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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 2021)
B Saturday, January 30, 2021 The Observer & Baker City Herald Jayson Jacoby/Baker City Herald Looking south along Wallowa Lake, with Bonneville Mountain in the center. Photo was taken from a drone fl ying about 250 feet above the lake on Jan. 23. W ALLOWA W ONDERS ■ Even when ice makes mountain trails treacherous, there’s plenty of places to stroll around Wallowa Lake W allowa Lake is diffi cult to take for granted. But I’ve managed to pull off that feat. Among Oregon’s myriad lakes, it seems to me that only one — Crater — surpasses Wallowa Lake in sheer mag- nifi cence. But the margin is meager. I give Crater Lake the slight edge mainly because its water can conjure multiple shades of blue, depending on the whims of wind and cloud, that I’ve never seen anywhere else. Although I’ve visited Crater Lake at least half a dozen times, the uniqueness of the spectacle stunned me each time; it was as though I had neither witnessed, nor even conceived of, such a scene. The two lakes have quite a lot in common. Both could — and indeed, ON THE TRAIL JAYSON JACOBY both do — serve as geologic classrooms. The lesson at Crater Lake is volcanology. It formed in the igneous cradle created by the eruption of 12,000-foot Mount Mazama about 7,700 years ago. Wallowa Lake, meanwhile, could star in any lecture about glaciology. The lake lies in the trench gouged by a gla- cier that fl owed from the high Wallowas from around 40,000 to 17,000 years ago. That glacier dragged rocks and soil along its edges, and it pushed the same sort of debris ahead of its snout, like a dog pushing a ball with its nose. When the ice melted it left behind ridges of this unsorted material that mark the glacier’s margins, features known as moraines. The miles-long, smoothly sculpted moraines that rise above the lake’s west and east shores are among the fi nest examples anywhere of lateral moraines. At the lake’s northern edge, on the outskirts of Joseph, the highway was cut through the mounds that make up the terminal mo- raine — the glacier’s farthest downvalley advance. Driving through the ter- minal moraine and suddenly seeing Wallowa Lake isn’t quite so dramatic as walking to the rim of Crater Lake. The difference is largely a matter of scale. Crater Lake’s rim is a thousand feet or more above the water, a vantage point that accentuates the lake’s vastness. At Wallowa Lake, by con- trast, the highway is only 100 feet or so above the water. It’s still a stirring sight. The lake stretches 5 miles to the south and a mile across, the pyramid of Bonn- eville Mountain at its head, and Chief Joseph Mountain commanding the southwest- ern skyline. Every time I have this ex- perience I wonder why I don’t have it more often. I suspect there’s an ele- ment of irrationality in my relatively infrequent visits to this jewel among Oregon’s crown of natural treasures. See Wallowa/Page 2B Jayson Jacoby/Baker City Herald Frozen Knight’s Pond, with the high Wallowas in the background. The pond is part of the Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site just north of Wallowa Lake. Resolving to spend more time outdoors in 2021 OK, I don’t want to say that hunting and fi shing have eternal consequences, but since most people are going to break their New Year’s resolutions let’s at least make some temporary outdoor New Year’s resolutions! Here’s why I say this and am writing this article. I meet a million people every year who tell me they used to hunt a lot as a kid, used to fi sh a lot until they had kids, used to elk hunt a lot until their buddies moved/died and on and on the list goes. Or it may be as simple as you just moved to Oregon and don’t know where to hunt/fi sh. But what- ever the scenario, let’s make plans to get you back in the outdoors. I’m a believer that if something is the right thing to do, then do it right now. So with that said, let’s get started. JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH • ICE FISHING: Ice fi shing is relatively inexpensive. Buy an au- ger, a few ice fi shing rods, jigs, bait, Turkey Call, Montana Decoys and HEVI-Shot turkey loads. BASE CAMP • BEAR HUNTING: I love bear TOM CLAYCOMB hunting. To get a big bruiser it’s best to put in for one of the draws. hole scooper and you’re good to go. • MUSHROOM HUNTING: If As you get more into it, you’ll want a you ask why I listed mushroom gas auger. hunting then you’ve never eaten a • SNOWSHOEING: Great way morel. They’re the best fungi in the to get up in the mountains and hike world, second only to the truffl e in around. There are groomed trails or England. you can go hit the trails in your elk hunting haunts. And for sure throw JULY/AUGUST (Finally summer has hit in the mountains) in the fi xings to build a fi re and • BACKPACKING: What’s heat up some hot chocolate. •VARMINT HUNTING: Winter cooler than backpacking? You’re in varmint hunting is great fun. Buy the coolest country that God ever a FoxPro electronic call. You’ll also made, fi shing/hiking and having a blast. want some Montana Decoys. • FLY-FISHING: I know, many of • STAY HOME AND COM- you fl y fi sh year-round but now you PLAIN ABOUT THE COLD: Not can get up in the high country. I an option. can’t get there until after July 4. APRIL/MAY/JUNE (Seasons • HUCKLEBERRIES/THIM- start and stop during these BLE BERRIES: Wild berries are three months, check the regs). the best, whether you’re eating • TURKEY HUNTING: You’ll them as fast as you pick them, want to get a good call like a 4-Play making jam or homemade ice cream. You just can’t go wrong if a huckleberry is involved! • RAFTING: I’ve still got to line up a three- to fi ve-day backcountry fl y-fi shing rafting trip. My buddies catch a million fi sh. • FOUR-WHEELING: There are 50,000,000 trails. Four-wheeling is a blast. But be careful. I’ve fl ipped a four-wheeler a couple of times and it never turned out to be a pleasant experience! September. Everyone else is hunt- ing and I have the rivers to myself. Water levels have dropped, fi sh are congregated and I drill them. What more can you ask for? • ANTELOPE HUNTING: I love antelope hunting. They’re a cool animal. OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER (Showtime!!! Big game season is in full swing. This is why you live in Oregon) SEPTEMBER • DEER, ELK, BEAR, BIG • BOW HUNTING: Actually bow HORN, GOAT, BEAR ... HUNTING: hunting opens the end of August You name it. It is showtime and Or- but anymore I wait until the second egon is at her fi nest and is shining or third week of September when it in all of her splendor! gets cool and the elk start bugling. • WATERFOWL HUNTING: • GROUSE HUNTING: Grouse Many hunters live for waterfowl hunting is a good excuse to get up hunting. It can provide high-speed in the mountains and scout for elk/ fun shooting. deer before season. I am way out of room but there • BACKCOUNTRY FLY-FISH- are more activities to offer than I’ve ING: I’m a big bow hunter but listed above. Sorry if I didn’t get to the past fi ve to eight years I fi nd list your favorite activity. I didn’t myself more and more fl y-fi shing even get to talk about putting in for in the backcountry until the fi rst of drawings. We’re overblessed.
