Oregon’s high east-central plateau is dominated by numerous forested mountain ranges rising above fertile rangeland, with enough vistas wide enough that you can’t quite wrap your arms around them.

It’s a peaceful place, and in August, Brad and I set off for the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. Our hiking compass was set to climb and summit 9,038-foot Strawberry Mountain itself, a once-active volcano. It got its name from Nathan Wills Fisk, a homesteader in the area, because of the many wild strawberry plants that can be found in the area.

We drove about 4 hours from Portland to our secret camping spot nearby, and set up in a campground that we had absolutely to ourselves. The quiet of the woods was occasionally broken by the rattling of a woodpecker on a nearby tree or a raspy chirrup from a hawk high up in the thermal winds. The next morning, we packed up our gear, loaded extra water, and headed to the trailhead.

Starting near the 7,000 foot level definitely helped make this hike not as arduous as it may seem. The trailhead starts on an old road that is fairly level and flat. Not very far down the path, the dogs, Brad and I were quickly startled by a big buck deer bounding through the undergrowth as it bolted away from its breakfast foraging. A little later down the trail, we ran into some other hikers. A man and his son from the Portland area were scouting the area for the hunting season, and had their binoculars trained on a ridgeline not too far away. We stopped and asked what they were looking at, and they pointed out a tiny white dot. It was a mountain goat! Somehow, on an impossible angle, the animal nimbly tip-toed across cliff faces that left me dizzy, but it was pretty cool to watch. The duo weren’t actually looking to hunt the goats (illegal) but rather looking for deer. My thoughts turned to the buck that we had just seen; had he met any of bow hunters currently out, he might not have been so lucky.

Right at this point, the trail turned south and quickly narrowed down to about 1-2 feet wide, with a couple of steep drop-offs right off the trail in a number of places. About 15-20 years ago, a wildfire had swept through the area, and while the area is recovering, the vegetation is still a little thin, punctuated with dead, blackened snags, lending a surreal feeling to the hike. Interestingly, as we followed just below the shoulder line of the ridge, the views far below were pretty amazing. Small, lush meadows beckoned, and I could imagine deer and other animals thriving in such a rich environment.

I heard twittering overhead, and stopped to watch a large group of mountain bluebirds flitting from tree to tree. Their calls are very muted and cheery; sweet, almost. After a few minutes of observation, we continued on, and started a number of switchbacks up to the base of Strawberry Mountain itself. It loomed far above us, and my palms began to sweat. This, I thought, is gonna be a tough hike!

We came around a corner and found ourselves traversing a shale trail. Shale is a type of loose rock, usually in large piles as it breaks off a larger source- such as a cliff face. And that was exactly what we were crossing. High above, cliffs with big rocks towered over us, and I silently issued a request to the forces that be that nothing decided to come tumbling down.

The path was so rocky that the trailblazers before us had actually built some rock cairns to mark the way, although enough boots had passed this way, a distinguishable line could be seen. At this point, despite the cool August morning, the sun’s rays began to warm things up a bit, helped by the reflection from the rocks.

Up we went, and found ourselves in a brief flat spot where some other trails joined ours, and we stopped to enjoy a view from a forest of tortured junipers and bristlecone pine trees edged by brilliant blue lupine flowers. I glanced up. The trail went up from that point another 45-50 degrees. Not quite climbing on your hands and knees, but it was steep…

The final summit assault had begun. We climbed up and zig-zagged across the rocky face. We were high above the tree line yet somehow, flowers managed to entrench themselves into the seemingly impenetrable stone.

Winds up here have gotten up to legendary speeds. Apparently, there was, at one point, a lookout up here, but it was eventually abandoned. At one point, a storm blew the entire structure off the top of the mountain. All that remains are some cables littered around and some errant nails.

Brad made the summit first, and whooped when he did. I slowly trudged the final stretch, stopped, took a breath, and then looked at the amazing view.

