Mountain Biking in the Wallowas



Photo courtesy of Brian Sather, the Grizzly Ridge Trail near Imnaha. lagranderide.com/rideguide/mountain-bike/joseph

Mountain bikers who plan to do some riding in Wallowa County should check out the network of mapped, signed and maintained trails south of Joseph, which are promoted by the Wallowa Chamber of Commerce with maps and instructions. Trailheads are near Ferguson Ridge Snow Park, 14 miles south of Joseph, and at the Salt Creek Summit pull-out, 19 miles south of town. Riding season is typically mid-June to the end of October.



The Redmont Trail Area near Joseph, Oregon

The trails lie mostly within the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and include rides suitable for beginner to advanced. Bike riders will find a mix of single track, double track, and dirt/gravel roads that traverse forested terrain with several meadow openings that reveal views of the mountains.

A contributor to the in the mtbr forum says the Redmont Trail has "some decent tread for about a 14-mile loop." Another wasn't quite as impressed due to an undesirable amount of double track and overgrown roads. But from reading the Wallowa Chamber's website, it looks like more energy has gone into rider hospitality in recent years.

Even so, MTB opportunities are limited in the Wallowa area despite the profusion of wide open country and public lands. For example, no bikes are allowed on the trails around Wallowa State Park and much of the surrounding forest beyond the park is Wilderness. The beautiful grasslands of  Zumwalt Prairie north of town are also off limits to bikes.

Mountain bikers are naturally attracted to the idea of hauling their gear up Howard Mountain on the Tram on the south end of Wallowa Lake, but that desire is unfortunately not supported by the owners at this time.

There are a few other cool rides you may want to check out on the way to Joseph. The Elkhorn Crest Trail near Baker offers single track, and there are riding opportunities between Enterprise and the Grande Ronde River in the Sled Springs OHV area along State Hwy 82.

 
For detailed insights about these trails and other possibilities, check MTB enthusiast Brian Sather's Mountain Bike Guides for Joseph on LaGrande Ride Inc,

Do you need a gift idea?

Wallowa Chamber bucks are the gift that keeps giving locally

When there is someone you want to honor or appreciate, think local. Do you have special guests coming to town? Give the gift that uniquely says "Wallowa County" with a Chamber Buck gift certificate. They come in denominations of $10 and $25.

Recipients can spend the bucks around the county to acquire basic needs or treats. It's a 360 win. The recipients are happy, the businesses are happy, and the local community benefits when value circulates locally. That's a lot of  happy people, so why not head down to the Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce office in Enterprise today and trade some federal reserve notes for genuine Wallowa Buckskin Bucks?

From hanging floral baskets to massages, computer supplies, groceries, overnight lodgings, food, hardware, clothing, jewelry, art, fishing tackle, pet grooming, a quilt, propane, or even an espresso, there are many ways to share the love with Wallowa Buckskin Bucks.

Be sure to tell the recipients they have one year from the purchase date written on their bucks to redeem their certificates.

Wallowa bucks are gladly accepted at the following businesses, so check them out and let your gifting imagination run wild: (Look for campaign decals on participating storefronts.)

The list of businesses on the back of the bucks may become slightly out-of-date, so be sure to check the Wallowa County Buy Local Web page for the current list of participants.

• Alder Slope Nursery
• Anton's Home & Hearth
• Arrowhead Chocolates
• Backyard Gardens
• Bee Charmed Marketplace
• Bird Dog Signs
• Blue Mountain Computer
• Bronze Antler B&B, Inc.
• Cabin Fever Cafe & NW Marketplace
• Camerons Wallowa County Ace Hardware
• Carpet One
• Cattle Country Quilts
• Copper Creek Mercantile
• Deb's Apparel & Gifts
• Embers Brew House
• Enterprise Animal Hospital
• Enterprise Flower Shop
• Favorite Finds on Main - Antiques
• Joseph Fly Shoppe, LLC
• Joseph Hardware, Inc.
• Lamb Trading Company, LLC
• Longhorn Espresso
• M. Crow & Company
• Mad Mary's
• Marcy's Skin Care
• Mt. Joseph Family Foods
• Outlaw Restaurant & Saloon
• Phinney Gallery of Fine Art
• Pioneer West, Inc.
• Radiant Massage
• Red Horse Coffee Traders
• Red Rooster Cafe
• Ruby Peak Naturals
• Simply Sandy's
• Stein Distillery, Inc.
• Stewart Jones Designs
• Stubborn Mule Saloon & Steakhouse
• Sugar Time Bakery
• Tempting Teal Boutique
• The Blonde Strawberry
• The Bookloft
• The Dollar Stretcher
• The Peace Pipe
• The Sheep Shed
• The Sports Corral, Inc.
• Timber Bronze 53 LLC
• to Zion
• Vali's Alpine Restaurant, LLC
• Wallowa County Grain Growers
• Wallowa County Nursery
• Wallowa Food City
• Wild Carrots Herbals

Inspired by Historical Emergency Scrip

The present-day Buckskin Bucks were inspired by the emergency scrip that was printed on leather and issued in Enterprise during the Great Depression, when the county's general fund ran dry, but there were plenty of deer hides.

The original Wallowa County Bucks are collector's items that occasionally pop up online. As of this writing, one is for sale on E-bay for $225. Who knows -- maybe in 100 years today's Buckskin Bucks will be collectible as well.

Today's Bucks are part of the Wallowa Chamber's pragmatic year-round shop local campaign, "Think First Wallowa County." The program is sponsored by the Chamber, Community Bank, and Esprit.

