Portland to Winnemucca

[Sub-Urbanite]

I'm planning a trip from Portland to Winnemucca in May, and I've reached the "there's no easy wins" phase of route clinching on the way.

I've basically got three options, I think:

1. US 26 to Prineville, then OR 380 to Paulina, then (insert back roads here) to Burns (assuming things settle down out there by then), then down OR 205 to Denio. Time permitting, cross over to Thacker Pass to get NV 293 since I've already done OR 140. I have no mileage on 380 or 205.

2. I-84 to OR 206, which I haven't driven east of Condon, then down to Kimberly to hit OR 402, then down US 395 from John Day to Burns. Then, OR 205 / NV 140 with the Thacker Pass option.

3. I-84 to US 95, hitting either OR 203 and/or OR 237 outside La Grande and Baker City, then down US 95 (which I haven't clinched between I-84 and OR 78).

If you have so much spare time as to look at my map, it's at https://travelmapping.net/user/mapview.php?u=mojavenc&rg=OR

Thanks all...

Thoughts?

[Max Rockatansky]

Might as well go with NV 140 given it is a pretty nice highway and is tied to that whole Winnemucca to the Sea shenanigans. 

[Sub-Urbanite]

Might as well go with NV 140 given it is a pretty nice highway and is tied to that whole Winnemucca to the Sea shenanigans. 

I've done NV 140 a few times. One of my favorite drives and I won't be too sad if I can't make the Thacker Pass detour work.

[xonhulu]

1. US 26 to Prineville, then OR 380 to Paulina, then (insert back roads here) to Burns (assuming things settle down out there by then), then down OR 205 to Denio. Time permitting, cross over to Thacker Pass to get NV 293 since I've already done OR 140. I have no mileage on 380 or 205.

OR 380 is a fun drive, but east of Izee I've always driven the road to US 395 north of Seneca, which is all paved.  And US 395 south of Seneca is a very scenic drive. I've never taken the road that cuts directly between Izee & Burns, so I can't help you there.

OR 205 is a fun drive, and the county roads that extend it south to Denio are good. And you can sample one of the fabled milkshakes at Fields Station as a bonus (decent burgers, too).  I would think the flooding around Burns will clear up before May.

2. I-84 to OR 206, which I haven't driven east of Condon, then down to Kimberly to hit OR 402, then down US 395 from John Day to Burns. Then, OR 205 / NV 140 with the Thacker Pass option.

OR 206 east of Condon is pretty similar to the rest of OR 206. OR 207 south to Spray is a pretty drive through forests over the Blue Mtns.  OR 402 is a really cool drive through a canyon to Monument, followed by a winding climb up to Long Creek.  As far as scenery, this route is probably your best option for the Oregon part.

3. I-84 to US 95, hitting either OR 203 and/or OR 237 outside La Grande and Baker City, then down US 95 (which I haven't clinched between I-84 and OR 78).

Probably the least scenic option, imo. US 95 north of Burns Jct is a little more interesting than US 95 south of there, but that's not saying much.

If you want to pick only one of OR 203 and OR 237 to drive in its entirety, then OR 203 is a prettier drive than OR 237. If you'd rather drive parts of both, OR 203 between La Grande and Union combined with OR 237 from Union to North Powder is the original routing of US 30 between La Grande and North Powder, if you have an interest in seeing that.

Enjoy the trip!

[The Ghostbuster]

Here are the suggestions Google Maps provides: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Portland,+Oregon/Winnemucca,+Nevada+89445/@43.4066251,-119.9571071,846680m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x54950b0b7da97427:0x1c36b9e6f6d18591!2m2!1d-122.6783853!2d45.515232!1m5!1m1!1s0x80a05deb86299e29:0x8fc8f663c8039e26!2m2!1d-117.7357354!2d40.9728274?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDQwMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D.

[Sub-Urbanite]

1. US 26 to Prineville, then OR 380 to Paulina, then (insert back roads here) to Burns (assuming things settle down out there by then), then down OR 205 to Denio. Time permitting, cross over to Thacker Pass to get NV 293 since I've already done OR 140. I have no mileage on 380 or 205.

OR 380 is a fun drive, but east of Izee I've always driven the road to US 395 north of Seneca, which is all paved.  And US 395 south of Seneca is a very scenic drive. I've never taken the road that cuts directly between Izee & Burns, so I can't help you there.

