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WALLOWA MOUNTAINS | OREGON | UNITED STATES

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Summary | 300 inches a year

The Wallowa Mountains are a mountain range located in the Columbia Plateau of northeastern Oregon in the United States. The range runs approximately 40 mi (64 km) northwest to southeast in southwestern Wallowa County between the Blue Mountains to the west and the Snake River to the east. The range is sometimes considered to be an eastern spur of the Blue Mountains.
Much of the range is designated as the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area, part of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. The range is drained by the Wallowa River, which flows from the north side of the mountains, and its tributary the Minam River, which flows through the west side of the range. The Imnaha River flows from the east side of the range. Many geologists believe the Wallowa Mountains in northeastern Oregon are a displaced fragment of the Insular Belt.
The highest point in the range is Sacajawea Peak, at an elevation of 9,838 feet (2,999 m) above sea level. Sacajawea is the sixth tallest mountain in Oregon and the tallest mountain in Oregon outside of the Cascade Range. Headquarters/Wallowa Mountains Visitor Center in Enterprise. From left to right the peaks are: East Peak, Aneroid Mountain, Bonneville Mountain, Chief Joseph Mountain, Sacajawea Peak, Twin Peaks and Ruby Peak.
The Mountains were formed from granite from a magma upwelling in Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous time (between 160 million and 120 million years ago).

Snowpack
The Wallowa Mountains are on the fringe of the maritime snowpack, so the snow quality can be variable between Cascade-like heavy wet snow to light, fluffy Jackson Hole cowboy powder depending on the storm track. A storm tracking in from the southwest will bring lots of heavier snow while lows that blow down out of the Gulf of Alaska can bring light dry fluff. This creates variable annual snowpacks so do your research before you head out.

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Gsanders: January 23, 2010 Uphill: 3,500 ft. | Downhill: 3,500 ft.

Good snow in the Wallowas finally. About 6" of light powder. We skied from just below the summit down a nice northeast face with some good tree skiing. Clouds were in and out and it was snowing mos...[view]

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