Wallowa Mountains

Trip recommendations, current conditions, and other trail related Q&A
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Water
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Wallowa Mountains

Post by Water » June 17th, 2008, 6:27 pm

Hello,

Planning our big trip for the year; 9 days - (which pales after spending 7 months on an AT Thru-hike in 2007)...
But unfortunately every year cannot be so glorious! We have the second week of August or the 4th week of September available and are trying to get some specific feedback, maybe from someone who has spent time in the Wallowa Mnts?

End of Sept. will be cooler at night, significantly less people, and the chance of snow dustings/a few inches? Early august may still be seeing some snow at the highest elevations due to a high snow pack there this year / more people.

We have no problem with slightly cooler weather, but would like to try to hear some more detail as to the chance of snow in late September and maybe even just some general information that I am missing.

Our second option is to do the 3 Sister's wilderness loop, but the Wallowa mountains just seem a little more unique in their own way?

Thanks a ton!
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drm
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Re: Wallowa Mountains

Post by drm » June 17th, 2008, 6:43 pm

I think that late September is very late for the Wallowas. It would have been bad last year given how early the rains and snow started - a lot more than a dusting. I would think that the second week of August should be pretty good. I would expect there to be some snow on the passes and sheltered area. But if those two times are your choices, August is the more likely. Unless they keep on getting snow. Even the towns in the valley, like Elgin, got snow last week. But on my way to Hells Canyon a few weeks ago, they rangers said that they thought they would be getting in to the high Wallowas in mid-July at the earliest. So August shouldn't be too bad, but maybe plan to avoid the highest passes if you don't like the snow.

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Don Nelsen
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Re: Wallowa Mountains

Post by Don Nelsen » June 17th, 2008, 8:00 pm

Late September may be a problem for you. I hiked in with a group of friends on August 30th, 1985 and on the evening of Sept. 1st (!) in our Ice Lake camp (7,900') we were hammered with three inches of snow, thunder and lightning -and ice pellets. We cut our trip short since we didn't get the tents up fast enough and all got pretty soaked and had a hard time getting a big enough fire going to dry our stuff out. Wood was hard to gather from under the snow, too.

On an earlier trip on the first week in September 1983, we had great weather but it was way below freezing every morning. On Sept. 4th, it was 17 degrees at our Long Lake camp.

Good luck and have fun but be prepared!

Don

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Re: Wallowa Mountains

Post by justpeachy » June 17th, 2008, 8:01 pm

I think that this year, the window between the snow being gone from last winter and falling again for next winter, will be very very small, if there ends up being such a window at all.

We went to the Lakes Basin at the end of June last year. Wouldn't have been able to do that this year! It is very popular and very crowded on weekends in late summer, I'm told, but exquisitely beautiful. The Wallowas are great!

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mattisnotfrench
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Re: Wallowa Mountains

Post by mattisnotfrench » June 18th, 2008, 1:29 am

Yeah, the Wallowas are amazing. The two times I've been there were both in August/early September and even then at some of the higher areas there were patches of snow. I fear how hard it will be for some people this year! I'd go in August if I were you.

Ice Lake is one of my favorite places in the world. For my money that's the best trail in Oregon from trailhead to destination: you have a nice stroll along a beautiful river, amazing views, two top-notch waterfalls, wildflowers galore and one of the most beautiful lakes in Oregon, set between the two highest peaks of the Wallowas.

Best of luck!
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Grannyhiker
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Re: Wallowa Mountains

Post by Grannyhiker » June 18th, 2008, 2:36 pm

I had the same experience as Don Nelson almost exactly two years later (late August 1987). The snow was preceded by a cloudburst that started just at bedtime. The next morning there was about 3" of snow on the ground. I learned a lot on that trip, about careful tent site selection and that a wet synthetic bag is just as cold as a wet down bag! It didn't help that my daughter said, smugly, that if I'd put the tent where she suggested, we wouldn't have had the flooding! We waited until noon in hopes of clearing (so we could dry out). It kept snowing, so we wrung out the sleeping bags and hiked out. Fortunately there were no stream fords, because the streams were almost triple the volume they were when we went in. The log bridge we had to cross, normally a long way above the water, was just barely above water. We later learned that it cleared up the next morning for an absolutely gorgeous Labor Day weekend. Aargh.

