5 mile round trip to the top of Munra Point back to the parking area at Wahclella/Tanner Creek.
Unmaintained trail with very steep & exposed cliffs!
Munra Point is an impressive knife-edge ridge line that separates Tanner Creek and Moffet Creek while overlooking Bonneville Dam. Facing the Columbia River to the north from Munra point Wahclella Falls pushes through tall basalt walls deep in Tanner Creek to the east and Moffett Creek pours down on the west.
The trail up to Munra Point is steep with a lot of exposed cliffs. Extra caution and steady foot work is required hereThe first view point on the way up, looking west towards Moffett Creek.North Bonneville & Hamilton Creek across the Columbia RiverKnife-edge ridge lineLooking down into Tanner CreekEnd of the trail
On February 8th, Scott Baker and I went to check out Cable Choke Falls. This was my 5th time at this falls. I have enjoyed checking out some of the history from this creek. During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s there was a large scale logging operation that spanned the length of this gorge covering the falls with a log flume. A lot of the remnants of the flume can still be seen, including the cable in and across this falls. I had run it once before at higher water and I really wanted to run it again this season. After scouting the approach of the falls I was a little indecisive until Baker said he wanted to run it. Sometimes it’s a big relief when your are not the only one dropping off the lip. After a full scout of the lead-in it appeared to be a completely different falls this time. The lead in was bumpy and hard to control with the off angles on the rocky approach, but we made the best with what we had.
Scouting the lead-inScott Baker at the lippast the entry, past the reconnect, landing in sight
Final analysis; It goes with hard hits and It’s much better with more water!
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 northwest to southeast 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. Also called the “Alps of Oregon” Much of the range is designated as the Eagle Cap Wilderness, part of the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest. The highest point in the range is Sacajawea Peak, at an elevation of 9,838 feet above sea level. The Wallowa Batholith is formed of granite from a magma upwelling in Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous time (between 160 million and 120 million years ago)
Most precipitation in the area is orographic precipitation. Near the tops of the mountains, total annual precipitation can exceed 100 in per year, as opposed to 10 in in the valleys. The Lostine River is a tributary to the Wallowa River draining northwest from the north side of Eagle Cap.
Before this trip Matt King had dialed in a few rivers in the Wallowa’s and after a cross-country road trip, back home for 8 hours, I was on my way to the Lostine with Jacob Cruser. We met up with Tygh and Matt and headed to the river.
The put in. The last calm pool you will see.
After the put-in the Lostine tilts on edge and the whitewater begins. A lot of blind turns and consistent gradual gradient goes until the first long boulder garden.
The long boulder garden on the Lostine River
The last couple rapids build into vertical walls with an intimidating rapid to exit the gorge and reach the take-out. After ducking a log-jam and catching an eddy on river left, you can see the take-out eddy downstream on river left…in between is the exit crux. This section can be seen from the take-out bridge. Scout well and have fun. The Lostine as well as the greater Wallowa’s are packed full of adventure.
Log ducking before the final rapid.
Tygh cruising into the take-out
The Lostine was an instant classic with easy access, flat water put-in shortly followed by non-stop action. The character starts out with fast paced shallow boulder gardens that eventualy forms into a bedrock gorge before the take out bridge.
For video on the Lostine River and a couple other Wallowa Classics, check out this edit by Jacob Cruser
Flows: Flows are hard to catch in the Wallowas, but the best time is the spring/summer run off when the rivers slowly drop into a good flow range
Take-out: High bridge on Upper Lostine Rd.
Put-in: About 4 miles up the rd. near the first calm pool.
The best source for information on whitewater of the Columbia River Gorge!
