Wallowa Mountains and Hells Canyon - Northeast Oregon

[Rooster Cogburn]

Wallowa County in far northeast Oregon has no stop lights, more cows than people, and a person riding on a mountain bike is assumed to have had his drivers license recently revoked due to a DUI.  In contrast, a person on a horse is simply cool.

The 9000-foot-high peaks of the Eagle Cap Wilderness brood over Wallowa Valley and the topography drops even more precipitously eastward where Hells Canyon bottoms out at 1000 feet.  Seasons are defined more by elevation than by month.  Hells Canyon comes to life in April while the high peaks are socked in with snow until July.  After a summer of hellish temperatures, Hells Canyon again becomes habitable in the fall.

The weather, a greater than usual amount of potential energy in the form of gravity, and disappearing trails and roads make for true bikepacking adventure in the Wallowa Mountains and Hells Canyon.  The Forest Service no longer has much money for road or trail maintenance and Wilderness Area boundaries truncate some potential loop routes so bikepacking is ad hoc and unpredictable.  No one is going to find your carcass for a long while if things go badly. 

It is also beautiful beyond belief.

I left my home several months ago to follow a wonderful woman to the big city of Spokane, Washington, where I fume while waiting at stop lights, watch the park squirrels as a substitute for wildlife, and search out pockets of wildness among this squashed environment.  I miss my home and so put together this tribute to mountain bike adventuring in Wallowa County.  You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNGOneoj3H4

Drop me a note if you are interested in the best mountain biking routes in Wallowa County.

Rooster.

[CapitalNathan]

I dig it! I spent four years in Walla Walla, Washington doing to school and many of my best adventures took me to the Wallowas, just never on a bike. Skis, rock shoes and hiking boots were the only methods of transport I utilized but any trip to the Wallowas was a treat. Thanks for the video!

[timritter]

Hey Rooster, I know this is a long shot since it's been over three years since this post, but I'm hoping for some help planning a bikepacking trip in the Wallowas. Let me know if you'd be willing to help!

[Rooster Cogburn]

I'd be glad to direct you to the best spots in Wallowa County.  I now live in Hood River, the next best place for bikepacking.

[timritter]

Awesome! I see a stretch of the Western Rim NR trail and a stretch of the Imnaha Trail but that's about it. And a stretch of Lake Fork Crk Trl. And those are only allowed as out and backs. Are there some dirt roads or other trails that allow for some longer rides? Any other ways to access the Snake River? or the Wallowa River? Or any ways to get up high near Eagle Cap wilderness?
Thanks!!

[Rooster Cogburn]

The Western Rim trail was always on my list but I never got around to doing it.  I think it would be one of the best higher elevation rides in the area (snow until early July).  There is one short section that the Forest Service map shows as being in the wilderness (around Benjamin Spring) but that could be wrong because it also shows a double-track running through it.  All other sections of the trail that go through the wilderness have a double-track work-around.  You can start as far south as McGraw Lookout and follow double-track along the rim.  The double-track tends to be primitive throughout this general area.  Use satellite imagery to see if areas through old fires have trees across the route.  That area just north of Warnock Corral may be a grey area when it comes to wilderness.  In any case, enforcement is nearly non-existent.  You can go as far north as Lord Flat but don't try going further north down that trail to the Imnaha River!  Good way to die. Just backtrack and take the Hat Point Road down to Imnaha.

The route from the community of Imnaha, down the Imnaha River road, and then the last 6 miles down the Imnaha River trail is quite nice, except during the summer when it is hot as hell.  May is best.  You can extend this into a challenging loop back to Joseph (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/13374778) but it is a wild adventure.  Highly recommended though.  The best I've done in the area.  Again, a May trip. (https://wordpress.com/post/obscurus11.wordpress.com/1226)

The only ways to access the Snake River on the Oregon side is the Imnaha River road (skip the Dug Bar option, it is not that interesting), Jim Creek (although I heard this trail has now disappeared), or Cache Creek.  I've never been down Cache Creek but I've heard it is interesting and passible.  Jim Creek and Cache Creek would be out and back routes.

I haven't heard of the Lake Fork Creek Trail -- what is it near?

The Wallowa River offers only paved and gravel roads through ranchland in the valley.  Upstream of Wallowa Lake is wilderness.  There is a route from Wallowa Lake along dirt roads southeastward to Salt Creek Summit and beyond that is quite pleasant.  More of July or August trip.  This can be combined with a circumnavigation of the Eagle Cap Wilderness if you really want to get crazy (I probably won't do it again).

Let me know if you want advice about any other options.

[timritter]

Thanks so much for this!! Seriously really helpful. I spent a few days playing with different routing options and connections and it just looks pretty tough to string many different long routes together. That 100-mile loop looks pretty sweet though! 

Oh by the way, why will going past Lord Flat lead to death?? Of course that piqued my interest and immediately made me want to do it haha.

Thanks again!

[candrus]

Very steep and rocky.  Also, like most trails in the area, it isn't maintained.  To top it off, it goes into the wilderness area.  You could be the first person to pack your bike on your back along that route!

[timritter]

Ah I see. I think I'll leave that glory to someone else. Thanks!