Getting There is Half the Battle: Eagle Cap Pt. 1 tells of the first day in our backpacking trip to Eagle Cap Wilderness in the Wallowas in 2016.
My hiking plans for summer usually start happening during the previous summer’s hikes and for this hike is no exception. Last summer as my friend Elizabeth and I were finishing a section of the Oregon PCT, including a 30 mile dry stretch, we (she) vowed that was the last time she would attempt a hike that long with me and we promised each other a hike this year that would not be more than 50 miles and would be much, much more leisurely.
As in shorter days and pace, not necessarily on adventure.
I’m not sure how we settled on the Eagle Cap Wilderness in the NE Oregon area of the Wallowas, but we spent most of the winter and spring researching and planning our route. I had looked at few guidebooks but detailed maps were scarce (Green Trails comes out with theirs this fall, of course, too late for us).
I was offered some help by a reader (Mary, who has her own blog at mountainsskin.blogspot.com) of my TrailJournals blog who lives in Joseph, Oregon: the center of all things Eagle Cap. We gave her some logistics (50 miles, 5 days) and she shared her some of her favorite spots. Elizabeth finally found a map (a huge fold out thing) as she lives close to Oregon and the stores were more likely to carry it. She plotted us out a few possible loops with faith that I had picked a beautiful area in general and I drove down to pick her up with faith that we had enough information to have a safe trip. One of us had our faith rewarded.
Getting To The Two Pan Trailhead
This area is a 6 hour drive from Portland but a scenic one that follows the Columbia River and heads toward La Grande. You will see hillsides covered with amber waves of grain and green rows of prepubescent wine along side the deep blue ribbon of water as you make your way from the salty Oregon Coast side to this much more arid corner of Oregon. Thus the “Getting There is Half the Battle: Eagle Cap Pt. 1.”
I have to mention here that we stopped to eat in Pendleton and I had the most amazing burger at a lovely restaurant called Sister’s Café. Their portabello mushroom burger is to die for and made for a wonderful prehike (and posthike) meal. Yes, we went back afterwards so I could have another. The meat was SO flavorful and the juices from the mushroom (as a bun substitute) added all that much more. They do make a burger with the mushroom itself for those who don’t eat meat, as well as other meatless options like a homemade veggie patty.
It was almost surprising to see the towering dark mountains rise up from the farmland as we approached the small town of Lostine where we started the 18 mile long forest road to our trailhead. They didn’t seem to belong next to the open fields filled with tractors and haybales. Oregon never seems to amaze me with its terrain, the lava beds of Mackenzie Pass being my first introduction into more than the lighthouses and sandy beaches I was used to associating with the neighboring state to the south of me.
Our turn on Lostine River Road was marked by a small blue coffee and nut shop with a big blue banana out front. Hard to miss.
Okay, I will also add here that we did pass Lostine first and head into the cowboy town of Joseph because we hoped to get a better map at the ranger station there and check trail conditions. Unfortunately, when checking the hours we forgot to check the day and they are closed on Saturdays. Actually, it wasn’t that we forgot to check the day, we just forgot it was Saturday. Typical of people who have the summer off. Uggh. Well, at least Joseph was cute to see. Kind of like the town of Sisters by Bend or Winthrop, WA.
We eventually arrived at the Two Pan trailhead around dinner time, changed into hiking clothes, and ate the last of our car food. I also made the final loading of my pack and opted to throw in microspikes and down booties (as did Elizabeth). We knew there would still snow on the passes and although the day temperatures were hot, the higher elevation meant it could be cold at night. Because we were traveling slower, the luxury seemed worth it.
Checking the map, we decided to go in a few miles instead of camping in the spots available by the parking lot, which was incredibly full with cars. We would be heading in on the West Fork of the Lostine River trail for just a couple miles, and then making a right on the Copper Creek trail and seeing how far we got before we hit a nice campsite or it got dark. We opted for not taking the whole guidebook in with us, so I took a few pictures of the pages where we hoped to go for extra assurance.
We chatted gear and food with a few gentlemen setting up camp there as they were waiting for the rest of their group to arrive. They asked us where we were headed on our trip but I tend to be a bit vague, an old habit from hiking solo. They looked harmless enough but you never know.
Night One, Camping At Copper Creek
Our hike in was rather uneventful and the walk along the Lostine river was gorgeous. We only saw a few other people as it was later in the evening and they were headed to Minam Lake, which we were not.
At the junction for Copper Creek 2.8 miles in, we turned right and discovered some really nice campsites next to a meadow and the creek so we decided to call it a night and set up camp.
The bugs weren’t bad and the skies were clear. Temps were in the high range this weekend so I didn’t put my fly on and watched the stars come out.
I also hung my food, something that is not normal practice for me. I admit, after hiking the PCT I usually sleep with my food. I made a vow this summer, however, to get better at hanging my food. As in, better at throwing that darn weight and cord over branches high enough to make it worth it so that if I ever NEEDED to hang my food I wouldn’t look like an idiot.
I know I throw like a girl. A girl who can’t throw, that is. I need all the practice I can get. Surprisingly, my first (or second) throw was successful! Having already had dinner, we were off to sleep shortly after settling in, wondering what tomorrow would bring. Little did we know what adventure awaited us.
Getting There is Half the Battle: Eagle Cap Pt. 1 starts out like most backpacking stories, you can hear about our second day on Unfettered By Trail: Eagle Cap Pt 2 where things get a bit more exciting. If you would like to learn more about hiking this stunning area in general, visit my Eagle Cap Wilderness page.
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