I’ve been kicking myself since we left the campsite on the Metolius river yesterday. We drove for hours and hours, exactly what we’d told ourselves we weren’t going to do on this trip, looking for a place to camp. We checked sites all along the way, only to find most of them snowbound or “closed for the season” a phrase that I’ve come to hate. What season? Anyway, we finally found a windy ass site just outside the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. BLM FTW!

THE HIKE: From Mitchell, OR head East on US-26 30 miles. Turn Left (North) on OR-19 Watch for the pull-off in about 3.5 miles. There’s two trails here, we took the shorter trail that goes up the canyon for about a mile. The other trail is a several mile loop that circles around the hills.
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This morning we hiked up into the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, surprised to find some impressive mountains less than a mile in where the limestone is melting away into incredible green spires. Apparently they turn up fossils on occasion, but all we saw were replicas. Still, the geography! And barely a mile off the highway, and from the highway you can’t tell it’s there.
123After the hike we drove to Baker’s city. Scherzo showed off her mad loose leash skills and did tricks all over the main-street there. We found a place for coffee and lunch, Mad Matilda’s. They even have a dog treat dispenser outside.

treats

me n scary at matildas

Let it be known however, that they are wary of dirty kids. The transformation to hobo is quick, and with my chapped lips, dirty hands and torn pants they were a bit thrown off.

I went in and asked if they had internet, “yup, you can use that computer right over there” he gestured to the corner and a colossal PC.
“Oh, well do you have wireless?”
“Well..yeah, but…”
“Does it have a password?”
He was very confused now, “No, but..do you have your own computer?…your own laptop?”
“Yes.”
“Oooh ok.”
It all made sense once he realized hobos can have laptops too.

We finally got on the internet only to find out that the three spots we were planning to try and camp at were all closed or snowed in. So, I ran into a bookstore nearby and copied down directions to some hot-springs in Idaho. In a crunch we always say fuck it and head to hot springs.