Wallowas, Sept. 1983 & Aug. 2015
Posted: September 6th, 2015, 5:04 pm
Back in '79, one of my brothers and three of our friends went on a Three Sisters backpack adventure and enjoyed is so much we decided to get together and head out to another area in another year or two. The stars didn't again align for us until 1983, but it was worth the wait. Careers, etc. got in the way over the years but we still were able to get together again in '85, '02, '06 and then, finally last month, we repeated the exact trip we took in '83.
Each trip over the years had a different mix of participants, too, and only one of us, yours truly, made all the events, now dubbed "Viking Camp".
This year's event was particularly important for my nephew, David, as he was among our group on our original Wallowas adventure at the age of eight and never forgot what a grand time he had with his uncles, dad and their friends.
We went to Long Lake, 12.4 miles from the Two Pan TH, stayed a couple of nights, explored the area then hiked to Sky Lake. We found a very nice camping spot at Sky Lake, explored some more and hiked out on the fourth day. 30.3 miles, 5,702' vertical in all.
Here are a few photos taken this year and a few I've tried to match from the same spots from1983.
About half-way there,1983. My brother, David, 34 at the time, on the right:
Same spot, 2015. My brother's son and my nephew, David, 40, on the right:
The Matterhorn as seen from near the highpoint of the trail:
The motley crew: Our friend Kevin, my son, Paul, my nephew, David and my Brother, Carl.
Swamp Lake, 1983:
2015:
Interesting tree along the way.
The upper reaches of the same tree:
Along the trail and nearing Long Lake, 1983:
I could not locate the exact spot the1983 photo was taken, but this is close:
My brother, David, at Long Lake, Sept 4, 1983:
Same spot, more-or-less, 2015 - a forest fire has altered the scene a bit!:
Our view from our camp, Aug. 7th, 2015:
Swamp Lake, 1983:
2015:
Eagle Cap from the trail in 1983.
A month earlier in the summer, the same view in 2015. Wow! serious snow depletion!
Our route:
All the photos are here:
http://www.fototime.com/users/donnelsen ... amp%202015
Each trip over the years had a different mix of participants, too, and only one of us, yours truly, made all the events, now dubbed "Viking Camp".
This year's event was particularly important for my nephew, David, as he was among our group on our original Wallowas adventure at the age of eight and never forgot what a grand time he had with his uncles, dad and their friends.
We went to Long Lake, 12.4 miles from the Two Pan TH, stayed a couple of nights, explored the area then hiked to Sky Lake. We found a very nice camping spot at Sky Lake, explored some more and hiked out on the fourth day. 30.3 miles, 5,702' vertical in all.
Here are a few photos taken this year and a few I've tried to match from the same spots from1983.
About half-way there,1983. My brother, David, 34 at the time, on the right:
Same spot, 2015. My brother's son and my nephew, David, 40, on the right:
The Matterhorn as seen from near the highpoint of the trail:
The motley crew: Our friend Kevin, my son, Paul, my nephew, David and my Brother, Carl.
Swamp Lake, 1983:
2015:
Interesting tree along the way.
The upper reaches of the same tree:
Along the trail and nearing Long Lake, 1983:
I could not locate the exact spot the1983 photo was taken, but this is close:
My brother, David, at Long Lake, Sept 4, 1983:
Same spot, more-or-less, 2015 - a forest fire has altered the scene a bit!:
Our view from our camp, Aug. 7th, 2015:
Swamp Lake, 1983:
2015:
Eagle Cap from the trail in 1983.
A month earlier in the summer, the same view in 2015. Wow! serious snow depletion!
Our route:
All the photos are here:
http://www.fototime.com/users/donnelsen ... amp%202015
My dad and his brothers used to go backpacking around that time and I was always too young to join them. I really wish I could've, now looking back. Awesome experience for David, for sure. And to repeat it years later! Fantastic! He's very fortunate.
