This year it's very late snow in the Wallowa Mountains of Eastern Oregon.  I didn't realize quite how deep, however!

Rich posted this article and wonderful photograph in the Outdoors blog of The Spokesman Review, the local newspaper in Spokane, WA, on August 3, 2011:

Whiteness greets hikers slogging deep into Eagle Cap Wilderness

BACKPACKING — The photo above shows Jeff Lambert of the Spokane Mountaineers in the last weekend of July along with Mirror Lake and Eagle Cap Peak from Carper Pass — all popular backpacking destinations in the Eagle Cap Wilderness.

The shot is worth a thousand words and a lot of slogging.

The high backcountry in the Wallowa Mountains of northeastern Oregon requires hikers to be equipped for snow, including self-arrest tools.

Yahoo!  You'd think this was a photo from the Spring, not from August!  I'm thinking that there will still be snow from 2010-2011 when the 2011-2012 snow season starts again in September.

If you're planning your Eastern Oregon vacation to include some hiking in the Wallowa Mountains, consider using the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast in Joseph Oregon as a starting or ending point.  Nothing like a bit of pampering before or after the trail, especially this year.  And, we'll await your phone call to ensure you made it out of the mountains.

The Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast, just like most bed and breakfast lodging, is a small, independently owned business.  Once we retired from the US Army, Bill and I opened the Bronze Antler B&B in June 2001 because we wanted to own our own business and keep it a manageable size.

Sine then we have hosted guests from all over looking for an Eastern Oregon vacation spot.  We currently employ three fantastic staff members and are proud to provide local jobs.

And we buy local as often as we can from local markets, hardware stores, and other businesses.  And we blog about them too.

We recently learned of the "Independent We Stand" website and movement, encouraging the public to support independently owned businesses.   We definitely fit the profile and are listed on their site.

If you know of indie businesses your support, encourage them to list themselves on Independent We Stand--and remember that just a little bit of local partronage goes a long way to supporting a community!

Summer 2011 is going down as the year of late hiking in the Wallowa Mountains.  Seems like the late snows are affecting quite a few of the trails.  Last week one of our guests changed her plans about hiking to Ice Lake because the bridge was removed and the Wallowa River is too high for comfortable fording.  The week before that some of our guests hiked to Maxwell Lake, only to discover that it's still snowed in--and it's almost August!

I was reminded of this when I read this article at the East Oregonian website earlier today:

Posted: Saturday, July 30, 2011 12:05 am

Some Wallowa-Whitman Forest trails unpassable

If you're thinking about coming out to Wallowa Lake or Joseph Oregon for hiking in the Wallowas there are still plenty of places to hike.  We keep trail maps, hiking guides, etc. for our Joseph Oregon bed and breakfast guests.  And hopefully you won't need any snowshoes this summer!

The Wallowa Lake Marina supplies just one of the many things to do at Wallowa Lake in Northeastern Oregon.  Rent a motorboat, a paddle boat, canoe, kayak, rowboat, or the 21 foot pontoon boat!

Stephanie D. from Sacramento, CA, recently reviewed the Wallowa Lake Marina on Yelp! and had this to say: 

Wallowa Lake is a beautiful destination in North Eastern Oregon. The marina provides visitors with canoe, motorboat, kayak, rowboat, party boats, and paddleboats for reasonable prices. You can also purchase fishing licenses here for one or numerous days. The lake is also great to swim, play with your dogs in the water, or view the beautiful scenery and wildlife. The staff is very friendly and will be able to answer any of your questions. I hope you enjoy Wallowa Lake as much as I did.

Stephanie D. also submitted 15 photos of the Wallowa Lake Marina with her review.  The image displayed here is just one of them.

Our Joseph Oregon bed and breakfast guests often take a boat out for part of the day to enjoy views of the moraines surrounding Wallowa Lake, or maybe to get in a little fishing.  Plenty of lake trout and kokanee await you--some could even be world record fish.

If you'd like to contact the Wallowa Lake Marina directly, call (541) 432-9115 or check their very informative website at wallowalakemarina.com  They're open 8 am to 8 pm until Labor Day, then 10 am to 6 pm until they close for the season (sometime around September 15th).

Looking forward to seeing you at Wallowa Lake!

News you can use from the Wallowa County Chieftain!

The center section of the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway (aka Forest Road 39 or sometimes incorrectly called Oregon Highway 39) in Northeastern Oregon will be repaired sometime starting in August 2011.  The road is currently open but there are small sections that are gravel only--the repairs made in summer 2010 after the road was damaged during the 2010 spring runoff.  Next month that will change (finally!).

The 13 sections that will be paved are near the intersection of FR39 and Oregon Highway 86 and are in the seven miles between Lake Fork Campground and Highway 86 (at the eastern or Halfway end of Forest Road 39).

