's not a big deal to him as he didn't refer for the vaxx.

 

Yeah, I had a shingles outbreak last year and it wasn't so mild. I would describe the pain as having a sunburn over the worst case of poison oak you've ever had then having someone run a red hot cheese grater over that while being stuck with a cattle prod all at the same time. And that was on a good day. And since you have the same chance of getting it a second time as you did the first, I did not hesitate to get vaccinated as soon as I could. BTW, it's been almost a year now and I still have nerve damage in the affected area.

 

Yep that was a horrifying experience for me and my case wasn't as bad as I've seen in other cases. The thing that bugs me is the nerve damage in my skin. Just barely detectable where the scarring occurred but enough to remind you that it's there.

 

I will hopefully be getting my shingles shot exactly 30 days after my second covid shot...

Speaking of: hope all you over-50 OC peeps are signed up on Othena—it’s first come first served based on when you sign up...

 

Yeah, nowhere near as bad as that. Just a little above my hip on back and stomach. Burning pain, but minimal lesions. Was about 15 years ago, and luckily hasn't reoccurred!

 

Thanks for the reminder. I'll be discussing with my doc for sometime this summer. I had chickenpox at 18 months (back when chickenpox parties were all the rage) so I'm a prime candidate at age 59.

 

...migraines suck donkey balls...

 

Again? Sorry to hear. I hope you have some medication to shorten the episode or lessen the pain.

 

After years of waiting, I took the leap and got LASIK yesterday. Been wearing contacts for the past 20 years, (-6.00 and -4.75). Without lenses I was useless, could not even read a book at half an arms length away. Woke up this morning, amazing results already!

 

Good deal!