Oregon’s Alpenfest, the only Swiss-Bavarian cultural festival in the West, happens in the majestic Wallowa Mountains of northeast Oregon – a region whose spectacular scenery reminds many of the Swiss Alps.

Events are scheduled at Wallowa Lake, one of Oregon’s biggest attractions; the art colony of Joseph, and historic Enterprise. The glacier-formed lake is known for its pristine beauty and recreation assets ranging from boating, hiking, fishing and camping, to riding the tramway to the top of the surrounding peaks.

Featured performers are The Polkatones dance band, the Tirolean Dancers folk dance troupe, Swiss yodeler Shelby Imholt from Portland, Enterprise alphornist Bruce Coutant and accordion virtuoso Alicia Baker from Denver.

Polka stars Randy and Ashley Thull from Wisconsin will offer free polka lessons, and visiting accordionists will play on Main Street in Joseph and at the outdoor Alpine Breakfasts at Wallowa Lake.

Main performances take place Friday evening and Saturday afternoon and evening in the century-old Edelweiss Inn, traditional home of Alpenfest, next to the Wallowa Lake Tramway.

Numerous craft and food vendors will offer their wares Friday through Sunday at the outdoor Alpine Fair.

On Saturday and Sunday mornings, pancakes, eggs and sausage will be served at the Alpine Breakfasts to benefit the Wallowa Lake Tourism Association.

Details about the performers and ticket information are available at oregonalpenfest.com or by phone to 541-426-2577.

Alpenfest was born in 1975 when business owners at Wallowa Lake sought to create a reason for visitors to come to “Oregon’s Little Switzerland” after Labor Day, the typical end of the busy visitor season. Tourism is a large driver of the county economy.

A natural for the end of September, when other regions are staging Oktoberfests, the original Alpenfest lasted until 2008. In 2011, after disappointed tourists kept asking what happened, business owners in Joseph and at the lake decided to revive the festival.

The new era was ushered in with a new name, “Oregon’s Alpenfest,” in 2012. Events were scheduled in three Wallowa County locations, as is the case today.

Beer offerings will differ from those in past years. Instead of importing German beers, Alpenfest will pour exclusively eastern Oregon brews in Alpine style. Attendees receive free 24-ounce glass mugs at entrance.

Terminal Gravity Brewing in Enterprise, which has honored the festival with an Alpenfest beer every year since 2012, will make a German kolsch. East Fork Brewery in Joseph will provide a Bavarian Hefeweizen, M. Crow Brewing in Lostine a Berliner Weisse and Side A Brewing in La Grande a German black lager known as Schwartzbier.

Alpenfest’s bratwurst is produced by Hines Meat Co. in La Grande. Hines, a family-owned butcher shop, is the latest of several providers of bratwurst for the festival following changes in the region’s sausage landscape. Chuck Anderson, the event’s alpenmeister, said Hines “has the best smoked German bratwurst in the state that I’ve tasted.”

The event’s parent organization, Alpenfest, is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Swiss and Bavarian traditions. Contributions are tax deductible.

On Sunday, May 13, the annual Mother’s Day Brunch Train leaves the depot at 10 a.m., with the promise of a wonderful brunch by Chuckwagon Sisters of Joseph. There will be a variety of breakfast and lunch entrées, salads, fruit and pastries. Mothers receive a corsage to take home and memories of the day to keep for a lifetime.

Ed Spaulding, volunteer engineer and President of the Friends of the Joseph Branch, the non-profit organization that manages the excursion train, says the 2018 season will be a busy one for the volunteer car hosts and crew.

“We have 19 trips scheduled, including the new Seeking Bigfoot Train, happening Saturday, July 28,” Spaulding said.  “There is an increasing amount of interest in the Bigfoot Legend. People are fascinated by stories that go back centuries, about a giant primate in the Blue Mountains.” Spaulding said the ride will be fun as well as enlightening. “We’ll be announcing our guest expert within a few weeks.”

The Wine & Chocolates Train, an evening ride on June 2, features a tasting of wines from Echo Ridge Cellars of Echo, paired with chocolates from Arrowhead Chocolates of Joseph. September 29, the focus shifts to wine and cheese, with Copper Belt Winery of Baker City and Umapine Creamery, located near Milton-Freewater, again serving samples of their specialties.

Train robberies always fill the train with passengers who love the added fun and excitement provided by bandits on horseback, who board the train and leave with glittering gold.  The Gold Rush Bandits have nefarious plans for June 16 & 17, October 6 and October 13. Also returning in the fall is a train ride designed with photographers in mind. With a brief workshop in one car, led by respected photographer Eric Valentine, this trip makes special stops to let photographers off the train for run-bys, giving them excellent views of the train as it passes. This is a fun trip for all passengers, not just photographers.

Other highlights of the season are Father’s Day Lunch, the I Love America! Train, and many opportunities to simply relax, enjoy the scenery and visit with fellow passengers who come from around the world. Read the trip descriptions and get your tickets online at www.eaglecaptrainrides.com, or call Alegre Travel, 800.323.7330, where agents can also help you with lodging and other vacation planning.
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The 2017 season includes some new trips, designed for lovers of wine and artisan food. A Wine & Chocolates Train, leaving the depot at 4 p.m., June 10, features a tasting of wines from Tero Estates Winery, expertly paired with chocolates from Petits Noirs Chocolates. Both businesses are located in Milton-Freewater, Oregon, at the south end of the Walla Walla Valley. In September, the focus shifts to wine and cheese, with Copper Belt Winery of Baker City and Umapine Creamery, located near Milton-Freewater, serving samples of their specialties.

