Eagle Cap Wilderness

08/07/2022

Quick camping trip up Main Eagle…

07/03/2022

4th of July hike - 2015

03/15/2022

Dreaming of summer...

08/24/2019

Visible smoke from Granite Gulch Fire expected.



JOSEPH, Ore. — Aug. 24, 2019 — Warmer, windy conditions this weekend could create visible columns of smoke on the Granite Gulch Fire this weekend.



Fire managers say this is normal when a cold front moves into the area, and is not a cause for alarm. The fire's movement is being tracked by personnel on the ground and aerial surveys to ensure it stays well within established boundaries.



In the interests of public safety, an area closure was issued Friday by the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest for the area between Rock Creek Trail and Trail Creek Trail which drains into the Minam River, excluding Elk Meadows. The complete closure order, map and updated fire information can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6498/



Firefighters are stationed at key locations within the fire zone to guide helicopters dropping water and observe fire movement and intensity. Water drops are being used to slow the fire's spread and encourage its movement in desired directions.



"We don't want it to get into Last Chance Creek from the bottom of the drainage," Incident Commander Adam Winger said. "We want it to come down from the top of the ridge and tie into an old burn scar at the bottom."



Fire moving downslope is called "backing," and moves much more slowly, burning at a lower intensity, than a fire moving upslope.



Additional fire personnel were dropped into the fire zone Friday to assess the effects of the fire as it moves across the landscape. They also collected fuel samples to aid in fire behavior modeling.



Weather, fuel moisture, topography and other factors influence a fire's movement. Examination of the fuels samples combined with other data can provide a very accurate prediction of the fire's future progression.

08/23/2019

Fire Update:

No new news, which is good news, on the Granite Gulch fire that started three weeks ago. The lightning-caused 4,600-acre fire has slowed with recent rain and cooler temperatures. Some smoke will still be

08/04/2019

TRAIL REPORT: Thank you Everett Adams!

My dad and I just hiked in from Moss Springs to the Minam, down to Reds, and back out up the Little Minam to Moss.

Trail 1942: Hiked upstream along the Little Minam toward Lackeys until we were at the four way intersection. Trail was in good shape. No snow. Water even close to the top.

On day two, we hit the four way junction and went north along the Jim White Ridge Trail (1918). Our plan was to turn onto 1919 (Little Pot Creek Trail) and descend into the Minam. This was where things went sideways. 1919 descends away from the Jim White ridge into what looks like a popular outfitter campground with a spring. However here the trail fades out. An stock outfitter later told us he calls this "Mud Flat". We tried to find the Little Pot Creek trail, then found a trail which we followed. We later realized this was actually the Jim White Trail.... after going 4 miles down hill. We ended up bushwhacking from the Jim White down a drainage just below a spring and second hunting camp until we reached the Minam. This is not suggested as it was extremely steep, overgrown, and hazardous. The Jim White trail is also in bad shape - many downed trees, residual snow, no signage, and at many points in clearings it fades out completely and is hard to find again. We never did find the Pot Creek Trail I would not suggest trying either of these trails without a working GPS and a high resolution topo map. Based on the online trail map, it doesn't look like USFS maintains either of them.

We ended up camping at the Minam near Big Burn. The next day we took it easy and took trail 1673 Minam River Trail downriver until found Red's Horse Ranch. At least as far up as Big Burn, the Minam River Trail was in good shape to Reds.

We camped near Reds and hiked out to Moss Springs the next day. Nobody will be too surprised to learn the Minam Lodge trail is in pretty good shape.

08/02/2019

Interactive trail conditions map...

This map service depicts the summer trails accessing the Eagle Cap Wilderness and the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.

07/31/2019

06/24/2019

I haven't received any solid trail/road conditions yet this season...here's what they have listed on the Forest Service website. If anybody has any trail information regarding snow, accessibility, etc please let us know!

Please contact us with questions and comments. Information you share may be used to update trail conditions on the website. Thank You!

06/23/2019

Before and/or after your Eagle Cap Wilderness adventure...treat yourself to a little R & R!

Over a dozen vacation cabins available on the south shore of Wallowa Lake

06/05/2019

Here's a bit of pre-season inspiration...

Here is a short film of our amazing trip to the Alpine Lakes Basin region of the Wallawa Mountains. If you are considering your own adventure and would like ...

06/05/2019

The beautiful Wallowa mountains of Northeast Oregon. Encompassing over 2.3 million acres in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and including the 350,000 acr...