7/5 Halfway, OR-Close to Sumpter, OR 80 miles

Spent a great evening with the Colliers, my Warmshower.org hosts for the night. They were more than hospitable. Woke up in their home to real homemade waffles and strawberries from their graden.

Could not stop eating once again and was back on the road around 9am. Hopefully, the patched tube that I was able to get in place would hold for 55 miles into Baker City where there was a bike shop to get some more tubes.

Fantastic morning ride. All along I had been hearing that Eastern Oregon is not a place that I would want to spend too much time in. I was told to just put the hammer down and ride until Bend where the scenery gets interesting. Not true at all. Though arid, the terrrain was rolling with lots of rock formations and small canyons and the snow capped Blue Mtns in the background.

The wind was barely noticeable and the BUTT was feeling good so I just rolled!! I was having one of those many morning rides where LIFE IS GOOD!!

Met some more cyclists heading the other direction except this couple was on a tandem pulling a trailer. Recently retired and heading to Virginia.

Got to Baker City only to find out that the bike shop was closed for 3 DAYS for the 4th! Walked into a ice cream shop where the manager helped me call around town looking for road bike tubes to no avail.

So, the patch and one good tube that the Colliers gave me has to last the 4 days to Bend. Had about 55 miles in and wanted to get about 20 more to be able to make it to Bend in 4 where I wanted to take a day off and had another Warmshowers host lined up.

Had another great ride through the national forests up to a lake where there were campgrounds listed on the map. At this point of the trip, as long as I am eating and the BUTT is working, I can ride forever.

Rolled into the campgrounds unwilling to pay the $13 for a piece of dirt, Nick, the nice guy that he was, recognized that I was really tired and smelly and let me go down to the lake for a cool swim and then I would camp for free in the woods across the street.

What an awesome swim it was fully clothed and all! On my way out stopped by some family campers asking where to get drinking water. They gave me some bottles of water and Beth, the young mom, asked if I was biking around the lake. I said "just a wee bit farther than that." Her response, "O MY GOD, WHY?"

So after hearing my story they offered to feed the poor lad which I didn't hestitate to accept and spent the next few hours feeding my face with burgers, beans, potato salad, and smores with their two boys, Payton and Spencer around the campfire.

Slept well that night!