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EAGLE CAP WILDERNESS Backpacking is glorious in the "Oregon Alps" By Zach Urness Statesman Journal MailTribune.com By Zach Urness Statesman Journal Posted Aug. 31, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Aug 31, 2014 at 6:22 PM By Zach Urness Statesman Journal Posted Aug. 31, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Aug 31, 2014 at 6:22 PM If you go --> Eagle Cap Wilderness: Ice Lake to Matterhorn In a nutshell: A difficult backpacking trip into the Wallowa Mountain backcounty, to spectacular Ice Lake and up the summit of the M... » Read more X If you go Eagle Cap Wilderness: Ice Lake to Matterhorn In a nutshell: A difficult backpacking trip into the Wallowa Mountain backcounty, to spectacular Ice Lake and up the summit of the Matterhorn, the mountain’s second-tallest peak. Length: 20.4 miles (16 miles round-trip to Ice Lake, 4.4 to Matterhorn summit) Climb: 5,517 feet (3,400 feet to Ice Lake, 2,117 to Matterhorn) Open: Mid-July to late September Permits: Must fill out a free wilderness permit Restrictions: No campfires around Ice Lake. Only camp at established sites, 200 feet from the water’s edge. Directions (to Wallowa Lake Trailhead): From La Grande and Interstate 84, follow Highway 82 east toward Wallowa Lake. Once you reach the entrance to the state park, veer left at the campground entrance and follow the paved road to a large parking area and trailhead. » Social News EAGLE CAP WILDERNESS — As we stood on the top of Oregon’s largest wilderness area, looking down upon mountains that spread across the horizon like rows of jagged teeth, we decided the only way to celebrate was swimming in a lake partly covered by snow and ice. From the moment we’d entered the backcountry of the Wallowa Mountains it had been hot, and during the 3,400-foot climb to our campsite at Ice Lake — and the even steeper trek to the 9,826-foot summit of the Matterhorn that morning — we’d been marinating in a cocktail of sweat, sunscreen and bug dope. And so, when we saw the tiny blue pool sitting in an alpine meadow just below the summit, still frozen around the edges, surrounded by wildflowers, with mountain views in every direction, we decided hypothermia was a perfectly acceptable risk for such deep refreshment. “Aghhhh! Crap! Holy (expletive)!” shouted my friend Andy Gonerka as he dived into the water and quickly began sprinting out. “That doesn’t even feel like water — that’s like swimming in ice cubes.” The discovery of Ice Cube Lake (our name for it) was one of those happy accidents of Eagle Cap Wilderness, a 359,991-acre landscape of alpine peaks, meadows and lakes in the heart of what’s known as the Oregon Alps. Home to 17 mountains that eclipse 9,000 feet and derived from the Nez Perce word for “land of running waters,” the Wallowas of northeastern Oregon offer what many consider the state’s best backpacking experience. The sheer size of the backcounty means exploring the entire thing — or even a fraction of the entire thing — is impossible during a single trip. Instead we decided on one of the area’s best adventures, the difficult but rewarding trek to Ice Lake and up the Matterhorn, a dramatic summit of white limestone and marble that at 9,826 feet is the Wallowa’s second-highest peak. It required 20.4 miles and 5,517 feet of climb over three days and two nights, but brought us through an area of wild rivers, waterfalls, wildflowers, multicolored mountains and, yes, tiny lakes as cold as ice cubes. The best part? We were saved from a treacherous storm by a bottle of locally distilled rye whiskey. That doesn’t happen every day. THE JOURNEY A trip to the Wallowa Mountains begins with a long drive into the splendid desolation of northeastern Oregon. The scenery ramps up east of La Grande along Highway 82, a winding road that follows the Grande Ronde and Wallowa rivers as they slice into canyons that gradually rise into titanic Wallowas. The small towns along this highway, especially Enterprise and Joseph, are worth a stop. They feature a cultivated art scene, craft food and brew pubs, music and history. We had everything we needed thanks to a grocery stop in Enterprise, but upon reaching Joseph, the last stop before the trailhead, we realized we’d forgotten something crucial: whiskey. Yes, yes, I know, getting hammered in the outdoors is a terrible idea. But I also know that on difficult backpacking trips, it helps to have a little flask of strong drink for post-dinner relaxation, and a small dab of whiskey and water is my preference. We