The temperature was forecast to be much lower today so I had a slower start and left a little later in the morning than the past few days. The ride today left Baker City crossing the Oregon Trail through wide open desert, and then dropped down to follow the Powder River.

Leaving Baker City the Blue Mountains tower over the wide open valley. The air is cooler, the sun is out, and the wind is still very gusty and strong. Powder River cuts a green ribbon through the otherwise desolate desert surrounding, the road runs in the valley directly adjacent to the mellow river and after crossing the ridge between Baker City and the river I mostly coast down for miles without pedalling.

Before we reach the dammed reservoir the valley opens up to more irrigated farmland with splashes of green, and the road crosses over Eagle Creek to a wide open valley with a small town.

There’s only one climb today, crossing up and over to Pine Valley and a town called Halfway. Towering over Halfway is a granite mountain range, the Wallowas, the only granite mountain range in Oregon.

From Halfway the road follows Pine Creek all the way to its confluence with Snake River in Hells Canyon. My campsite is here in Hells Canyon, and Snake River separates Oregon from Idaho, I can see Idaho on the other side of the river. The reward for the past two swelteringly hot days was a comparatively mild day for the ride to Hells Canyon, which went through open desert with no shade whatsoever.

Tonight will be my last night in Oregon, tomorrow I follow Snake River upstream for a way and then cross over the river and state border, and by the time I find somewhere to sleep I’ll be well into Idaho.