For as conflicted as I was only 2 days ago, making it to Mitchell more than made up for any misgivings I had.

Mitchell is a small town in central OR. Population around 130. It contains Pastor Pat. Pastor Pat is one of the kindest people I have ever met. He has a bigger heart than I can fathom.

Pat runs a hostel specifically for bicyclists because Mitchell is on the route of a big race, the TABR. He does it out of the generosity of his heart, having converted a doomed church in a small town into a refuge for travelers while taking care of the citizens of his town with more compassion than I have seen in anyone. This hostel, the "Spoke'n 4 Hostel" has everything a traveling cyclist could ever want: food, repair tools, Amish-handcrafted beds and nun-sewn quilts, two pianos, books and other materials, a straight razor shave, massage tools, etc, etc, etc. And it's in exchange for a suggested donation. Just a box in a corner, an invitation to pay what makes sense. I was so moved by the positive spirits here that I had to stay for another day. I had time to run chores with Pastor Pat around town and hear his unique perspective on the world. This was one of the most inspiring stops of my journey.

From my journal:

I usually like people who just ride bikes. I usually dislike people who just talk about bikes. People who do both can easily go either way.