Oregon's Alpinefest in the Mountains

Experience the fun of Swiss-Bavarian Alpine culture against the breathtaking backdrop of northeast Oregon's Wallowa Mountains, a.k.a. Little Switzerland, Sept 27 to Oct 1, with four days of accordions, polkas, lederhosen, alpenhorns, bratwurst, bier trinken, and of course, yodeling at Oregon's Alpenfest 2017.

Heidi the Movie

Not feeling Bavarian yet? Get in the Alpenfest mood at the OK Theater in Enterprise, OR, Wednesday, Sept 27, with the new version of "Heidi." Doors open 5:30 p.m., film at 6. $5 adults and teens, $1 kids unless dressed in costume, then free admission.

Oregon Alpenfest Schedule

Opening Ceremony in Enterprise

 

Don the dirndles and lederhosen on Thursday for the procession and opening ceremony of Oregon Alpenfest downtown Enterprise at 4 pm. Then head to Terminal Gravity for the official tapping of the first keg of Alpenfest Beer, with more accordians and yodeling, which becomes increasingly more fun as greater quantities of beer are consumed.

Art, Music and Dance at Edewlweiss Inn

Alpen festivities move to the Edelweiss Inn at Wallowa Lake on Friday, where the Alpine Art Fair, polka lessons, Tirolean dancers, music, and of course, more yodeling start at noon.

Frühstück und Schwingen

An Alpine breakfast is available at the Alpine Inn at Wallowa Lake, Saturday morning, starting at 8 a.m. Don't miss the demonstration of Swiss folk wrestling (Schwingen) at 11:30 a.m.

 The Main Event

The Alpenshow at Edelweiss Inn runs from 1 to 11 pm with much beer drinking, dancing, yodeling, and free waltz lessons at 5 p.m.

Accordions all Day 

 

Meanwhile, the sound of accordions will fill the air in downtown Joseph through the day between 10 am and 2 pm at the Wallowa County Farmers Market and Joseph Visitor Center.

 Military, Law Enforcement & Firefighters Free Day

The Sunday line-up at Edelweiss Inn is more of the same with free admission on Patriot's Day for military service members and veterans, law enforcement officers, and firefighters.

Contact Oregon's Alpenfest at alpenmeister@swissmail.com or 541-398-1096

Live in the Past for a Day in Flora, Oregon

If you're visiting Wallowa County during the first weekend of June, head to Flora, Oregon, to honor the days of old with a Dutch oven lunch and pioneer skill demonstrations, at the annual Flora School Day, June 3, from 10 am to 4 pm.

A volunteer from Spokane demonstrates spinning in the Flora School library. Photo: Flora School Education Center

Traditional Skills Demonstrations

Volunteers from near and far will share practical skills like blacksmithing, rope making, wagon wheel building, spinning, weaving, and basket making. Activities include the annual pie social, games for kids and adults, and candle making for children. You may catch a whiff of bread baking for lunch in the wood-fired oven, or the sound of the butter churn cranking. Buy something at the Country Store to help the non-profit Flora School Education Center restore the old Flora School and continue sharing the skills of northeastern Oregon's ancestors. Admission is free, lunch is $10/plate.

Education on the Frontier

Flora School District #32 was formed in 1891 with a one room log schoolhouse at Buzzard's Corner in the platted Town of Flora. A good education was a significant achievement on the frontier. Teachers often had only weeks, not months, to impart the basics, especially for boys, whose help was needed on family farms and ranches. In northern Wallowa County, the boys helped harvest wheat, barley, and hay, and were also expected to assist with lambing and calving. Logging families moved often from camp to camp so the children's school time was spotty. When children did attend school, they walked or rode their horses, so weather was always a factor. Nevertheless, the one room schoolhouse at Buzzard's Corner soon filled up and a larger one was built in 1900. A six month school year was instituted at that time.

Flora was a Bustling Frontier Town

Flora was a bustling western frontier outpost that served farmers and loggers. It had three shingle mills, a flour mill, hotel, bank, doctor and dentist offices, churches, Grange, a newspaper owned for many years by a woman, a photography studio, three blacksmiths and other craftsmen's shops. (Electricity finally reached the town around 1958). 

Center of Education in Northern Wallowa County

Continuing growth of the district justified construction of Flora's third school in 1915. It became the center of education and activity in northern Wallowa County. The two-story structure was built in the traditional Craftsman style and it was positioned to make the most of natural light that poured into its large windows.

At it's high point, there were eight teachers and 100 students at the school. Heat was provided by a wood and coal furnace in the basement, and a wooden boardwalk led to outdoor privies behind the building. Water was piped in from offsite and stored in a tank behind the school. 

Rural Population Declines

Flora's population and school enrolment dwindled as better roads, urban opportunities, and world wars drew people away from the rural communities of Wallowa County. Flora's high school was the smallest in Oregon with only twelve students when it closed in 1962. The elementary school held out until 1975 and only one student remained, sixth grader Ben Curry.  At that time, high school students were already traveling to Enterprise and Flora's elementary children had the option of attending the one room school 15 miles away in Troy, or bussing to Enterprise. (The one room school in Troy still serves four students).

Flora School a Historical Beacon

Nowadays the Flora School remains as the most prominent feature of pastoral Flora, which consists of a scattering of old houses and outbuildings, some vacant and some remodeled. Although people still live in Flora, Google and others refer to the community as a ghost town. The Flora School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

Getting There

Flora, Oregon, is situated between Lewiston and Joseph, Oregon, at the headwaters of West Bear Creek, three miles west of OR-3, 41.0 miles north of the Mountain View Motel & RV Park.

For more information or to become a volunteer, skills demonstrator, or just donate Email: volunteers(at)floraschool(dot)org.