To The High Country Wallowa Lake Tram Takes You To The Top Of Mount Howard
It may be Oregon’s best-kept secret: the steepest tram in North America, which draws 30,000 visitors a year to the northeast corner of the state.
But the Wallowa Lake Tram has been carrying tourists, hikers and skiers more than a mile up to the summit of Mount Howard for nearly 30 years.
“We get a lot of people who know the tram is here. Relatives have told them. But we do get some surprised guests that stumble onto it,” says Cace Sidoti, manager of Wallowa Lake Tramway.
Visitors ride gondolas that travel on overhead cables an inch and a quarter thick. The cables are supported along a line of 25 towers. At times, the gondolas dangle 75 feet above the forest floor; at other times they’re only 10 feet off the ground.
The gondolas travel at a speed of 690 feet per minute, making the ride to the top 15 minutes long.
Visitors who take the first tram of the day at 9 a.m., have the advantage of viewing the peaks in the Eagle Cap Wilderness before the clouds blow in.
“I get my crew up by 8:15 in the morning,” the tram manager says. “Then we can get the fresh-baked cinnamon rolls ready and the coffee going.”
Breakfast, lunch and an early dinner are served on top of the mountain at The Summit Grill & Alpine Patio. Prices are reasonable, ranging from $1.50 for a cinnamon roll and $2.75 for a turkey sandwich to $3.25 for a hamburger and $4.25 for a Caesar salad.
Besides eating a meal and enjoying the view, visitors can take advantage of the two miles of hiking trails at the top of Mount Howard.
The trails wind through tundra-like “belly plants” that grow close to the ground and are so tiny that even a pebble can provide protection from the wind.
They’re called belly plants because they are best viewed from close up, lying on your stomach.
“Mount Howard is one of those areas in Oregon where you can get to alpine-like, slow-growing plants that survive a harsh environment and a short growing season,” says Jerry Hustafa, district botanist for the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
Hikers can view a tiny, alpine plant, a species of Greenman’s desert parsley that grows only on Mount Howard and on Ruby Peak outside of Enterprise.
The inch-high plant has leaves that look like a carrot’s, but are gray-green in color, Hustafa says.
“It has a small, yellow flower, that looks like a dill flower. It prefers the shallow, rocky soil habitat,” he says.
Even the trees are at the mercy of the elements on Mount Howard. The whitebark pines are short and grow only toward the downwind side. Biologists call it flagging, the result of strong, harsh winds and winter snows. A tree only a few feet high could be 100 years old.
“The big challenge to Mount Howard is with 30,000 visitors a year, it’s important to get them all to stay on the trails. The habitat is fragile,” Hustafa says.
Tram tourists should take the time to walk to the two viewing areas, Royal Purple and Valley Overlook, where visitors can gaze on Oregon’s “Swiss Alps.” There’s even a peak called The Matterhorn.
Hikers also get a bird’s-eye view of the agricultural lands of the Wallowa Valley. Landmark names depict historical events. For example, the national forest is partly named in honor of Dr. Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, missionaries who were among the first to travel the Oregon Trail in 1836.
Other landmarks to note:
Chief Joseph Mountain, named after the chief of the Wallowa Valley Nez Perce, who were forced to flee their home during the Nez Perce Indian War of 1877. Mount Howard is named after the general who pursued Chief Joseph. The two mountains face each other across Wallowa Lake.
Sacajawea Peak, a 9,839-foot mountain named after the Shoshoni Indian interpreter and guide who traveled with her child on the Lewis and Clark Expedition to the Pacific Northwest.
Benson Glacier, located in the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area and named after Oregon governor Frank Benson, who served from 1909 to 1910.
The deep-blue waters of Wallowa Lake, carved out by a glacier.
But some visitors to the top of Mount Howard want to do more than gaze at the view. The tram is a popular way for paragliders to climb the summit and jump off the north side of the mountain at the designated launch pad, Sidoti says.
The tram was originally built by county residents who formed a stockholders company to provide a ski area and lift on Mount Howard in 1968. It was used for downhill skiing until 1982.
Today, cross-country skiing is still offered on top of the mountain. The tram opens Dec. 27 through Jan. 3 and the two miles of trails on top are groomed.