Eagle Cap - Wallowa's

“Has anybody been up to the two pan trail head and hiked up into the Eagle Cap recently? I'm planning a trip there the 3rd week of July '08 and don't want to have to pack snowshoes.
last edited: 6/06/08 8:33:41 AM”

“See my post on the other thread about the Wallowas.”

“Kleetn, I admit that I'm sort of new at this thread posting business - all I find is a lot of funny stuff about YUMBLILICIOUS SQUASHED SQUIRREL POT PIE which has me in stitches... HA HA! Can you give me a little better directions to the Wallowa thread you mentioned?”

“try here:

http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread/37056,1.php”

“clint, may run in to you. a couple of friends and i will also be in the wallowas that 3rd week in july. we're starting out at East Eagle trailhead, tho. enjoy your trip!”

“Drat, I thought someone had located a unique cap (headwear).”

“Drewcd1 - It's been a while since I checked for new posts. Thanks for the note. We haven't officially picked our rout yet, kind of hoping to get some reports from other people on conditions. Is the East Eagle trailhead what you would recommend? I was thinking of starting from Two Pan. One of my issues is drive-time. We're coming from Spokane and need to be able to do the drive in one day going in and 2/3 day coming out.

Clint”

“Saw this post on another forum, dated Monday:

"Lots a snow down this way. Anything above 6,000 ft is still snowed in. Dangerous conditions everywhere I've hiked this past week. Camping on the Lostine River at a great spot. River and creeks are ripping with the warm weather.

We also started up to Maxwell Lake but got turned around at the first main stream crossing when one of the ladies was kind of spooked by all the water running across the trail.

Going to be heading in to Ice Lake for the 4th so we will see how all this hot weather is melting the snow. If anyone plans on trying to hike in plan on at least some snow.

Last note on campgrounds. The Forest Service just opened up Shady Campground this weekend. Had the chain saws out clearing out all the downed trees."”

“Thanks kleetn. I've been watching the snow level at the NRCS site you told me about previously. Lack of clear trails and dangerous fords have me wondering if I should be looking for someplace else to go on the 19th of July...? We really want to get into the Lakes Basin Management Area. We have never hiked the Wallowa's at all so we don't know our way around and if trails are still covered we could get lost pretty easy.”

“i've been keeping an eye on the snow as well, Clint. it's melting quite fast. the guy who published that post cited by kleetn published his Ice Lake trip report a day or so ago. he mentions that there was still some snow at Ice Lake (~7800ft, if I recall), but that the snow/ice had melted appreciably in even just the couple of days he was up there.

from all the data I'm seeing, it looks like the Lakes Basin area will be ok by next week. perhaps some occasional patches of snow, and almost certainly some left on north faces at higher elevations, but nothing that should completely mess with your trip. make sure you've got a topo map, just in case.

i'm still planning on going on the 14th (sorry, when you said 3rd week, i thought you meant next week), and heading out from East Eagle. if you're driving down from Spokane, you probably don't want to swing all the way around to there, as it's quite a ways south of where you're looking (i'll be coming from Boise). would add at least 90 minutes to your trip each way. you might want to look into the Hurricane or Wallowa Lake trailheads, but I suspect the hike from Two Pan will be free and clear by the 19th.”

“Drewcd1,

Thanks for the input. I was just in Boise for a soccer tournament so we got to drive all the way down around the Wallowa's. The view from Union was spectacular! We stayed with relatives in Cove on our way down so I played with my wife's TomTom and calculated the rout from there to the Main Eagle trail head would take 2 hours. Not something I was going to be able to squeeze in before breakfast.

We have decided on the Two Pan Trail for sure, now that the snow has receded so much. Should be a good trip and we I will try to post photos to Picasa as soon as we get back.”

“Update from a guy on a NW based forum:

"I returned from there the other day after spending 2 weeks hiking/camping in the Lostine River area. Everything is about 4-6 weeks behind a normal season from what I hear from the locals. There's still quite a bit of snow above 7,000 ft.

I hiked the Frances Lake trail last week and it was the most snowfree having a westerly exposure to scattered deep snow at 7,500-8,000 ft. The lake was about 1/4 open. It should be ice free now. I hiked part way up the Aneroid Lk trail and it's blocked to horses by a large avi at the 4 mile point. Zero horse people over the 4th, so this would be a good time if you don't mind some snow.

With last weeks warm temps and all the rain I was expecting lots a bugs, but they were almost a non issue. Deer are dropping fawns all over, so they are way behind too. This week was forcasted to be warm and sunny, so the snow should be melting out fast. All the rivers and creeks were ripping everywhere I went and were very difficult to impossible to cross. One of the bridges up the W. Frk Lostine is broken in half, so you can't do that loop. Do check for local conditions on any trail you do decide on. Most are just opening up or have had few hikers. Frances and Bowman Cr trails have been logged out. Nothing has been done on the East and West frk Lostine as of 3 days ago."”