were in luck. In downtown Joseph, Stein Distillery sells locally produced spirits. We bought a bottle of rye whiskey with the thought that buying local would bring us good fortune. It did. ICE LAKE Surrounded by the two tallest peaks in Eastern Oregon and filled with rich blue water, Ice Lake — 8 miles one-way, 3,400 feet of climb — sits in a multicolored basin 7,800 feet in the sky. The beauty, high elevation and close access to the Matterhorn and Sacajawea Peak make Ice Lake a perfect base camp for climbing the Wallowa’s two highest summits. But getting there is nowhere near easy. Beginning at Wallowa Lake Trailhead, the hike feels a bit like a frog being slowly boiled. The difficulty comes not all at once, but in a slow uphill grind that gradually sucks all your energy. The first three miles follow the roaring West Fork Wallowa River before a cutoff for Ice Lake Trail takes you across a log bridge and uphill. With heavy packs and boiling temperatures — we arrived in the middle of a heat wave — by afternoon we were drenched in enough sweat to fill a small reservoir. The view through sweat-soaked eyes was outstanding, though, full of meadows speckled with wildflowers like Indian paintbrush and bachelor button. The best spot was mile 5.4, where Lower Adam Creek Falls thunders into the canyon and Upper Adam Creek Falls can be seen in the distance above. The air felt thinner, and our legs heavier, as we climbed through the high county meadows and finally arrived at Ice Lake. We set up camp on the lake’s east side and spent the evening stuffing ourselves with beef jerky, dried fruit and freeze-dried spaghetti and meatballs, all the while enjoying the view of the mountain we planned to climb the next morning. ICE LAKE TO MATTERHORN For decades, the Matterhorn — 4.4 miles round-trip, 2,117 feet of climb from Ice Lake — was considered the tallest peak in the Wallowa Mountains and Eastern Oregon. It lost the title only recently, when a re-measurement showed that nearby Sacajawea Peak is 12 feet higher at 9,838 feet. The Matterhorn is a bit easier to reach because a climbers’ trail takes you within striking distance of the summit, but we’d also planned to bag Sacajawea, which can be reached by following the ridgeline at the top. We awoke to a perfect morning, bright blue and with just a few scattered clouds in the sky. The last weather report indicated nothing but hot sunshine. The Matterhorn trail begins from Ice Lake’s northwest shoreline, crossing a tumbling creek and heading uphill to a grassy meadow filled with blue wildflowers. Above, the route moves into the brightly colored alpine region above tree line. At 9,051 feet, we hiked below a massive U-shaped basin of swirling white marble with a teardrop pool among patchy snowfields. We stopped for snacks and spied a mountain goat in distance, making its way along the cliff face. The next push climbed a section of loose, crumbling, reddish-brown limestone — probably the toughest part of the climb — and over a ridgeline we got our first view of Ice Cube Lake, blue and sparkling among the snow in a meadow below. In the final stretch the trail disappeared as we worked our way up the marble of the Matterhorn’s summit block, reaching the ridgeline with panoramic views across the wilderness and finally the summit. From the summit, the Wallowa Mountains spread out in a wilderness of uniform spikes, of valleys and blue pools too numerous to place. Even with the gusts of wind, and despite being just below 10,000 feet, it was so hot that motivation for more climbing began to wane. “You know what sounds good?” I said. “A swim in that tiny lake, trying out that whiskey back at camp and a nap.” “The whiskey does sound good,” Gonerka said. And so we headed down the mountain — declaring victory on the Wallowas’ second-highest point — for a quick swim and relaxing afternoon. Almost the moment we got down to the shores of Ice Lake, dark clouds rumbled in, high winds picked up and it began to rain, and then rain a little harder, and even harder. It would have been a miserable and dangerous thing to be high on the ridgeline in that weather. We decided, after taking shelter back in our tent, that this was the first time in memory that a bottle of whiskey got us out of trouble as opposed to the reverse. By Zach Urness Statesman Journal MailTribune.com By Zach Urness Statesman Journal Posted Aug. 31, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Aug 31, 2014 at 6:22 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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