Would like to spend 5 Days Backpacking in the Wallawas

[ghsmith76]

My wife will be in a writers workshop on Lake Wallawa next week. I just retired last Friday so I am free to backpack while she is writing. I did a great Eagle Cap Loop back in 2014 but that was early August. I would love to trounce around the Eagle Cap area again, but I realize snow is going to be an issue. I can deal with snow, but I'm not looking for a snow trip. Plus my 21 month old dog will be accompanying me, but she seems to love snow. Do you think I could start from Joseph and have enough options for 5 days of backpacking?

[Aimless]

If you are willing to shunt onto lower elevation trails, like the Minam River, you should be able to find five days worth of backpacking, especially if you are OK with a base camp with forays to explore the general area where you set up. Or, you could do two trips from two trailheads. Any five day loop is probably going to put you into a lot of snow, still.