I spent the last few days in Bend at a really cool hostel called Bunk+Brew. Walking in here straight off the trail is a dream, they have really cool people working there, good vibes, great showers and an awesome courtyard out the back with food trucks and a bar.

I hung out in Bend and made the most of the stop, exploring the local food and bars. While I was there I saw they still had a Blockbuster Video store, what a trip to see one still operating!

On my second day in town, Mango, Cook and Wow arrived. They were all exhausted from getting off trail quite late, so we made plans to catch up tomorrow. I spent the night at a brewery over the bridge from the Bunk+Brew then returned just in time for the hostel’s open mic and quiz night.

I met up with the others the next day, they were getting a ride up to Santiam Pass to walk around Mt Jefferson. I hadn’t expected to do this section because I didn’t think I had enough time, and I couldn’t see transport options. They also had travel arrangements to skip from Jefferson up to Mt Hood to buy back some of that needed time. They’d already organized the logistics so well, that it was easy for them to convince me to join. Ever since I’d first met these guys, before Kennedy Meadows South, we’d wanted to hike together as a group for at least a section, so now was our chance.

We went out to a sushi restaurant and visited two different bars in town. Afterwards, we walked along the river and got to see quite a lot of Bend’s green spaces on the way to the gear store.

I got back to the hostel late that night, but there were still people hanging around socializing. I stayed up very late talking with a few of the people there. The best way to stay in new places is in hostels like this one because you always end up meeting cool people with interesting things to talk about and good ideas for things to do in town.