Iβm heading out to Joseph, OR and would love a local bar/restaurant to watch the UCLA game at! Thanks!
A couple of years ago, my partner and I I spent the Labour Day weekend in Joseph and the Wallowa Mountains. I was very excited to find out about the nearby ghost town of Cornucopia. It was quite a detour to get there but we were ultimately pretty disappointed by what looked more like a sad tourist attraction than an actual ghost town...
https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/exhibits/ghost/Pages/mining-cornucopia.aspx
Has anyone else been to Cornucopia? Did I miss something?
The best part was actually sitting on the backporch of the Cornucopia Lodge & Pack Station and enjoying a cold beer. The food was also amazing!
Where: Southern Wallowas, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Eagle Cap Wilderness Oregon
When: 7/23 - 7/24 2021
Conditions: Sunny up to 80 degrees, some smoke at lower elevation
Lighterpack: https://lighterpack.com/r/zoitvt
Overview: This route was based on the Douglas Lorrain trip in the Southern Wallowas, but instead starting at Main Eagle and after Echo Lake heading to Tombstone Lake, I started at West Eagle and ended at Main Eagle. My original plan was to take trail 1914 between Main and West to make this a loop, but after two separate people told me the trail was a mess, and not even being able to find the trailhead, I hitched instead.
https://caltopo.com/m/PM2M
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/AIzk4Tu
Day 1 - West Eagle Meadows to base of Wonkers Pass climb (2.15 miles, +400 ft)
I got to the trailhead around 7pm, earlier than I expected, so I attempted to knock out a few miles to make the climb up Wonkers Pass a little earlier tomorrow. Parking lot required a NW Forest Pass or $5 a day, and was pretty full, but I didnβt see anyone at the tent spots at the start of the meadows. I got 2 miles in, just after the second crossing of West Eagle Creek, and camped for the night.
Day 2 - Base of Wonkers Pass to Main Eagle Trailhead (21 miles, +6800, - 7200)
Woke up early to try to get up and over Wonkers before it got warm. The switchbacks up to Echo Lake are still in good shape, and much nicer to do before the sun hit me. Saw two tents at Echo, and the next climb to Traverse Lake was easier. If there is one reason you should do this trip, Traverse Lake should be it. Crystal clear and with a sand bottom near 8k feet, and only one tent up there. It was a little too early for me to get in there, so I continued up until I got to Wonkers, and saw the next valley, which contains Trail Creek.
The trail wasnβt in great shape getting down to Trail Creek, tread at the top could use some love and blow downs farther made me happy I was going down not up, but overall it was easy to figure out where you needed to go. Wonkers looks like a Sierra pass from farther down, i.e. very intimidating but the switchback on either side make it manageable. Trail Creek was flowing well, and from there I started the ascent up and over to Cached Lake. Climb was pretty unmemorable, except to see where I came from at the top.
Cached Lake made a good rest spot, but looked a little swampy so I avoided it as well. The descent down Main Eagle was beautiful, lotβs of meadows and wildfl
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