Tabasco and I were sure that a zero mile day in Bend, OR would be a healthy way of catching up on some calories and letting our worn out bodies get a break. I slept in for a little while but could hear Jumpback Julie and Tabasco talking downstairs and the smell of coffee got me out of bed.
Julie made us breakfast, a special treat from a fellow hiker. She really rolled out the red carpet for us! After breakfast we lounged around the house, did the normal gear cleaning and drying routine we're so used to, ate lots more food, did a load of laundry, watched some television, used the internet, made some phone calls, and studied the weather forecast for the Cascade range in Oregon.
In the late afternoon we ran some errands with Julie then found a great authentic Mexican restaurant to satisfy our persistent pervasive voracious appetites. After dinner we returned to the Donnelly hiker hostel (limited access for those who are well connected!) and we spent the evening watching a movie and relaxing with a couple cold brews.
We considered several options for tomorrow, but settled on a slackpack of 17 miles from the road crossing at McKensie Pass to the road crossing at Santiam Pass. Jumpback will drop us off, we'll head north, then she will drive around to the other pass and she and new dog Shaggy will take a hike southbound to meet us probably about 3 to 4 miles from Santiam Pass. Then we will hike together to her car at Santiam and Tabasco and I will continue north with our packs, hopefully getting in a full 30 mile day.
Our last zero mile day was thoroughly enjoyable and we really did need the break. Back to the trail tomorrow for the home stretch!
Weather: Mostly cloudy and cold in Bend, rain/snow in the Cascades, but we stayed dry and warm!
