First-class sleeping weather last night at 5,500 feet in elevation. After a quick exit from camp to escape the mosquitoes, I headed east and downhill on Hwy 138. The wind whistling past cooled me quickly - I got cold. Donning my rain coat kept me warm enough until the highway grade moderated. After 16 miles, I turned north on US Hwy 97, a major route especially for trucks. The wide, smooth shoulder kept me safe from the passing vehicles. Ten miles of level riding took me to Chemult where I enjoyed breakfast #2. Onward for 10 miles to Crescent where I found chocolate milk at a Dollar General. A lady standing ahead of me in inquired about my journey and paid for my chocolate milk. How sweet! It turned out that her son through-hiked the PCT in 2013. US 97 ran through pine forests, sometimes ponderosa and sometimes lodgepole. In places the forest was thinned or clearcut, presumably to reduce wildfire risk (see photo). Bitterbrush, a premier winter browse shrub for mule deer, accounted for much of the forest understory. I noticed lots of old, beater cars and trucks on the highway. They were part of an annual event, Gambler 500, geared toward cars old trucks worth less than $500. In La Pine, I got a shady, soft, grassy tent site and shower for $20 at the Highlands Motel and RV Park. After setting up camp and food shopping at Ray’s, I took a nap in the 100-degree heat. A short, easy day of 59 miles.
