hike leader who ever farted on a summit for our chance to do the same on Eagle Cap. It was a hot steep 4.7-mile hike with 1700 feet of gain along a clearly established trail without packs, so most of us ran back down to our camps by the lake. Day three found us up and ready for our trip past beautiful Moccasin Lake to equally stunning but very different Glacier Lake. Moccasin is a narrow greenwater lake surrounded by tree-covered slopes with a cool and intimate feel to it. The trail actually bisects the lake before heading up and over a shoulder. Glacier is a large, open, blue-water lake in a vast granite desert. Some of us took time to explore Glacier before moving on to Frazier Lake for our final night of the backpack; others went to find Prospect Lake before rejoining the group at Frazier for a last dinner together on the trail. Our last day on the trail was an 11-mile descent back to Wallowa Lake and another night in the campground for congratulatory beers and dinner. Most of us had breakfast together before heading back to town during the day. No danger of falling asleep on the drive home for us! A few things to know about hiking in this area: A Northwest Forest Pass is required for nearly all trailheads in the area.
However, no pass is required for the parking area near the power station at the Wallowa Lake State Park Trailhead to the west fork of the Wallowa River. A special permit is required for hiking and camping in the area; it is, however, free. The permit is designed to inform and to enforce lake-area campground and hiking restrictions. Groups are limited to 12 on the trail and further limited to 6 in the campsites. Several times we saw rangers enforcing the regulations in a friendly and affable manner. Camping areas near the lakes are clearly identifiable but can be limited during the busy season in July and August. I would do this trip again in a heartbeat, but I would also like to explore other parts of the Eagle Cap Wilderness. I want to thank Joe Whittington, Barbara Schulz and Bob Breivogel for their trips to and information about the area, along with Ted Scheinman and Jodi Wacenske of the Portland Nordic Club for sharing the Wallowas with me in the winter. I’ve learned so much from all of the above, and others. I try to get to the Wallowas twice a year; I’ve skied, backpacked, day hiked, and bicycle-toured through it, each more than once. Haven’t been there? Your first visit to the Wallowa Mountains can be a life changer, like arriving at the Swiss Alps after an eight-hour drive.
Clockwise, from top: Group on the summit of Eagle Cap: From left: Michelle Bright, Dyanne Foster, Gary Riggs, Amad Doratoraj, Barbara Schulz, Rex Breunsbach, Lynne Ludeman, Ralph Glenn, Laura Schaeffer; top back, Lisa Hughes. Not pictured: Brett Nair, Dan Smith. Photo: Brett Nair. Glacier Lake, Eagle Cap Wilderness. Photo: Brett Nair. Brett Nair cooling off in Frazier Lake. Photo: Gary Riggs.
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