In early October I spent five days in the John Day country. On the third day of the trip I journeyed to the Sheep Rock Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.

My first stop was in Dayville to buy gasoline. It might seem odd to drive almost 40 miles to get gas, but the little town of Spray where I was staying only sold regular unleaded and diesel fuel. My AMG SUV requires premium unleaded which is scarce in the sparsely populated John Day country.

The next stop was the Mascall Formation overlook, providing a grand view of 3,360-foot Sheep Rock beyond the Picture Gorge of the John Day River.

The top of Sheep Rock beyond Picture Gorge

Cathedral Rock

A Mascall Formation

Rabbit Brush in bloom

Reddish basalt rock above blueish-green John Day clay

Sheep Rock