Serious hikes, spectacular scenery put the WOW in Wallowa

How do you pronounce "Wallowa"?

"It's wal-OW-ah," said Joy Leamaster, a native of Baker City, Ore., after I mangled the name on my first attempt to utter it in the presence of a local. "Always think WOW."

Wow is right. The word can easily pop into your mind when you start wandering the trails of the Wallowa Mountains in Northeast Oregon, particularly the area's photogenic centerpiece, the 360,000-acre Eagle Cap Wilderness.

The scenic splendors of the Wallowas rate a bonus "wow" when I consider that I, after logging more than 8,000 career trail miles while tracking down the best views in the Western United States, had not heard of the range until just a few years ago.

Northeast Oregon, commonly associated with the lonely Oregon Trail and huge swaths of nothingness, tends to carry a badlands type of vibe. Big peaks? Sweeping views? Not in that corner of the planet.

Then in 2004, the year The Mountaineers Books published "100 Classic Hikes in Oregon" by Douglas Lorain, my eyes hit the brakes when I read this sentence in Lorain's introduction to hikes in the Wallowa Mountains and Hells Canyon region:

"The jagged, white-granite peaks, sparkling lakes, and wildflower-covered meadows of the Wallowa Mountains make this range one of the most beautiful in the nation."

In the nation? Lorain piles on in his next sentence: "In fact, there is so much outstanding scenery here that a lifetime would be inadequate to see all of its glories." Still, I thought, this is Northeast Oregon. I felt more inclined to say "how?" rather than "wow!"

Long drive, long hikes

Based on all of the above, I had to see for myself. Conclusion? Definitely worth the six-hour drive from Puget Sound. Now I just wish it were a few hours closer.

Any hiker who loves the silvery-white gleam of granite-dominated landscapes in California's Sierra Nevada range (best duplicated in these parts by the Enchantments) is likely to fall for the Wallowas.

I doubt I would tag it "America's Little Switzerland," as some hyperventilating local booster did years ago — even though the range's second-highest peak is a startlingly white, 9,828-foot protrusion dubbed the Matterhorn. Yet I would agree that the Wallowas are a visual dazzler. A local group is campaigning to elevate the Wallowa/Hells Canyon area to a national park or preserve.

Lorain describes several Wallowa-area trips in both his "100 Classic Hikes" book and his recently revised "Backpacking Oregon" (Wilderness Press). Yet the range presents one downside for casual hikers: Short day hikes (8 miles total or less) with big payoffs are rare in the Wallowas. Only two of Lorain's trips, for example, measure less than 10 miles.

So, to optimize a wilderness experience in the Wallowas, come ready to go the distance. A three-day trip at minimum is usually preferred to devote enough gawking time to the region's sights.

A lovely loop

I selected a five-day, 45-mile, up-and-down route that, with some variation, is found in both of Lorain's books: the Southeast Wallowas Loop (as he calls it in "100 Classic Hikes") or East Eagle-Imnaha Loop ("Backpacking Oregon").

While most visitors to the Wallowas approach the range from the north (passing through towns such as Lostine, Enterprise and Joseph), this trip starts on the mountains' southern flank.

I launched myself from the East Eagle trailhead (4,500 feet), where the East Fork of Eagle Creek drains out of a wide, granite-walled valley. You reach it after driving not quite 27 miles on dirt roads from a blip on the road map (translation: no services) called Medical Springs — itself 24 miles from Baker City.

En route, you'll pass a sign that identifies a clear patch of ground as the site where the 1969 film "Paint Your Wagon" (with Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin) was filmed. As the story goes, Eastwood took a few breaks during filming to explore the high country. Among some of the highlights he might have seen:

• The 9,572-foot summit of Eagle Cap, basically the Half Dome of the range. The walk-up summit, with a steep but well-defined trail, provides splendid, long-distance views to surrounding peaks, valleys and lakes. One visitor told me it appears as though each valley spirals out of Eagle Cap's foundation, then stretches out of sight in every direction.

• Glacier Lake, an island-dotted gem at 8,166 feet that spreads out below Eagle Cap in austere alpine beauty. Lorain believes the only lake in Oregon that rivals its natural aesthetics is Crater Lake.

• The hugely popular Lakes Basin, a circuit of a half-dozen forested lakes intermingled among tall peaks. From 8,500-foot Glacier Pass, views of the tree-studded granite basin can bring to mind Tuolumne Meadows of Yosemite National Park.

Wild, but not unknown

While the Wallowas may not be a universally known destination, they are not undiscovered. Portland is about three hours away, Boise a little less. The area's road-accessible major lake, large Wallowa Lake (inside a state park), made the cover of the August issue of Sunset magazine. The backcountry Lakes Basin, meanwhile, can attract sizable crowds, and horse traffic is extensive.

All the horse activity can chase away wildlife, but I spotted a black bear near the trailhead (he high-tailed it as soon as he spotted me) and about six deer. And if the scenery weren't enough, imagine this: Bugs in mid-August were almost nonexistent.

That fact alone is worth a wow.

Freelance writer Terry Wood is a content editor at REI.com involved with the site's library of Expert Advice articles. Reach him at farhiker@rei.com.

If you go

Hiking and more

Where

Trailheads into the Wallowa Mountains are approximately a 400-mile drive from the Puget Sound area via Interstates 90, 82 and 84.

From La Grande, Ore., go northeast on Highway 82 toward the towns of Enterprise and Joseph and northside trailheads. To reach southern trailheads, stay on I-84 and head to historic Baker City — or, for the trip described in the accompanying story, drive directly to Medical Springs via Highway 203.

Other attractions

The easy way to get a wilderness fix, sans backpack, is to ride the Wallowa Lake Tramway. It carries passengers to the top of 8,241-foot Mount Howard, near the southern end of Wallowa Lake. It is said to offer the steepest vertical lift for a four-person gondola in North America. Views up top are excellent. A few miles of nonarduous hiking trails can be explored. Cost: $20 per person.

A town worth visiting

The town of Joseph (pop. 1,054; www.josephoregon.com), named for a 19th-century Nez Perce chief, has developed into a tourist-minded artist enclave. It's the hub of civilized activity in the area.

The business of bronze sculptures, originating with Valley Bronze in the early 1980s (www.valleybronze.com), launched Joseph's transformation into a metal-worker's version of Sedona in northeast Oregon. Bronzeworks are a common sight in its pedestrian-friendly downtown district. The town has two foundries and eight art galleries.

Sightseeing by car

To see the region by car, drive the 218-mile Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, a loop that for Seattle-based visitors would start and end in La Grande (www.hellscanyonbyway.com). Inevitable side trips could lengthen the journey by 100-plus miles.

Where to stay

The restored Wallowa Lake Lodge, with rooms and cabins built in the 1920s, was listed among the top 10 lakeside resorts in the West by Sunset magazine (541-432-9821; www.wallowalake.com).

Camping is available at Wallowa Lake State Park (800-452-5687).

Map and guidebooks

Trail map: Wallowa Mountains/Eagle Cap Wilderness (Imus Geo-Graphics).

Books:

• "100 Classic Hikes in Oregon," by Douglas Lorain (The Mountaineers Books).

• "Backpacking Oregon," by Douglas Lorain (Wilderness Press).

• "100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Eastern Oregon," by William Sullivan (Navillus Press).

• "Hiking Oregon's Eagle Cap Wilderness," by Fred Barstad (Falcon Guides).

IF YOU GO

More information

Wallowa Valley Visitor Center: 541-426-4978; Wallowa-Whitman National Forest: www.fs.fed.us/r6/w-w; Eastern Oregon Visitors Association, 800-332-1843 or www.eova.com