For 360 degrees, we could see mountain range after mountain range. Far to the south, we could see 9,700-foot Steens Mountain, 150 miles away. It was a stunning view!

Sitting down, we ate some lunch, enjoying the expansive vistas. I did notice a pile of rocks nearby and something stuck in them, so I went to investigate. A number of glass jars held small notes and pens. People who had made it to the top had written little notes about their adventures. I added one myself – this was Brad’s and my second wedding anniversary- and it was hard to top this at 7,038 feet high!

While we were up at the top, a few more people showed up. A father-son hiking team had actually done a much tougher round-trip hike that started farther below our trail head. They shared some tips on additional spots that they had seen along the way. As we headed down, a friendly couple on their way up to the summit and we chatted. It turned out that he was a cattle rancher in Prairie City, and it was really great to be able to talk to a local. From our vantage point, he pointed out his ranch far below with a great deal of pride. We wished them well and continued our way back down the mountain.

By the time we got to the car, my creaky knees were screaming. I was beat, but this was an awesome hike and was the perfect way to enjoy yet another Oregon favorite vacation spot.

Oregon offers a treasure trove of interesting places and fun activities that can reveal much about our region’s past.

In fact, one Eastern Oregon town offers fascinating lessons in “pre-history,” that – with a bit of imagination and some handiwork – can transport you to a quite different Oregon. In Fossil, Oregon all you need are some simple tools, keen eyes and curiosity to learn more about the state – as you dig into Oregon’s past.

Eastern Oregon’s gigantic landscape holds on to memories – old homestead sites – where families once worked the land and carved out their livelihoods across the high desert. Time has passed most of them by and what often remains today are small reminders in a big country that are worth a pause to consider.

Fossil, Oregon is worth more than a pause! Especially if you enjoy history, like to get your hands dirty and really dig buried treasures!

It’s a much different slice of outdoor life for the visitors who stroll through the back gates at Fossil’s Wheeler High School – pass under the goal posts of the school’s football field and then take a step back in Oregon history. It’s the only public fossil dig area in Oregon that offers surprises with each handful of dirt and rock that you turn over.

Today, the fossils that you dig reveal a much different scene in this part of Eastern Oregon. In fact, 30 million years ago the region was more akin to today’s Oregon Coast Range Forest – a temperate rain forest with ancient firs and cedars and ferns and even prehistoric insects. All were covered and trapped by ancient mudflows born of volcanic eruptions that were a common geologic feature in this part of Oregon.

All of it adds up to a stark contrast to the high desert sage and juniper country that surrounds Fossil in the 21st century. Just down the street, the new Paleo Lands Institute will teach you much about the fossils that you collect.

Four hundred miles southeast of Portland, remote Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge is the only refuge of its kind in the United States. The 278,000-acre refuge is completely free of domestic livestock and was originally created to develop a safe haven for remnant herds of pronghorn antelope.

Getting there requires a commitment, but the rewards are many. Located outside the southeastern Oregon town of Lakeview (which is 65 miles away), Hart Mountain is best (and most impressively) accessed by driving south of Burns on Hwy 205, passing through Frenchglen, and continuing south about ten miles to the turn-off towards Hart Mountain, which is a clearly marked right turn – you can’t miss it!

Here, our adventure began right where the pavement ends. A 52-mile bumpy but very scenic road takes you through past isolated ranches, marshy pastures, desert landscape, and limitless big sky before starting the climb towards Hart Mountain. Keep an eye out for antelope- they didn’t name make this area an antelope refuge without a reason!

Finding antelope might be harder than you think… the tawny coloring of their body blends in very well with the muted desert background. A good way to spot the animals is to look for their white rear ends- which provide some contrast. I spotted several herds, and at one point, we had stopped to observe a herd to our right when on a hillside not far away to our left, I spotted movement. I couldn’t believe it when a pronghorn buck came down the hillside, crossed literally 10 feet in front of our car, and bounded its way towards the herd! Amazing!!

