A process for the production of a higher hydrocarbon from solid biomass, the higher hydrocarbons having an oxygen to carbon ratio less than the oxygen to carbon ratio of at least one component of the biomass feedstock, said process comprising: a. providing a biomass solid containing cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin; b. forming a stable oxygenated hydrocarbon intermediate product having a viscosity of less than 100 centipoise at 50°C, a diol content of at least 2 wt%, less than 2wt% of sugar, and less than 2wt% acid based on acetic acid equivalent, based on the intermediate product, and at least 60% of carbon exists in molecules having 9 carbon atoms or less by a process comprising digesting and hydrodeoxygenating the biomass solid in a liquid digestive solvent, said digestive solvent containing a solvent mixture having a boiling point of at least 40°C in the presence of a hydrothermal hydrocatalytic catalyst in the presence of hydrogen at a temperature in the range of from 150°C to less than 300°C at a pressure in a range of from 20 bar to 200 bar; c. reacting at least a portion of the stable oxygenated hydrocarbon intermediate product with an acidic amorphous silica alumina catalyst at a temperature in the range from 300°C to 400°C, wherein the acidic amorphous silica alumina catalyst has a BET surface area of greater than 200 m 2 /g, thereby producing monooxygenated stream containing water and monooxygenates having a boiling point of at least 40°C; d. condensing the monooxygenated stream to liquid phase producing an aqueous phase and an organic phase; e. removing at least a portion of aqueous phase from the organic phase to provide a condensed organic stream containing the monooxygenates; f. contacting the monooxygenates having boiling point of at least 40°C in the condensed organic stream with a strong acidic solid at a temperature in the range from 300°C to about 350°C and a pressure in a range from 500 to 1200psi (3,447-8,274MPa) producing a higher hydrocarbons stream containing unsaturated hydrocarbons including olefins and dienes. a. providing a biomass solid containing cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin; b. forming a stable oxygenated hydrocarbon intermediate product having a viscosity of less than 100 centipoise at 50°C, a diol content of at least 2 wt%, less than 2wt% of sugar, and less than 2wt% acid based on acetic acid equivalent, based on the intermediate product, and at least 60% of carbon exists in molecules having 9 carbon atoms or less by a process comprising digesting and hydrodeoxygenating the biomass solid in a liquid digestive solvent, said digestive solvent containing a solvent mixture having a boiling point of at least 40°C in the presence of a hydrothermal hydrocatalytic catalyst in the presence of hydrogen at a temperature in the range of from 150°C to less than 300°C at a pressure in a range of from 20 bar to 200 bar; c. reacting at least a portion of the stable oxygenated hydrocarbon intermediate product with an acidic amorphous silica alumina catalyst at a temperature in the range from 300°C to 400°C, wherein the acidic amorphous silica alumina catalyst has a BET surface area of greater than 200 m 2 /g, thereby producing monooxygenated stream containing water and monooxygenates having a boiling point of at least 40°C; d. condensing the monooxygenated stream to liquid phase producing an aqueous phase and an organic phase; e. removing at least a portion of aqueous phase from the organic phase to provide a condensed organic stream containing the monooxygenates; f. contacting the monooxygenates having boiling point of at least 40°C in the condensed organic stream with a strong acidic solid at a temperature in the range from 300°C to about 350°C and a pressure in a range from 500 to 1200psi (3,447-8,274MPa) producing a higher hydrocarbons stream containing unsaturated hydrocarbons including olefins and dienes.