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
BAKER — Downed trees block many trails in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest because of last’s year’s heavy snowfall and strong winds.
Forest trail crews and volunteers are working in priority areas but late snow and high creek crossings have made some trails difficult to access.
Many lower elevation trails in the Elkhorn Mountains are now free of snow, however blow-down from winter storms remains on several trails.
Visitors should use caution while traveling on unmaintained trails. Many high lakes are partially frozen and several trails remain snow-covered.
To check the most up-to-date trail conditions, visit the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/wallowa-whitman.
—Erin Mills

News you can use from the Wallowa County Chieftain!



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?
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.
Summer Fishtrap




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