In addition to being an antelope preserve, the refuge serves as home to more than 300 species of wildlife. Other species include California bighorn sheep, mule deer, sage grouse, and redband trout, and we saw a lot of meadowlarks, red-winged blackbirds and jackrabbits, who scurried along the roadside to disappear under sagebrush right at the last minute as we passed by.

After this 52-mile trek, we reached the refuge headquarters, an oasis in the desert nestled about a quarter of the way below the top of the mountain. Here, we filled up on water and took care of restroom necessities. Visitors need to be aware that there is no store and staff don’t sell fuel or food (nor do they providing towing services), so it is very important to have plenty of fuel, food and water and a good high-clearance vehicle (with operable spare tire) before attempting this trip!

At the headquarters, there’s a well-signed junction, and we followed the road straight towards the Hot Springs, just four miles ahead. This was another delightful adventure! One of Oregon’s best-kept secrets, Antelope Hot Springs, is cradled in a mountainous fold on Hart Mountain, and features a large hot spring outdoors. Located in a quiet grove of aspens, the hot springs are somewhat developed with a concrete wall surrounding it, (which blocked the wind) and pool-like ladder climbing down into the water. The quick dip was very invigorating, and we didn’t see a single soul the entire time! Before leaving, we took a quick look at the campground which was pleasantly shaded, but decided to keep going to explore more of the refuge.

Returning back to the Headquarters then veering west, we continued in a sea of sagebrush, mesas and miles of scenery. Passing several watering holes, we spotted a few more antelope as we seemingly kept climbing. Hart Mountain is actually a giant fault block mountain/ridge line, and when we reached the edge at the Campbell Lake Overlook, our jaws dropped just like the cliffs in front of us. The view was incredible and just seemed so… Pleistocene. Laid out across the horizon and below us was a very primitive and primal scene- this land has been largely untouched since the history of man began.

Far below lay the Warner Wetlands, remnants themselves of a vast inland ocean, and collection point for the area’s watershed. All of the moisture captured by the mountain range above gets channeled to the marshes below.

The road crept its way along the edge of the ridge line, carefully wending its way down to the valley floor below. Once we got down to the bottom, lake after lake in this otherwise dry and arid desert was alive with abundant wildlife. It was amazing! I saw more pelicans (white) than I had ever seen before.

We stopped the car and just watched these birds gaggling fish down their massive gullets by the beakfull. Boy, I thought, this must be heaven for them with such plentiful food! Tree and cliff swallows swooped and turned with acrobatic efficiency in so many maneuvers that made me dizzy. Their prey: mosquitoes and other insects, which were in great numbers as well, as I realized when I started scratching my arms.

The sense of space, the wildlife, and getting a sense of a wild, untouched land really had a big impact on me from this visit. Everyone thinks of Oregon as rainy, but there are 2/3 of the state that are actually very arid/desert-like. Somewhere I read that the corner of Southeastern Oregon near where I was standing is one of the least populated places on earth, per square mile. With the exception of unincorporated Plush, the closest town is Lakeview (population: 2,720) which is 65 miles away. Knowing that still-wild places on earth like Hart Mountain are being protected and preserved is important part of Oregon’s heritage and uniqueness.

Day five of On the Road with Oregon Bounty, and I’m in my favorite part of the state: Eastern Oregon. I’ve had a long-running romance with the thought of being an Oregon rancher. Not necessarily the hard work involved or having your livelihood tied to the whims of weather and commodity prices, but with the air, the open spaces, and the rhythms of the land. This summer, when I stepped inside Clair and Patty Pickard’s tidy farmhouse, located in a picturesque valley between Eastern Oregon’s Blue and Wallowa Mountains, I felt both at home and just a little jealous.

