Wallowas - Mirror Lake and Eagle Cap - August 20, 2012

[retired jerry]

Since everyone else has done the Wallowas I had to do my part. East Lostine to Mirror Lake and then up Eagle Cap. I think this is the easiest route into the nicest parts of the Wallowas, but therefore there a lot of other people.

Drove up Lostine River to the end. Obnoxious gravel road possible with normal vehicle. 18 miles total. First 6 miles paved. Next 6 good gravel (with some washboarding). Last 6 potholes.

Walked up East Lostine to Mirror Lake. My GPS said 8.3 miles. Map says 6.5 miles? 2000 feet elevation gain. We camped next to Upper Lake, but there are many possible camp spots within 1/4 mile of the junction where the East Fork Lostine Trail ends near Mirror Lake. If you go directly over to Mirror Lake then you will be camping next to several other people. If you scout around a little you can find a spot that doesn't look directly into another site.

Walked up Eagle Cap. 2.5 miles. 2000 feet elevation gain. This is basically just a trail. Eagle Cap is 9595 feet, close to the highest peak in the area, Matterhorn, which is 9845 feet.

Walked around the Lakes Basin, down to Horseshoe Lake at the other end. 10 mile loop. maybe 700 feet elevation gain.

East Fork Lostine trail has two good bridges across the river:

Upper Lake. We camped to the North over-looking the East Fork valley:

Trail - half way up Eagle Cap, in the background:

Trail - just below summit:

Summit - this is not the place to go for solitude:

Glacier Lake:

Matterhorn:

You can see how hazy it was. Must have been forest fire smoke. Too bad, because there are such nice views.

Next day did the "Lake Loop". Eagle Cap from Moccasin Lake:

Looking down the East Fork Lostine Valley from our campsite:

On our way out the last day, looking up the Eask Fork Lostine valley at Eagle Cap:

[Barb Adams]

Was there a landslide on the East Lostine Trail?

thanks, barb

[retired jerry]

I believe there was a landslide on the East Lostine trail, maybe 4 miles from trailhead

Here is the remnents:

A small block of snow covered by dirt.

By the time anyone reads this and gets up there it should be gone.

I bet there was a large blockage a few weeks ago.

[Splintercat]

Nice, Jerry! Were those bridges over the Lostine inside the wilderness boundary...? Looking for precedents that might apply you-know-where...

-Tom

[retired jerry]

Bridges were inside Wilderness

It seemed like the Wallowas were better maintained than, say, Mt Hood Wilderness.

[Aimless]

If you want a precedent for sturdy bridges built inside wilderness areas, feel free to cite the bridge inside Eagle Cap wilderness that spans the Minam River and connects the Minam River trail #1673 to the Elk Creek trail #1944.

It is a rather impressive construction job:

Bridge over Minam River

[texasbb]

Thanks, Jerry! I was up there at the same time. We went in via Wallow Lake TH on the 20th, over Polaris Pass, over Glacier Pass, up Eagle Cap, out via the main Lakes Basin. Went up Eagle Cap on the afternoon of Wednesday the 22nd...what day were you up there?

[retired jerry]

Hahhh - we went up the 21st

We went around the Lake Basin the 22nd

Should have done Eagle Cap the 22nd when it was clearer

Did you walk up the trail from Mirror Lake?

[texasbb]

Hahhh - we went up the 21st

We went around the Lake Basin the 22nd

Should have done Eagle Cap the 22nd when it was clearer

Yes, you should have! There wasn't even a trace of the haze that plagued us the two previous days. The view was magnificent. (I'll post a few pics when I get them sorted out.)

Did you walk up the trail from Mirror Lake?

Yes. It was a little crowded.

[retired jerry]

I was camped at Upper Lake, just above Mirror Lake next to the trail going up to Eagle Cap so maybe I saw you going up or down