It appears that the Wallowas often get such storms close to the Labor Day weekend. They are similar in climate to the Rockies in that regard. September is fine and less crowded, but it is colder--well below freezing at night. Late September, in my view, may be pushing the boundaries. There will be a lot more people in August, but less chance of serious snow. Do be prepared for frosty nights at any time throughout the summer.

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Water
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Re: Wallowa Mountains

Post by Water » June 18th, 2008, 11:44 pm

Thanks for the many first-hand tips from folks! Thats what makes this website such a great resource. We put in our vacation days for the second week of August. I'm getting very excited, ordering the maps this week and we'll begin to plot out potential routes and ruminate on when the time does come. : ) We'll have 9 days to explore this very new type of terrain (for us)-woohoo!
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backcountryhunter
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Re: Wallowa Mountains

Post by backcountryhunter » June 20th, 2008, 7:23 am

No matter when you go this summer. Take lots of DEET!!

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Grannyhiker
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Re: Wallowa Mountains

Post by Grannyhiker » June 20th, 2008, 8:19 am

There are a number of great loops in the Wallowas described in Doug Lorain's two books, "100 Classic Hikes in Oregon" and "Backpacking Oregon." I like the former book better because some of the trips that in "Backpacking OR" are one-way trips (requiring 2 cars) are shown as true loops in "100 Classic Hikes." With gas going ever upward, it's just not economical to drive 2 cars across the state. And, of course, there's Fred Barstad's "Hiking Oregon's Eagle Cap Wilderness." If you don't mind paging through trip reports in the PH Archives (old site) (search won't work until the archives are moved over here), there are some excellent posts there that will have you salivating. Check August and September of 2006 and 2007.

Or you can plot your own loops on the map, which, IMHO, is more fun. Note that the Lakes Basin and the approaches to it from the Lostine River and Wallowa Lake tend to be more crowded. Incomparable scenery, though!

I want to go back there, but it looks as though it's going to be next year. I am committed to a week in Colorado so I'm planning another week in Wyoming's Wind Rivers to get more bang for my gas $$$$$.

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Water
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Re: Wallowa Mountains

Post by Water » June 26th, 2008, 12:19 am

Anyone have recommendations on maps for this? I ordered one of Eagle Cap Wilderness that is published by Geo-Graphics, and frankly it seems a bit too big to be useful for trail plotting/elevation things. Most of the 7.5 minute USGS maps seem 20 years old, but I suppose most trails and certainly elevations don't change..I'd be buying at least 4 of them, if not 6 to help plan a hiking route - there must be something less cumbersome than that.

The Wallowa visitor center was not helpful, and the 2 outfitters in that area I've spoken with refer to the Geo-Graphics map that shows something like a 30 by 40 mile swath or larger, which I have and don't find much detail on, trails wise. That book "Hiking in Eagle Cap Wilderness" has lots of trail information but it is all piecemeal - is there any good information on this area, map wise? The forest service web site says:
Maps and Additional Information

Several companies are producing up-to-date, detailed hiking maps of the Eagle Cap Wilderness. They are available through recreational and sporting goods stores in the towns of Wallowa, Enterprise, and Joseph. You can also purchase a map of this wilderness from the Forest Service offices throughout the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, from the Wallowa Mountains Visitor Center, or see the map order form.
When I contact the forest service # for Nancy Furgen or something the person I spoke with said that the Geo-Graphics map or the Wallowa-Whitman national forest map is what they can sell me, and what I can buy in the stores around there. Neither are up-to-date detailed hiking maps.. unless maybe my perception/expectation of hiking information is greatly distorted from having very detailed PCT and Appalachian Trail maps.

thanks for any advice.
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