The Pickards are classic Oregon ranchers, and are part of a new movement in ranching that takes an old approach to raising cattle: ranches owned and operated by families raising sustainable, high-quality beef. In these days of massive corporate operations, the Pickards are proud to remain independent and true to their ranching history. They’re part of Country Natural Beef (CNB), a family-owned cooperative formed in 1986 that was founded on the principal of protecting open spaces and preserving the rural culture and the families that nurture them.

The Pickards, along with ranchers like John and Nancy Boyer, are a throwback to a time when multiple generations worked the land, and beef was raised naturally. These two families are the ranching mentors in our Oregon Bounty “Cuisinternship” contest, which will give seven lucky people the chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to Oregon for an ultimate foodie getaway (that’s right, you could spend a week as a winemaker, chef, brewmaster, cheesmaker and chocolatier, distiller, rancher or fisherman). Check out the video about the Pickards and learn how to enter the contest.

Eastern Oregon has lots of foodie finds, like Bella Main Street Market in Baker City, where this time of year you can take your pick from a dozen varieties of fresh organic garlic, the Foley donuts during Sunday brunch at Foley Station restaurant in La Grande, or the locally grown buffalo burger at Terminal Gravity Public House in Enterprise. Go to Travel Oregon’s new culinary travel website to plan an Eastern Oregon getaway.

Check back Monday… “On the Road” will be in the Mt. Hood/Gorge region to learn all about craft brewing. Cheers!

Long before the settlers arrived in Oregon (even prior to when Spanish voyagers set foot along the Oregon coast), the area which is now known as Oregon has been home to many different Native American tribes for more than 10,000 years.

Each tribe has a unique perspective on their history on what is now Oregon, but to mark the 150th birthday of the state, I thought it would be important to commemorate the original Oregonians who first welcomed explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to the area. It was because of the kindness of the Cayuse, Walla Walla, and Umatilla people that Lewis and Clark survived the harsh winter of 1805-06, and were able to make it to the Pacific Ocean to complete their exploration of what was to become Oregon. This was a pivotal moment in the history of both Native American and Western cultures, and continues to shape the state to this day.

Located on the Umatilla Reservation outside of Pendleton, Tamástslikt Cultural Institute is definitely NOT a museum filled with static exhibits. It is a facility that is a central celebration of the vibrant and very much alive culture of the Cayuse, Walla Walla, and Umatilla nations. The dynamic, interactive, and ever-changing displays provide insights inside pre-Western contact culture, how members of the tribes live today in the present, and what their hopes are for who they will be in the future.

As I walked through the Institute, I learned a lot about how the tribes in the area lived off of the land and continue to do so today as part of their heritage. What appeared to my eyes (just beyond the windows, out to the rolling hills of Eastern Oregon) to be a sterile, dry landscape is in fact a very giving and productive land to the Native Americans, and opened my mind to what it means to be sustainable. In fact, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla have led efforts in establishing salmon recovery efforts for the Columbia River and several of its tributaries in Eastern Oregon, ensuring the sustainability of future fish runs. The salmon, of course, is central to many Northwest people’s diets and culture, and through conservation efforts such as these, will be guaranteed to be around for future generations.

Tamástslikt also offers up an amazing art gallery with rotating Native artists which provides a showcase of the creative expression of local artists. From paintings to jewelry to multi-media art, Native culture is celebrated in various art forms, with exhibitions changing regularly. I’ve been to Tamástslikt a number of times, and at each visit, have found the art gallery to be one of the many highlights. Plan on spending at least an hour in this section alone!

Additionally, the Tamástslikt gift shop has many artistic items for sale, and can mean some great browsing. Many pieces are made by local craftspeople, and the staff behind the register know many as neighbors. You’ll also find the world-famous Pendleton blankets for sale, which are cherished gifts and still used for “give-aways” customary for tribal ceremonies. Limited edition Cayuse design blankets are sold only at the Museum Store at Tamástslikt, and can be a unique gift for someone special, or even for yourself.

