I have had this starter for over 20 years, but I didn't want to bake recently because it's been so hot. I dried the starter, following your directions, and I rehydrated a few weeks later. I didn't want to use the oven or other heat to speed up the recovery process because it's 90 outside, which is why I haven't been baking! Nothing much happened at room temp (70) for a while. However, after 36 hours my baby (our daughter's description for the starter) is bubbling happily. It took a while but sourdough baking is about faith and patience.
I am told that this starter came from dough used as chinking to reduce drafts between logs in cabins in California 150 years ago. And I just saw somebody claiming to have reactivated yeast from thousand of years ago. So, I guess yeast is pretty resilient. Since we have been here in Ohio for many years, I wonder how much of the original Californian yeast is present. I don't care. It works for me and my friends.
Thank you for your guidance on drying. It worked. I would have hated to have to start another.

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