Mile 1523. Both the road and the sky have cleared by the time we reach Bend, raising our hopes. In Redmond we stop at a grocery store for bagels, cream cheese, chips, and salsa. Munching on these we get on the road to Madras. Topping the final hill we see one kind of dark cloud over the valley on the other side. As we reach the Madras airport, a light rain starts falling. Word at the skydiving outfit is that no pilots will be flying today. We hang around taking pictures and digesting the news, hoping for some kind of alternative, but there is none but the open road.