The Tamástslikt Cultural Institute is just but one of several Native American cultural centers in the state. Remembering the contributions that the first Oregonians have made and continue to make is part of our Oregon 150 commemoration.

In Oregon, the diversity and quality of angling is unlike any other place in the world. This summer alone, you can fish for trout, salmon, halibut, panfish, ling cod and so much more. On top of it all, you’ve got your pick of gorgeous places to drop a line.

This month, the prize catch is Oregon’s signature “redband” rainbow trout. Choose from a number of famed trout rivers, including the Deschutes in Central Oregon, the McKenzie in the Willamette Valley and southeast Oregon’s Donner und Blitzen River.

Later this summer, head to the Pacific Ocean’s salty waters for the peak of halibut and salmon fishing—or, you can try your hand at reeling in a prehistoric looking ling cod and other rock fish. And in August, be one of the many salmon anglers who flock to the mouth of the Columbia River in Astoria for the fall run of Chinook and Coho salmon.

For a true family friendly catch this summer, head to central and Eastern Oregon’s lakes and reservoirs—Owyhee, Prineville, Chickahominy—where panfishing is popular.

And this is all just one season of fishing in Oregon – just wait until fall!

Licenses
Even if you don’t keep your catch, you need a current Oregon fishing license before you wet your line. You can purchase licenses online at Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife.

Free Fishing Weekend – June 6 and 7, 2009
This June 6 and 7, try your hand at the rod and the reel—for free. For two days each year, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife sponsors more than two-dozen free (no license needed) fishing events across the state.

Guides
Why not increase your chances of catching Big Walter by hiring an Oregon licensed fishing guide?

How about rafting and hopping a train, all in the same day?

There’s a unique ‘River to Rails’ day trip in northeast Oregon where you can pull off this back-to-back float trip and choo-choo excursion.

You float ten miles of scenic canyon on the Wallowa River, with nice stretches of easygoing current to kick back and look for wildlife, sprinkled with class II rapids that aren’t too big, but still exciting. Whitewater sections include the Minam Roller, Red Rock Rapids, Blind Falls, The Chute and other wave trains. A perfect stretch of river on a summer day.

I’ve done this trip several times, and it’s definitely unique to chug your way back up the river, looking out at the rapids you just paddled through. Passengers ride in the dining car on the train, with refrigerated drinks and snacks on board. There’s even a bathroom. Pretty deluxe, as far as shuttle rigs go.

I’m hoping to get my nephews and niece on the trip this summer. I think it’s a perfect lineup for kids. Just when young ones might start getting restless after lunch on the river, you meet the train and there’s something new to spark their interest. The train ride back is also a good length. Just when the clickety-clack starts to bring on nap time, you’re back with plenty of time for a siesta before dinner.

River to Rails trips run on Saturdays, from June 27 to August 1st, depending on river flows. You can take your own boat, or go with the outfitter Winding Waters River Expeditions, based in Joseph. There’s also a package that includes lodging at the Minam Motel, right on the river where the trip begins.

More train info and photos of the Wallowa-Union Railroad and Excursion Train.

It’s a good time. And the only chance I get to wear my waterproof conductor’s hat.

Jon Rombach is a writer and river guide living in Oregon’s Wallowa County. His newspaper column, ‘And Furthermore’ is online at wallowa.com and ‘The Gearboat Chronicles’ rafting blog can be seen at windingwatersrafting.com.

Snow on Hells Canyon

Hells Canyon is worth seeing, whatever time of year you manage to get down there.

I’ve heard several connoisseurs of the canyon argue that an early spring look at those imposing walls is an entirely different experience and not to be missed.

The canyon is all greened up, for one thing. Even the smaller creeks are in business and waterfalls are running full force. Wildflowers run streaks of color up to the rims, and you might catch sight of more wildlife than later in the year, before they move to higher ground as summer heats things up down low. Also, if you’re looking to save on sunscreen, the temperatures not being cranked up as high will be working in your favor.