OR 205 is a fun drive, and the county roads that extend it south to Denio are good. And you can sample one of the fabled milkshakes at Fields Station as a bonus (decent burgers, too).  I would think the flooding around Burns will clear up before May.

2. I-84 to OR 206, which I haven't driven east of Condon, then down to Kimberly to hit OR 402, then down US 395 from John Day to Burns. Then, OR 205 / NV 140 with the Thacker Pass option.

OR 206 east of Condon is pretty similar to the rest of OR 206. OR 207 south to Spray is a pretty drive through forests over the Blue Mtns.  OR 402 is a really cool drive through a canyon to Monument, followed by a winding climb up to Long Creek.  As far as scenery, this route is probably your best option for the Oregon part.

3. I-84 to US 95, hitting either OR 203 and/or OR 237 outside La Grande and Baker City, then down US 95 (which I haven't clinched between I-84 and OR 78).

Probably the least scenic option, imo. US 95 north of Burns Jct is a little more interesting than US 95 south of there, but that's not saying much.

If you want to pick only one of OR 203 and OR 237 to drive in its entirety, then OR 203 is a prettier drive than OR 237. If you'd rather drive parts of both, OR 203 between La Grande and Union combined with OR 237 from Union to North Powder is the original routing of US 30 between La Grande and North Powder, if you have an interest in seeing that.

Enjoy the trip!

So, starting to look like: Hit the wheat fields by Condon, then do the Blue Mountains grade out of Kimberly, then down 395 from John Day, hit up Fields for a milkshake, with the Thacker Pass option if I get to Denio by, like, 4. And save Paulina et al for another day.

[Bickendan]

Here's what I'd recommend:
WA 14. Finish that clinch.
I-82/US 395 across the McNary Bridge
US 730
OR 37
OR 334, with an optional diversion up OR 335 to Helix
OR 11
OR 204
OR 82
your choice on the OR 203/237 segment; if you go into La Grande, grab the missing segment of US 30
your choice here: Option A: OR 86, with a diversion and back track to get OR 86S, OR 413, and OR 414 around Halfway, a quick crossing into Idaho via OR 86, but then back south in Oregon along the Brownlee-Oxbow Highway to enter Idaho on ID 71
-ID 71
-US 95 to Payette; (A1) US 95S back into Oregon OR (A2) just stay on all the way to Winnemucca
A1: US 95S, OR 201, OR/ID 52 back to US 95

Option B: I-84 instead of OR 86
OR 201 for the whole length, grab US 30B in Ontario if desired
Divert for OR 452, 453, and 454 just south of Adrian (they're probably still not signed, so plan ahead)
Cross into Idaho via OR 201 onto ID 19
US 95 down to Winnemucca

This should get you enough clinch mileage to take 1st place in Oregon from me, btw

[Sub-Urbanite]

Here's what I'd recommend:
WA 14. Finish that clinch.
I-82/US 395 across the McNary Bridge
US 730
OR 37
OR 334, with an optional diversion up OR 335 to Helix
OR 11
OR 204
OR 82
your choice on the OR 203/237 segment; if you go into La Grande, grab the missing segment of US 30
your choice here: Option A: OR 86, with a diversion and back track to get OR 86S, OR 413, and OR 414 around Halfway, a quick crossing into Idaho via OR 86, but then back south in Oregon along the Brownlee-Oxbow Highway to enter Idaho on ID 71
-ID 71
-US 95 to Payette; (A1) US 95S back into Oregon OR (A2) just stay on all the way to Winnemucca
A1: US 95S, OR 201, OR/ID 52 back to US 95

Option B: I-84 instead of OR 86
OR 201 for the whole length, grab US 30B in Ontario if desired
Divert for OR 452, 453, and 454 just south of Adrian (they're probably still not signed, so plan ahead)
Cross into Idaho via OR 201 onto ID 19
US 95 down to Winnemucca

This should get you enough clinch mileage to take 1st place in Oregon from me, btw

THE BATTLE CONTINUES

My only complication here is that I want to get to Winnemucca in time for dinner, so by 7:30-8. Now, I can control the "When I leave Portland" variable on that buuut

[pderocco]

Here's what I'd recommend:
WA 14. Finish that clinch.
I-82/US 395 across the McNary Bridge
US 730
OR 37
OR 334, with an optional diversion up OR 335 to Helix
OR 11
OR 204
OR 82
your choice on the OR 203/237 segment; if you go into La Grande, grab the missing segment of US 30
your choice here: Option A: OR 86, with a diversion and back track to get OR 86S, OR 413, and OR 414 around Halfway, a quick crossing into Idaho via OR 86, but then back south in Oregon along the Brownlee-Oxbow Highway to enter Idaho on ID 71
-ID 71
-US 95 to Payette; (A1) US 95S back into Oregon OR (A2) just stay on all the way to Winnemucca
A1: US 95S, OR 201, OR/ID 52 back to US 95

