Blue

Last night after my hostess came home she asked if I had gotten enough to eat. Trying to be polite, I of course said yes. She knew better. She asked if she set food in front of me if I would eat it, and being honest, I of course also said yes. She continued to put one item after another of anything vegetarian she could find, asparagus, cantaloupe, chips, icecream, beer, until she was finally satisfied I was fed. I wonder what it will be like to eat like a normal human again? I think I shall not miss having to constantly gorge as not to waste away, but actually find it a relief. It's a surprising amount of work having to eat so much (and this coming from someone biking mountains on a mountain bike).
I was again fed a good breakfast this morning (also provided cottage cheese pancakes to go), provided ample directions on where I was going (on paper, even, with a massive foldout map), and set out on my way to brave the Blue Mountains and 70+ mile trek to Walla Walla. But at least the weather was wonderful and the skies blue for the day's adventure. I've seldom had to make as much use of my GPS (paper maps are fine, but come on) as I did today, as I zigzagged east and west to make my way north along side roads, until I finally reached highway.

And upon reaching the highway, the climb up the mountains began. The grade could have been much worse (knowing from experience), but it was a long, constant climb that really started to wear on me after about ten miles. But I pushed on, lowered gear as needed, and refused to let myself taking any long rests or start walking. And eventually, sure enough, I reached the summit. There was a fair bit of down and then up again after that, but it was mostly easy going from there, and not long before I came to the final high speed race down the mountain into the farmland below. And it wasn't far after that to reach Walla Walla. As promised to myself, I made two stops on the way, one to buy a cold soda at a gas station in Milton Freewater, and another at Wamart in Walla Walla to buy what may be my last major groceries of my trip.

All said, today was not nearly as hard as I expected. I mean, I was only barely sweat drenched by the end, and I neither cried going up or screamed going down, so the Blues barely count as mountains. To be sure, they were less steep, way less high, and a fair bit less of a climb than the Big Horns (and there was no rain or windstorm even either!). So nothing doing. Of course, not getting cocky, the Cascades may prove another matter...

My very late notice hosts of the night, the man a childhood friend of my last host, who he contacted for me, are really great people. I know I say that with almost all my hosts, but well, it's almost always true. They live in a truly luxurious home on the outskirts of Walla Walla, are both retired, and keep themselves busy with impressive projects. She does lectures, he does impressive local wild life photography, and they both tend to their magnificent backyard garden that puts many high end city parks to shame. While making sure I got fed and all my needs met, he told me all about Walla Walla and its out of the way charm and brimming culture of the arts as though he were trying to convince me to move here. I was not at all surprised when he mentioned that he worked real estate. They're really great people.

Their son has long done work for the Democratic party. You might recognize the folks he's standing next to in the photo of a photo I took.