The beginning of our trip L to R: Shane Rowley, Josh Rowley, Jayson Rowley, Me, and Kim Rowley. We parked our vehicles on Wednesday at the Wallowa Lake trailhead and began our 9 mile hike in. This is at roughly 4650 feet. We ended the day, 37 switchbacks later, at Ice Lake which is aptly named at 7880 feet.
Crossing the Wallowa River to begin our climb up to Ice Lake. This log was about two feet in diameter, 40-50 feet long, and suspended about 10 feet up over the river. To make things interesting it really got bouncing with all of us on it at the same time walking out of step.
Preparing dinner the first night. This was in the wind, between rain and snow flurries. I had all of three bites before I gave up and went to bed. After a failed dinner we crawled into our tents at around 7:30 to get warm and rest. We didn't get out of our tents until 7:30 the next morning.
Resting in camp on day 3, which was spent drying out bodies, gear, and doing laundry. There were no pictures of day 2. Day 2 we hiked down everything we had gone up the previous day. We then took a very circuitous route down a valley, across two creeks, up countless more switch backs, then into the Lakes Basin area of the Eagle Cap Wilderness. I'm going to guess it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 miles, and took us eight hours. I did the entire portion hiking alongside Kim (Jayson's dad) as the Rowley brothers tried a different more adventurous route. Kevin and Braxton joined us at the end of the day at Mirror Lake.
Taking a stroll after dinner. The peak in the background is The Matterhorn. It is not the tallest peak in the area, but it is the most prominent. With two trips to the Eagle Cap Wilderness area, it has been our goal to summit this each time. We're 0/2. Weather kept us off the peak this year.
Fires aren't permitted near any of the heavily used lakes. So on the last night we hiked out the requisite quarter mile and up onto a large rock outcropping. Thanks to Braxton's donated menu list, and a sacrificed plastic jacket by one of the Rowley's we eventually got the fire lit. The evening was spent sharing deep thoughts, insightful comments, profound ideas, and intriguing points of view.
On Saturday, our final morning, the sun finally came out to stay. This is looking at the Eagle Cap above Mirror Lake. The summit of which is 9570 feet.
Hiking out on Saturday down the valley of E. Lostine Creek. What I think is the best photo of the trip.
At the parking lot. We all arrived within 30 minutes of each other.
Out beasts of burden over the last four days. Seven grown men and their packs all fit in, on, under, over, and around the Explorer to get back to our vehicles and starting point at Wallowa Lake. Yes mom, we even laid down towels to keep our dirty boots off the carpet.
It was a great trip, and as always I can't wait to go back. Each turn in the trail revealed a new valley or lake where you could spend a day and never get tired of the sites. Saw some cool wildlife: mountain goats, mule deer, elk, and some salt hungry chipmunks.
