This will be a short post – since this is a cycling blog and we did no cycing today.
The helpful doc confirmed the diagnosis of probable fractured but not displaced ribs, which will heal in time and bad muscle damage. He also gave a big thumbs down to carrying on cycling over mountain passes as an aid to recovery (which was pretty obvious after yesterday). Our ever helpful insurance company told us they would cover the medical fees but nothing else as I was not in hospital – so we are not coming home early at their expense!
Then Wayne and Doris Heigel (friends of Tom and Carolyn Sullivan of Windthorp for avid readers of this blog) who we were due to stay with in Bend, Oregan in a few days became the cavalry coming over the hill. They invited us to stay and heroically drove over to Goverment Camp to collect us. So we will spend the next week off our bikes, with part of the time with them and part exploring this wonderful part of the country without bikes, and fly back as originally planned. Such wonderful hospitality from the great community of cyclists is overwhelming but repeats what we have already experienced.
We still plan to come back in September to complete the ride – as we always planned – but will do so from Government Camp and not Klameth Falls as per the original plan. All that is if – and it is a modest if – my back heals as anticipated. However it is already showing signs of being better for not being asked to cycle up 5000 feet passes – funny that!
The Slow Cycling Blog 
You pair just don’t do anything simple do you! Enjoy the enforced holiday just chill and heal and you’ll be back soon enough! Still sounds a blast and I’ll do my best to further Anglo/US relations on the cruise next weekend though the folks I meet will be a differnt bunch to the “real” people you have met on the trail. Look forward to swapping tales.
Thanks Dave. Enjoy the cruise and we look forward to catching up on your return. Am starting to imitate you on the beard front but this may not last my return. All the best, David
Thanks for the phone call David. I had not read the up to date blog fortunately or I would have been more worried. so glad you have found such good people to be with. Hope you make a good recovery and enjoy the last week off bikes!! Lots of love Mum and Chris.