RunAcrossTheUSA.com

[Matt]

This morning we caught up on some of our e-mail and took time for Brandon to write his lengthy post about our time in the desert. We were on the road a little later than usual, but still walked 29 miles today. About three hours into our travels, the Robertsons from Bend surprised us by pulling alongside us when we were by the Black Butte Ranch. These awesome people once again treated us like kings by bringing us lunch--Subway sandwiches and cranberry juice. As Brandon mentioned in his post, we really enjoyed talking to the Robertsons and very much appreciated everything they'd done for us. Before they left, they invited us to visit them again someday. Both Brandon and I can't wait to see them again.

We crossed part of the Cascade Mountain range today. That will be the last mountain range during this trip. The ascent was a long, steady climb of six miles.

For supper Brandon and I each enjoyed an MRE--meals ready to eat army rations--that the Fairfield sheriff gave us. We really liked the MRE that we had while in the desert; the MRE was a really good, tasty meal for lots of energy.

Tonight we are camping along the roadside in a national forest. The pine trees and cooler temperatures remind me of home in the fall. The temperatures are supposed to be in the 30s tonight. Although that is quite brisk, the cool air is a welcome break from the heat in the desert.

Our plan for the evening is to watch part of the Lords of the Rings, Return to the Kings on Brandon's laptop.

Brandon and I are setting a pace that will get us to Salem by Wednesday night. The Robertson's daughter and son-in-law have invited us to spend the night at their home. We are looking forward to meeting them.

Keep your posts and comments coming.