Awake before dawn and got away around 8:00 am.
Backtracked to intersection with NF-47 and turned north. My notes said this should take me 47 miles back to US-395 north of Burns. Off grid here so have to rely on written notes.
Pavement turned to a narrow recently paved road with an "abrupt" edge, meaning that at the edge of the pavement there was a 12 inch drop. No paint to mark the edge and anything from tree trunks to a 30 foot cliff to land in if you drop your front wheel over that edge. Eventually this gave way to 8 or 10 miles of horrible fine gravel on washboard. Eventually pavement resumed and immediately encountered 5 cows on the road (open range land). I herded them along for a bit until it looked safe to get by. Finally arrived back on US-395.
Most of the rest of today could be summed up as "pine forests, ranch lands, repeat." With many 5000 foot summits followed by steep winding descents thrown in. There's an awful lot of grasslands in northeastern Oriegon.
Fuel stop in John Day, OR.
Lunch at a Subway in Pendleton, OR.
Intended to find a motel in Kinnewick, OR but stopped in Hermiston at the first place I saw. Just hot and tired and didn't want to go on. Shower, wash clothes and plan the next couple days.
Pine forests...
