We then headed to Wallowa Lake and the tramway up Mt. Howard. Sign on the ticket booth said closed for the day. I was a little ticked. Barb, the cooler head, suggested maybe the sign was from the prior day. Sure enough, a phone call confirmed they would open at ten. Tickets are a little on the spendy side at $24 each for seniors, but we paid up and were soon on our way. Built in 1970, it was at the time the steepest vertical lift gondola in North America. A 150 horsepower electric motor drives a 19,300 foot cable supported by 25 towers up 3,700 feet in just under 15 minutes. Quite a trip.
At the top there are a number of trails offering view in every direction. We took several and the views of the lake and valleys is amazing. Barb opted not to take the trail to Royal Purple. I did. I counted 90 steps to the top, but once there it felt more like 612.
Later we passed on lunch and headed for Imnaha, a small town (actually a small wide spot in the road) east of Joseph. Dinner was back at the Embers Brew Pub.
Day five started early with coffee and a chocolate chip cookie before checking out. More of the $4.15 gas in Enterprise and then off to La Grande, passing through Wallowa, Minam, Elgin and Imbler. Very scenic drive along the Wallowa, Minam and Grande Ronde Rivers.
La Grande got us a quick breakfast and Starbucks. The next rest stop was in Ukiah, Oregon, which is the end of a great drive on highway 244. Heading south on US 395 brought us to Mt. Vernon and a much better price for gas. After that is was off to Redmond and home.
Good trip, great scenery and a few good beers. 1,041 total miles.
Wallowa Lake from Mt. Howard
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