Option B: I-84 instead of OR 86
OR 201 for the whole length, grab US 30B in Ontario if desired
Divert for OR 452, 453, and 454 just south of Adrian (they're probably still not signed, so plan ahead)
Cross into Idaho via OR 201 onto ID 19
US 95 down to Winnemucca

This should get you enough clinch mileage to take 1st place in Oregon from me, btw

THE BATTLE CONTINUES

My only complication here is that I want to get to Winnemucca in time for dinner, so by 7:30-8. Now, I can control the "When I leave Portland" variable on that buuut

C'mon, what's more important, eating or clinching roads?

[The Ghostbuster]

Definitely clinching roads!

[xonhulu]

My only complication here is that I want to get to Winnemucca in time for dinner, so by 7:30-8. Now, I can control the "When I leave Portland" variable on that buuut

Yeah, that itinerary would be a pretty hefty single-day trip.  If you end up opting for that "max-clinch" option, you'd probably want to plan on taking an extra day.

I can confirm that, as of last July, OR 452, OR 453 and OR 454, as well as nearby OR 451, were unsigned.  The best you get to see signage-wise are some bridge inventory signs:



Not sure what's going on with that 2nd sign.  It's on OR 452, which AFAIK was never officially designated OR 201S. And while it might have been hwy #450S at one time, the underlying hwy is now named Parma Spur #489.

I can also confirm that, as of 2 weeks ago, OR 334 and OR 335 were also unsigned.  But if ya wanna see more bridge inventory markers:



However, last year when I was briefly goofing around with GIMP to see how convincingly I could make some faux highway pix, I did come up with these two fakes:

 

The locations and other signs are legit; only the route shields are imaginary.

[xonhulu]

Forgot to add that it's been a couple years since I've seen OR 86S, OR 413 and OR 414, but AFAIK they are unsigned, as well.

[Sub-Urbanite]

Well, here's how it turned out.

I drove from Portland to Condon, then on to OR 207, clinching OR 206 (I'd previously done the segments west of Condon). Nothing terribly interesting – Columbia Plateau wheat fields.

I thought about doing 402 between Spray and Long Creek, but was starting to feel behind on time so went directly to John Day instead.

Took 395 south from John Day, and this was gorgeous mountain country and easy to drive. I expected a slower slog.

Got some lunch at a taco truck in Burns and went down OR 205 and associated country roads to Fields Station. Another really easy, really pretty drive, punctuated by a few slow-downs for cattle traffic jams. The milkshakes in Fields were overrated.

Took 140 over to US 95, and had the usual experience – "oh, I can see for 5 miles ahead and there's no cars anywhere to be found? Let's kick it up to 97 mph and eat some miles..."

I had thought about taking a gravel road over to Thacker Pass and doing NV 293, but chickened out, so instead I did NV 290 up to Paradise Valley. Pretty country, easy driving, but out-and-backs are so annoying when clinching...

[ClassicHasClass]

US 395 between John Day and Burns can get dreary, though. It's forest after forest and not a lot else. But pretty.

I do occasionally see OSP even out that far. Was passing by the Christmas Valley turnoff one day and they had nailed probably the only other car going south.

[kkt]

I had thought about taking a gravel road over to Thacker Pass and doing NV 293, but chickened out, so instead I did NV 290 up to Paradise Valley. Pretty country, easy driving, but out-and-backs are so annoying when clinching...

So how were NV 290 and Paradise Valley?  Pretty?  Road okay for a sedan?

[Sub-Urbanite]

Definitely OK for a sedan – well paved, wide shoulders. Pretty? Eh. Paradise Valley is really pretty, if you have time to stop in for a drink at the bar, seems like a good stop or a decent place to spend the night. The scenery around it was... Northern Nevada. One pretty mountain range and a bunch of low hills.

I had thought about taking a gravel road over to Thacker Pass and doing NV 293, but chickened out, so instead I did NV 290 up to Paradise Valley. Pretty country, easy driving, but out-and-backs are so annoying when clinching...

So how were NV 290 and Paradise Valley?  Pretty?  Road okay for a sedan?