According to Mary DeAguero, ranger for the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, the work will take about 10 days and traffic delays will be up to 20 minutes.  The road crew is expected to begin work in mid-August 2011.

So, what does this mean for our Joseph Oregon bed and breakfast guests?  C'mon through--your Hells Canyon lodging will be waiting for you at the end of your scenic drive!

You just never know who's coming through the door when you own a bed and breakfast.  We often have artists stay with us when they're visiting Wallowa County and Joseph Oregon.

We recently hosted raku potter Boni Deal and her daughter Sarah for a mother-daughter Eastern Oregon vacation.   Sarah's leaving soon for 2+ years in Africa to teach elementary school-aged children.

We supplied Boni and Sarah with names of local potters they might visit including:
Jim and Anne Shelly of FireWorks Clay Art
Ted Juve of Olaf Pottery
LH Project

Turns out that Boni knows the FireWorks Clay Art from regional art shows but hadn't actually talked with them.  She really enjoyed touring their studio up on Hurricane Creek Road near Joseph. 

The mother and daughter had a great visit--did a little hiking in the Wallowa Mountains, toured downtown Joseph Oregon, visited Wallowa Lake--as well as visiting FireWorks Clay Art.

Perhaps we'll be able to interest her in the Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts, our juried art show in Joseph Oregon that takes place every year during the first weekend of June.

It doesn't happen often but every now and then we get a last minute cancellation.  One person's loss, but another person's gain.  If you need a room in Joseph OR this weekend for Friday & Saturday nights, July 1 and 2, 2011, have we got a room for you!

The Sawtooth Mountain Room is definitely one of our more popular rooms at the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast and suitable for a quick Oregon romantic getaway.

Private attached bath, queen-sized bed with luxurious linens, air-conditioning (though you probably won't need it), views of the Wallowa Mountains to the west and Enterprise to the north.  And don't forget the great breakfasts!  We'll even speak German if that makes your stay more comfortable (Heather will, Bill and Madigan won't).

It's all yours.  Too late for you to use our online reservation system.  Give us a call at 866-520-9769 (toll-free) or 541-432-0230 and we'll be happy to start off right your 4th of July Weekend 2011 in Eastern Oregon.

I have to say that I saw the bird before she did.  Here we are in mid-June and we saw our first male Lazuli Bunting at the feeder.  Haven't seen any females yet but they're not as dramatic as the males.

This is our first sighting of this bird since we started keeping track of what birds are coming to the feeder.  He seems to prefer the cracked corn mix to the sunflower seeds.

What a gorgeous blue color against the backdrop of snow on the Wallowa Mountains!

If part of your romantic getaway Oregon style includes birdwatching, swing by and check out this Lazuli Bunting.  Of course, we don't know how often he'll be here, but there are plenty of birds to see in Joseph Oregon and at Wallowa Lake.

If you're planning to attend the 15th Annual Bronze, Blues & Brews Festival in Joseph Oregon, there's still room at the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast.  The blues festival is held in Joseph City Park--only one block away from our Joseph Oregon lodging.  (Click on the widget for a sample of headliner Nick Moss & the Flip Tops.)

Anyone from Eastern Oregon knows that an Eastern Oregon vacation isn't complete without a cattle drive. 

Especially when you're in the middle of it!

Bill & I decided to drive out to the Zumwalt Prairie today to see what's blooming on the Nature Conservancy's land.  As we came through the intersection of Crow Creek Road and Zumwalt Road, the sign said, "Cattle Drive Next 14 Miles."  Hmmm. . .

At mile 12 or so, we found them.  Lots of cattle.  Lots of calves.  Lots of mooing by cows checking on their calves.  And a few stalwart cattle dogs, cowboys and cowgirls to keep the cattle on track.  One mounted cowboy offered to lead us through the herd so we could get on our way.  "Stay close," he advised.  One needs to know the proper etiquette around such matters.

Not far from Hells Canyon National Recreation Area or the Zumwalt Prairie.  Stay with us at the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast and we won't necessarily guarantee you your own cattle drive, but we'll point you in the right direction!

And Bill says we stand out in the herd (ha).

This last week one of our guests disappeared about 5:15 a.m.  Bill just happened to be up and heard the front door close, then noticed that one of the guest cars was missing from the bed and breakfast parking area.

Renee Bryant, our guest, was out in search of the elusive morning light.  Renee is a naturalist photographer and has put together a wonderful website of her images.  You'll find it at PhotoArtByRenee.com.  Lovely images of landscapes, nature up close, flowers and other images.  You can view her photo galleries here.  And puchase an image or two that pleases you!

Unfortunately her "transparent" images wouldn't allow me to share any of them here on the blog, but take a moment to view her work.

