Day 26: Hines OR - St Helens OR

This entry is short, because, well, read on...

"Ha!" exclaimed Mr Larrington.  "Burny fiery DETH hath thwarted me the last couple of times I attempted to check out the Aufderheide Scenic Byway but right now the US Forest Service says it's open so I shall at long last visit it!"  Things, however, started badly when the breakfast room was closed for cleaning right when I needed to refill my coffee mug.

Hines has a cool water tower thobut...

Retraced the route from the other week up US-20 for a bit before not turning off it to Bend.  Then this happened:

Tyres that look like this do not work as tyres but do make your hands filthy

The socket on the wheelbrace was chewed to buggery, meaning I could only loosen two of the five wheel nuts.  Attempts to contact Messrs. Thrifty were fraught, as my phone kept dropping its connection and then et all the remaining credit required for international calls.  After much faffage I'd managed to top it up when a Nice Man from the Deschutes Country Sheriff's department appeared, phoned Thrifty on my behalf, opined that the dead tyre was looking marginal on tread depth too, gave me three bottles of water and went on his merry way.  I didn't note his name but thank you, officer.

Resigned to a long wait it was a surprise when Bill the Strolling Spannerman appeared in his pickup truck, got the wheel off with ease, put the spacesaver spare on, gave me a jump start as the battery's condition was as shit as the tyre's and bade me farewell.  Six miles down the road to a branch of Les Schwab in Bend, where Nice Man Mark arranged a replacement duly fitted by Riley.  This cost me $300 so if Thrifty don't want to be subjected to the shittest reviews ever they'd better reimburse when I return their cranky old grid on Friday.

This palaver took four and a half hours so the Aufderheide Scenic Byway had to remain undriven because it's two hundred miles from Bend to St Helens and I didn't get here until 20:30 and I hate everybody.  I will try again tomorrow even though it means a massive detour.

Rugby League joke goes here ==>