[TR] Wallowa' - Eagle Cap Wilderness - 7/9/2012

[billcoe]

Trip: Wallowa' - Eagle Cap Wilderness -

 

Date: 7/9/2012

 

Trip Report:

Sort of not climbing as it was a backpacking trip, but I'll dig around later and post a pic of the nice wall I saw up there. - unnamed. Which doesn't mean unclimbed. Here we are on the easier (higher) of the stream crossings. I strapped my wife's pack onto mine so she didn't have to deal with it. Barefoot was kind of hard on the feet. Close to having the place by ourselves once we got to Echo lake up the West Eagle River.

 

[video:youtube]

[ScaredSilly]

Spent many days up there. Great country, surprisingly still lots of snow this year.

 

BTW when crossing a stream make your poles longer. And for a stream like that one facing up stream allows one to lean into the current while moving diagonally to the side.

[JasonG]

I disagree. When you have a fast moving stream, I always face the far bank and keep my stance wide (Larry Craig style). I used a single pole cross body (stout stick works better than trekking pole), with the end in the bottom below my DS foot. For me, this works much, much better than facing upstream, especially when faced with uneven footing.

[ScaredSilly]

That method works just as good, I should have noted it as well. Mostly making the suggestion to make future crossing more fun :-)

[billcoe]

Thanks for the tips Alan. I try to avoid those kinds of things so don't do that often. Need all th help I can get:-)

 

Here's my brother, we day hiked up to Traverse Lake (and on up to the pass you see on the left skyline) and the lake was just starting to unice. Have had a lot of good adventures over the years with him. Check out the camera shaking from the shivering at the end LOL!

 

[video:youtube]

[ScaredSilly]

Bill, you should see the things our dog does to avoid water. But as a ridgeback it is to be expected as they hate water.

 

Wow lots of snow still, I am really surprised to see that much at Traverse Lake. No wonder the Grande Ronde was doing so well when we boated it a couple of weeks ago. I wish we would have had some time after our trip to poke around.

 

BTW on the other side of that pass is Trial Creek and some very nice country that drops down into the Minam. I was quite surprised. Of course I was even more surprised 15 minutes after the pass as I about got stampeded by a herd of elk moving through. I was up wind and we met at a blind corner.

[beaconben]

Awesome Bill!