We're not quite sure just where she went that morning.  It could've been Wallowa Lake or perhaps downtown Joseph Oregon or even farther afield.  Hard to say.  But she was back in time for breakfast!

Well, part of the reason the Joseph Oregon hotels aren't as clean is that there aren't any Joseph Oregon hotels.  But if there were, they'd have a hard time standing up to the annual deep cleaning we do at the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast.

Every spring we take apart our guestrooms for deep cleaning--and I mean deep!  All the furniture goes out of the room.  Beds are disassembled and washed.  Rugs are rolled up, floors are washed down and the rugs are rotated before going down again.  Walls are washed.  Ceilings are vacuumed.  Are you tired yet?

Joanna and Gloria, our dynamic duo housekeepers extraordinaires, take the lead to ensure our Joseph Oregon bed and breakfast exceeds any hotel cleanliness standards.   And it certainly shows.  We're so incredibly lucky to have such an industrious team!

Spring is a great time of year for birdwatching in Eastern Oregon.  Many species are on their way back from winter in the south or just passing through on their way north.  And because we're so far east in Oregon close to Hells Canyon, you'll see the intercontinental birds that you won't necessarily find near the Oregon coast.

Bill put up feeders in the south garden last year so guests at breakfast can enjoy birds having their breakfast too.

Who's on the feeder this week?  We're seeing our first Black-headed Grosbeaks, both male & female.  The Western Goldfinch and the House Finch have been eating us out of house and home when it comes to sunflower seeds.  Downy (or Hairy--can't tell them apart) Woodpeckers drop by for a quick bit of suet.  Flickers are also suet fans.

Of course an Eastern Oregon vacation wouldn't be complete for birdwatching without a trip out to the Zumwalt Prairie.  Plenty of raptors and other species, plus the wildflowers are starting to bloom.  Guests of our Hells Canyon lodging are equipped with maps, binoculars and what-have-you for a visit to the Zumwalt Prairie.  Only about an hour away and Oregon's largest privately owned nature sanctuary--it's worth the trip!

We all know the look--dragging, dark circles under the eyes, somewhat sleep deprived--parents of young children sometimes need a break.  Thank goodness for two things:  Grandparents and the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast! 

We recently hosted a Pacific NW couple who were conveniently able to drop off the kiddos with the doting grandparents.  They made their way to Eastern Oregon without a specific destination or reservation, perhaps thinking they'd find some Joseph Oregon hotels or maybe a Wallowa Lake hotel, but instead they found us.

A quote from the room journal:

What a great overnight getaway for parents of young children!  Not only did we escape children waking in the night (and early AM)--we were completely pampered!  Thank you, Heather--sorry to miss you, Bill!--for a lovely stay and delicious breakfast.  We are so glad we stopped to inquire--we will definitely be back!  Best wishes to you both as you continue to share such a fun profession!   Many thanks-- J&E, Spokane, WA

Hmmm. . .I wonder whether the grandparents will be looking for a respite anytime soon?

Seems like every spring people start searching, wanting to know if the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway road between Joseph and Halfway is open.  Here we are after Easter 2011 and it's not yet open for the season--sometime in May is more like it.  This road is not plowed so the opening date is (among other things) weather dependent.

In late Spring 2010 the road suffered major damage in a few places from spring runoff.  The roadbed was repaired by Fall 2010 but not paved in those damaged places.  We're hoping that the paving will occur in Summer 2011.  You can see an interesting video about the repair here (one of my blog posts from last year). 

Does anyone have friends in high places?  Would you please convince them we need this road paved soonest?  And while you're at it, the rest of Forest Road 39 could use a new surfacing too!  This road, as remote as it is, is very important to Eastern Oregon travel and the communities of Wallowa Lake, Joseph Oregon and Halfway Oregon to name a few.

If you're planning your Eastern Oregon vacation and want to know the status of the road, give the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest office a phone call at (541) 426-4978 and ask the Visitor Center.  They are keepers of official word on the road.

In the meantime, please do check before planning to travel the center section of the Hells Canyon Byway.  We hate it when our incoming guests have to backtrack over an hour of travel time to reach Joseph Oregon!  And I'll keep my fingers crossed here at our Hells Canyon lodging that the road opens and stays open in 2011!

It's springtime in Eastern Oregon which means it's time to update the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast wine list and get ready for the summer visitors to Joseph Oregon.

We've added quite a few new wines to our cellar this past year and retired a few as our guests enjoyed them.  In your guestroom now you'll find our newly prepared list, featuring wines from Sokol Blosser, Argyle and Lange Estate Vineyards to name a few from Oregon.  There are also some very nice wines from L'Ecole No. 41 and Zerba Cellars in the Walla Walla, WA area.  And let's not forget Yakima River Winery and Terra Blanca Vineyard west of the Tri-Cities in Washington.  Rounding out the list are a collection of sparkling wines from the Alsace region of France (I just couldn't help it).

