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[TR] NE Oregon- Spring Corn Luv 3/20/2004


gapertimmy

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Climb: NE Oregon-Spring Corn Luv

 

Date of Climb: 3/20/2004

 

Trip Report:

warning long drawn out chestbeating about to commence in t-minus 3.... 2.... 1.... we have spray lift off!

 

After securing the time off from the boss, making some last minute phone calls, gathering beta from cc'erz, and having my main homey 'cletus' agree to take care of the mutts, it was time.

 

It was time for a trip of EPIC proportions. It was time to venture off into the fields of corn, into the land that yeilds fertile teenage girls and some of the finest alpine love around; it was time to head to North East Oregon.

 

sat 03.20.04

skizzims and assorted gear is loaded in the family gaper mobile, the dogs howling in protest in the garage, and we are ready to roll out to destination 1: Anthony Lakes.

 

We took the super secret back route out to Les Schwab Land, and continued over the Ochoco into the scenic John Day basin. Perfect weather yielded views of the elusive Strawberry wilderness. I was a bit concerned to see the lack of freshish high on the slops of strawberry mountain, but we continued on. Took a neat little cut-off over hwy 7 just skirting the south end of the elkhorn mountains. The stoke levels reached a morning high when i spotted the first snow capped peaks of the range {8=D}, game was on!

 

The truck pulled into the base area of Ski Anthony Lakes just before 4PM. It was almost like stepping into a time machine at the small resort... single chair... kids playing in a big snow castle... old skool gear... peeps keepin it real, out there skiing just having fun. Stoked.

 

After a quick 2ish mile skin into Hoffer Lakes, we setup camp at the base of some fantastic peaks and a plethora of bowls, lines, and couloirs. Nice warm sunset, horsecock and cheese bagle whichies, and hanging with my favorite girl. I couldn't have been more happy!

 

sun 03.21.04

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daybreak from hoffer lakes

 

Morning arrived and with it came clear skies and warm sun. We set our sites for the saddle between Angel and Lee Peaks, a quick tour in the next basin over. The overnight temps firmed up the snow all tasty like, and an old skin track made the climb easy and enjoyable.... the views kept getting better as we skinned higher, I could see the cravin for corn growing on B's face!

 

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Becky skinning up the back ridge of lee's elkhorn peaks lookin tasty

 

At the top of our skin we sat down and marveled, gaped, and gawked at the beauty around us.... gunsight, lake's lookout, granite, wallowas in the distance, pretty skier girl all added up to a big corn eatin grinnn on my face.

 

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Lakes lookout ?, from lee's peak, resort is off to the right not in pict

 

It was getting warm so we ripped em and made some turns. Perfect corn on the eastern facing slopes, almost getting a bit too warm with rollers already kicking off our turns.

 

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sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

 

and becky after gettin sum more

 

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gettin a bit sticky, but still BIG smiles all around

 

The snow was gettin too warm so we had some fun tree skiin back to the lakes and campsite, and then just let it all hang out in the warm afternoon sun.

 

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dead sexy

 

The day was excellent. Fantastic. Bliss! This is what being in the outdoors is all about... being with your girl, in the hills, solitude, turns, and sitting in the sun... where's the beer?

 

mon 03.22.04

Did somebody say beer? After this excellent leg of the trip, it was time to treat my special lady friend like the princess she is wink.gif and at the same time having the finest brew in all of the NW, perhaps all of god's green earth... off to wallowa county for hopefully more skiing and some relaxin.

 

From tent life to bling life, our accomdations in Joseph: Bronze Antler B&B

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The Inn keepers Heather and Bill treated us like royalty, and was fantastic to relax, read a book, and stare at Cheif Joseph in the near distance.... ohhh and drink TG IPA.

 

tues 03.23.04

After fantastic breakfast (thanks Bill!) we headed out in search of more corn. I wanted to check out the sickness of fergi, maybe do a skin, but by the time we got there things had already really softened up. We decided to don the hat of gaping tourons and went up to wallowa lake instead. Did some nice hiking up nondescript trails, gained some elevation, and sat in the warm sun again. It was nice to just relax and take it easy, felt really damn good.

 

wed 03.24.04

Another fine meal and it was time to head back home to Bend. Non-eventful drive, and i'm back here to do some sprayin..... AND it is snowing in the cascades! Does life get any better? pinch me.

 

Thanks again to cletus for watching the mutts, and a very special thanks to the best backcountry buddy, Becky!!!!

 

congratulations fellow sprayers for actually reading this whole tr, give yourself a pat on the keyboard!

Edited by timmy
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A trip well worth admiring! I don't know how Becky beats off the hoards of girls that flock to your sexyness... good thing you where in the mountains when you posed in your skivies! shocked.gif

 

So the route through Granite was clear eh?

 

rockband.gif out with your HCL.gif out!

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fejas- we went through john day, and then hoped on hwy 7 which links into baker city. the road appraoching a lakes from the direct west still looked to be under a bunch of snow when we got up high.

 

the drive that route took us a tad over 5 hours from bend (with stops and not knowing where the heck i was 1/2 the time). Drove back the same way from enterprise in a tad over 6. quick route, but would be an interesting drive after a big storm

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You make me jelous! I lived in "The Big" for awile and skied up above anthony a lot. Instead of skiing the bowls between Lees and Lookout, go to the next bowl to the northeast, between Lees and Gunsight, this area is called angel basin and usually has better snow, there is also a short ice climb just above and to the right of the steep step entering the bowl from hoffer lakes. Alos the back side of Anthony down toward the NF John Day river is very good too! Some years the USFS rents out Peavy cabin in the winter way down in the bottom of the valley (NF JOhn Day) and you can get some great skiing in while at the cabin. And one more thing, don't even think about driving from bend to John Day and over the pass to Baker after a big snow storm!

shapp

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sweet, i'm going to have to check that out, thanks for the info. i was amazed with the opportunites out there, will have to make it an anual affair. yeah the drive over hwy 7 was pretty, but becky and i both commented about how much it would suck in a storm.

 

but really the drive out there is way to long to visit if you live in portland or seattle (hee hee)

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