Eastern Oregon - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 702

Eagle Cap Wilderness
Glacier-ripped valleys, high mountain lakes and marble peaks are some of the rewards
that long-distance hikers find on overnight treks into the beautiful Eagle Cap Wilderness,
nicknamed 'America's Little Switzerland. '
A major trailhead starts at the south end of Wallowa Lake Rd. One popular trail is the
6-mile jaunt to gorgeous Aneroid Lake , where you can camp; hike 2.5 miles further to
reach Tenderfoot Pass. A longer trek is the Hurricane Creek Trail , which provides access
to the Lakes Basin area (10 miles one way). Another popular destination is the Ice Lake
Trail , an 8-mile hike with spectacular views of surrounding peaks. Day-use fees of $5 ap-
ply to some area hikes.
For easier, organized hiking, consider using horses or llamas to help out. Eagle Cap
Wilderness Pack Station ( 541-432-4959; www.eaglecapwildernesspackstation.com ; 59761
Wallowa Lake Hwy) offers a variety of horseback trips, from hour-long rides to extended
pack tours. For llama excursions, contact Wallowa Llamas ( 541-742-2961;
www.wallowallamas.com ; 36678 Allstead Lane, Halfway) . It runs multiday trips in the region.
Go skiing in the backcountry with Wing Ridge Ski Tours ( 541-398-1980;
www.wingski.com ; 500 N River St, Enterprise) . It supplies guides and hut stays, though for the
latter you'll need to bring your own food.
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Hells Canyon
Over its 13-million-year life span, the Snake River, which neatly straddles the border
between Oregon and Idaho, has carved out the deepest river gorge in North America -
yes, at 8000ft from highest peak to river, it's deeper than the Grand Canyon (though not
nearly as dramatic). The river originates in Yellowstone National Park and ends at the
Columbia River near Pasco, Washington - running more than 1000 miles in total.
The prehistoric people who dwelt along Hells Canyon left pictographs, petroglyphs
and pit dwellings. The Shoshone and Nez Percé tribes battled for dominance along this
stretch of the Snake, with the Nez Percé winning out. Relics of the mining era, from the
1860s to the 1920s, are also found throughout the canyon, and tumbledown shacks re-
main from the unlikely settlement attempts of turn-of-the-century homesteaders.
Note that the Hells Canyon area, especially at low elevations, gets triple-digit temper-
atures from late spring through early fall; also, some trails can be under snow as late as