Whether you're packing a picnic wine for Wallowa Lake or ordering a fine sparkling for your romantic getaway, we've probably got a wine or two here for you. 

And there are always glasses and wine openers available in all of our guestrooms in case you'd prefer to bring along your favorite. 

You don't really think about vineyards and wineries near Wallowa Lake or Joseph Oregon.  We're at 4,200 feet of elevation with a short growing season (USDA Zone 5), so there isn't much happening with grape growing up here.

But this week we hosted Tim & Lori Kennedy, owners of Don Carlo Vineyard in Milton-Freewater at our Joseph bed and breakfast.  Milton-Freewater is less than two hours drive from Joseph on the way to Walla Walla, Washington.  I'd always thought of Walla Walla as a big wine area, but it turns out that Milton-Freewater is becoming one too!  Tim explained there are currently eleven vineyards in and around Milton-Freewater producing wines and hard cider.  If this area grows like Walla Walla, undoubtedly there will be more.

Tim and Lori are sending us some maps to the wineries, fruit stands and other agritourism sites of Milton-Freewater.  We look forward to giving them to our bed and breakfast guests heading north towards Walla Walla Washington.  It could be that Bill & I need to plan a little getaway ourselves and replenish our bed & breakfast wine cellar!

They didn't stay at a Wallowa Lake hotel--they stayed at our little Eastern Oregon bed and breakfast--and what a treat for us.  Education about more Eastern Oregon places to experience!

A lot of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is not for mountain bikes because the Eagle Cap Wilderness lies within the forest boundary.  But, there still is mountain biking near Joseph Oregon and inside the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.

Trailheads used are the Salt Creek Summit (south end)--19 miles from Joseph Oregon and part of the Redmont and Wagon Road Trail networks, and the Ferguson Ridge Snow Park (north end)--only 14 miles from Joseph Oregon and part of the Redmont Trail network.

Riding season in the Wallowa Mountains is typically mid-June to end of October (depending on snow), with trail clearing using completed by early July.

Routes range from 7 to 20 or more miles and vary from multi-use trails to single-track, with terrain for beginners, intermediate and advanced riders.  Some routes intersect so the beginner can reconnect with the advanced rider on the same ride.

We keep mountain biking-specific maps here at the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast for guest use.   Guests can store their mountain bikes in our garage (along with their road bikes, kayaks, etc.) for easy access.

When you're planning your Eastern Oregon vacation this year, think about some mountain bike rides in the Wallowa Mountains.  Plenty of views of the Wallowas and the Seven Devil Mountains across Hells Canyon in Idaho--and a great bed and breakfast to return to at the end of the day!

Even though there's snow in the Wallowa Mountains, the birds are singing and we're thinking about summer event weekends.  Chief Joseph Days starts Wednesday leading into the last full weekend in July in Joseph Oregon.  This year, that's July 27 through July 31, 2011.  Rodeo performances are Wednesday through Saturday nights.

And, this Joseph Oregon bed and breakfast still has plenty of room available during the week, plus the Mirror Lake Suite is available for Friday/Saturday nights!  If you've not yet been to a rodeo, plan your summertime Eastern Oregon vacation around this event.  Chief Joseph Days Rodeo is voted one of the best outdoor small town rodeos in America.

Summer Fishtrap takes place every July at the Wallowa Lake Camp and Retreat Center at Wallowa Lake.  This year the writing workshops are July 10-15 and the Gathering is July 14-17.  The brochures just went out this week to the Fishtrap mailing list and information's available on the Fishtrap website.  Registration opens on April 1, 2011. 

Here in Joseph Oregon (only 10 minutes away from the workshop site at Wallowa Lake), we have rooms available for the nights of July 10th through July 14th during workshop week.

So here's the special:  Book a 5-night reservation for July 10-14, 2011, at the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast and register for one of the Fishtrap workshops and we'll reduce your room price by 10%!  And if you choose to take your breakfast at the camp (not as involved as ours, but full of Fishtrap conviviality), we'll further reduce your room rate by $10/night.

If you want to attend Summer Fishtrap with a partner who isn't planning to attend, this special's good for you.  Your partner can have their own Joseph Oregon vacation while you're writing every day.  (We'll try not to pamper them too much.)

If both of you attend Summer Fishtrap but aren't keen on staying in the camp yurts or bunkhouse, you can skip the Wallowa Lake lodging and plan your week here in Joseph.  It can be hard mental work to focus for 5 days straight and you deserve a good night's rest in a very comfortable, air-conditioned, room on one of our fine mattresses.

Call us soon as we only two rooms left at our Joseph Oregon bed and breakfast for this special!