I got my first look at Hells in the spring last year, and the temperature was definitely lower than the summer float trips I’d been on. Usually it doesn’t take much to work up a sweat, but this time it was snowing on us before we even left the boat ramp below Hells Canyon Dam. But it was a light snow. I will say that. And it soon let up. The few flakes were worth it to look up later from camp and see the top of the canyon white, where I’m used to seeing sun-baked rock.

Coffee tastes better on a brisk morning, anyhow, and it was refreshing to not be chasing shade like it was worth ten dollars a square foot, which can be the summer routine. Instead, we’d float into a sun break and start peeling off the fleece jackets to soak up the blue sky and sunlight.

It doesn’t get terribly cold, but I do recall waking up to find a light frost on the ground. And technically that’s freezing. So if you want to see the deepest canyon in North America when Hells is freezing over, spring’s your time.

Jon Rombach is a writer and river guide living in Oregon’s Wallowa County. His newspaper column, ‘And Furthermore’ is online at wallowa.com and ‘The Gearboat Chronicles’ rafting blog can be seen at windingwatersrafting.com.

SEE SOMETHING SPECTACULAR…
From Crater Lake to Painted Hills and the Rose Garden to Cape Perpetua, there are plenty of spectacular places to explore in our beautiful state.

And what’s more, through April 30, incredible views at Oregon’s hundreds of day-use and overnight parks come at great values with special “Discovery Season” rates and packages.

Got a hankering to explore Oregon’s spectacular scenery? Here are some ideas to get your started….

Crater Lake National Park
Home to the deepest lake in America, Crater Lake National Park is an 183,224-acre vacation wonderland. Visit and experience the awe-inspiring first look from the edge of the six-mile wide caldera into the lake that is known for its azure waters. Hike the old-growth forests, take a boat ride to Wizard Island, fish and camp—or stay and dine at Crater Lake Lodge (open May to October). See Crater Lake…

Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
Part of the Siuslaw National Forest at the central Oregon coast, Cape Perpetua sits high above the Pacific Ocean and offers stunning views all around. More than 20 miles of forest-view and seashore-view trails weave through 2700 acres of preserved land. Here, you can hike to see a 500-year-old Sitka Spruce Tree, among other spectacular specimens of nature. Visit Cape Perpetua…

Painted Hills & Fossil Beds
Trails running through the Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Eastern Oregon offer up close looks at the colorful hills and huge collection of fossils in this area. Nearby, the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center has nearly 40,000 fossils on display, including early cousins of Rhinoceros, Saber Tooth Tigers and other exotic animals. Experience the Painted Hills and Fossil Beds…

International Rose Test Garden
From May through October, you can see for yourself why Portland is called the Rose City. Venture to Washington Park to experience the huge spectrum of colors and splashes of fragrant blossoms from more than 10,000 rose plants. On a bright and sunny day you can see the cityscape with Mt. Hood, Oregon’s tallest peak, as backdrop.

Giddy up…you’ve got some exploring to do!

I hear that train a comin’
It’s coming round the bend
If I’m a little lucky
There’s a steelhead at the end…

Well, that’s not exactly how the Johnny Cash song goes, but as I rode the Fish Train through the Wallowa River Canyon on a chilly March morning, I couldn’t help but think what Mr. Cash would have made of this fusion of angling and engines…and would he have fished flies or bait?

The Fish Train is the brainchild of the late Chuck Fleser, the proprietor of the Minam Motel & Market, and is operated in conjunction with the Wallowa Union Railroad that runs the popular Eagle Cap Excursion Train in more clement months. The Fish Train gives anglers seeking steelhead (an ocean going form of rainbow trout that can reach sizes of up to 12 pounds in these parts) access to sections of the Wallowa River that would otherwise be out of reach for all but the hardiest hikers. It also gives anyone who enjoys the outdoors a great excuse to visit lovely Northeastern Oregon in what has traditionally been a quiet season.

Twenty-odd passengers—most in waders, some simply along for the ride—ambled onto the Fish Train at 7 a.m., significantly more cheerful than the Manhattan-bound commuters I remember from my Connecticut youth. After all, our only “job” is to catch fish. The train includes a Pullman passenger car, retrofitted with tables, chairs and a makeshift kitchen; a freight car, which holds the cooler for take-home fish; and the engine.

As the train pulled away from the Minam Motel, our guide laid out the ground rules: “There are six good fishing holes along the seven-and-a-half miles we travel. When you want to fish, let me know, and the engineer will stop,” he says. “When you want to be picked up, wave your hands over your head; don’t just wave, or we’ll wave back and keep going!” He tells us we can keep up to three hatchery fish, which are marked by a clipped adipose fin. And if we’re fishing at the end of the line near Kimmel, we have to be on the train by 3:30, “‘cause that’s when the train is heading home.”  

A few inches of snow had fallen the previous evening, giving the canyon a frosty iridescence as we rolled north. In the summer, many rafters float this lovely stretch of the Wallowa to savor the scenery, take a swim and otherwise enjoy the unspoiled canyon (this section of the Wallowa was designated a “Wild and Scenic River” in 1996, and is the primary gateway to longer floats on the Grande Ronde). Once we were a few miles down the tracks, I got off the train with my buddy Geoff to fish the “43” hole, which was recommended for fly fishers. I went upstream. Geoff went down. We agreed we’d reconnect at lunchtime.

Winter steelhead fishing has its inherent challenges, not the least of which is cold. Cold air that freezes the line in the guides of your rod, and cold water that relieves you of feeling below your waist. The Fish Train goes to great lengths to cancel cold from the equation. After fishing the “43” hole with no success, I scrambled up the banks of the river to walk the tracks. A few minutes later, I heard the whistle, flagged the engine, and was soon sitting in a warm car, sipping hot coffee, watching my fellow fishers make their casts…and congratulating myself on the good judgment to jump aboard. Hot coffee gave way to a lunch of hot beef stew. Then the sun poked out as the Fish Train made its last run down the canyon, and I was back out on the river.

At a pool around the bend from Kimmel, my line tightened, then tore from the reel. A few minutes later I had a small native steelhead on the bank. As I eased it back into the Wallowa, the whistle blew.

The Fish Train would soon be heading out. And though I figured another fish or two might be lurking in the lower reaches of the pool, I didn’t want to be left behind.

AND WHAT’S MORE…
THE FISH TRAIN runs on Saturdays and Sundays in February and March. Full-day fishing trips, including a hot lunch, are $65 for adults and $15 for children under 14. Half-day trips (without lunch) are $30 for adults and $10 for kids. (Note: You must provide your own equipment.)

Reservations should be made through the Minam Motel & Market (541.437.4475 or 877.888.8130; www.MinamMotel.com). The motel also offers lodging packages, with rooms beginning at $68 for double occupancy. More lodging is available at the nearby Stampede Inn (541.437.2441, www.StampedeInn.com).
Prices subject to change.

EAGLE CAP EXCURSION TRAIN
The same train also offers a number of non-fishing
excursions throughout the year.
800.323.7330, www.EagleCapTrain.com

RESTAURANTS
We enjoyed one of the best steaks in recent memory at Ten Depot Street (541.963.8766) in La Grande. Also in La Grande, we stopped for a wholesome brunch at Foley Station (541.963.7473).

FLY SHOPPING
We visited Four Seasons Fly Shoppe (541.963.8420, www.4SeasonsFly.com)
in La Grande to buy flies. The Minam Motel & Market has a decent selection of tackle for anglers using conventional gear.

Editor’s Note: Chris Santella is a freelance writer and marketing consultant based in Portland, Oregon, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the New Yorker, Travel & Leisure, and Fly Rod & Reel, among other publications. He is also the author of Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die.