“We have created two train rides that call attention to the amazing food and beverages produced in our region,” said Janet Dodson, a board member who helps design the trips and schedule. “Passengers will be served a light meal at the beginning of the trip and will have the opportunity to enjoy wine and chocolates (June 10) or cheese (September 30) during the return to the depot.”

Also new is a train ride designed for railroad photographers, with special stops to let photographers off the train for run-bys, giving them excellent views of the train as it passes. See the website for trip descriptions and the full schedule.

Reservations are required and are available through the online booking service on the website, www.eaglecaptrainrides.com; go to “Ride the Train” and select “Book Online” from the drop-down menu. Passengers who prefer to talk to an agent can call Alegre Travel, the excursion train reservations agency, 800.323.7330. Agents can also, upon request, book motel rooms and offer advice on other activities and attractions in the area.

Passenger train excursions use the section of track from Elgin to Minam. This section travels through mostly roadless country, staying north of Oregon Highway 82 to Enterprise, also known as the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway. Volunteers with the Friends of the Joseph Branch, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, manage the excursion business for Wallowa Union Railroad, operating the train and hosting passengers, as well as restoring the rail cars and preserving the history of the railroad. See the web site, www.eaglecaptrainrides.com for the full 2017 excursion schedule and information about how to join the Friends and volunteer to assist with train activities.

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ENTERPRISE, OREGON__A strong field of two dozen mushers has registered for the Eagle Cap Extreme sled dog race, to take place January 18 – 21 in Wallowa County. This winter’s combination of cold temperatures and abundant snowfall have ECX race organizers in excellent shape for the thirteenth annual running of the event.

“Even the slight warming we had earlier this week is good for trail conditions,” explains ECX public relations director, Troy Nave. “Trail crews and the Snowmobile Club groomer will have an easier time compacting the snow now that it’s warmer, making for a good running surface. Now we’re keeping fingers crossed for cool temperatures during the race.”

This year’s ECX features four races, beginning with the 200-mile, twelve-dog main event, an Iditarod and Yukon Quest qualifier. Then comes the 100-mile, 8-dog race, followed by the 31-mile, six-dog pot race (two stages: one on Thursday, one on Friday), and the 22-mile Juniors race (Thursday start, immediately following the start of the Pot Race). The racing begins at noon on Thursday, January 19, at Ferguson Ridge Ski Hill outside of Joseph.

Most of the field of twenty-four mushers are Eagle Cap Extreme veterans, with a handful of rookies sprinkled in. Among the rookies is Christina Gibson of Riverside, Washington. Christina is fifteen years old, and will be racing in the Juniors event on Thursday. “Someday I hope to run in the Iditarod,” said Gibson. Some of the returning mushers include the defending champions from each of the three events run last year. Jane Devlin of Bend, Oregon, will defend her Pot Race title; 100-mile champ Laurie Warren of Council, Idaho, will run the 200-miler this year; and two-time defending 200-mile champion Brett Bruggeman of  Great Falls, Montana, returns to attempt an unprecedented third consecutive title.

“This is my favorite mushing event,” says Bruggeman. Since coming in a close second place to Laura Daugereau three years ago, Bruggeman has torched the 200-mile field the past two years. Bruggeman has outpaced some highly competitive fields of mushers, including several Iditarod veterans. This year three of the ten mushers chasing him in the 200-miler are Iditarod veterans: Scott White, in his third ECX race; Mark Stamm, racing his fourth ECX race; and Alberta’s Jason Campeau, racing the ECX for the third time.

Race officials have also been determined. Dona Miller of Seeley Lake, Montana, returns as the Race Marshal. Miller has a long history of mushing and working with the Eagle Cap Extreme, first as a Race Judge and now as the Marshall. This year’s Head Veterinarian is Kathleen McGill, a former lead veterinarian for the Yukon Quest and several mid-distance races in the lower 48 states. Cari Hinesly and Michael Moore return as head timers.

Spectators are reminded to arrive plenty early to the 12 noon race start at Ferguson Ridge on Thursday. Plan on parking in the designated parking lot, then shuttling via free bus to the race start. Please leave all pets at home.

The Eagle Cap Extreme operates as a 501(c)3 non-profit, with the help of over 150 volunteers. For more information, visit the Eagle Cap Extreme web page at www.eaglecapextreme.com, and follow the ECX on Facebook.

Photo: Two-time defending 200-mile champ Brett Bruggeman, Great Falls, MT, is trying for an unprecedented 3rd consecutive win in 2017.

NOTE: This article was updated Monday, January 16.

Enterprise, Oregon__The twelfth annual Eagle Cap Extreme Sled Dog Race runs from January 20 – 23, kicking off with pre-race checkups for the dogs in downtown Joseph, Enterprise, and Wallowa on Wednesday. The race begins at noon on Thursday at Ferguson Ridge Ski Hill.

After winning the 200-mile race in record time last year, Brett Bruggeman of Great Falls, Montana addressed the attendees at the Musher Awards Banquet. “I signed up for the ECX early, so at first I thought the race would come down to me and Josi (Thyr),” Bruggeman began. “Then I saw the other mushers signing up: Mark Stamm, Jessie Royer, some of Ed Stielstra’s teams – I knew then that I was in for a tough race.”

Bruggeman faces an even more daunting field this week in the 2016 Eagle Cap Extreme (ECX) sled dog race 200-mile event. Gone from the lineup are Stielstra’s teams – they are in Alaska preparing for the Iditarod. In their place is a slew of fast, experienced mushers, including five Iditarod veterans. Mark Stamm ran the Iditarod in 2005, and has placed well in his previous two ECX races. Scott White, who often trains with Stamm, completed the Iditarod in 2010. Jason Campeau, of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, ran the ECX two season ago, using the race as a qualifier for the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest. Campeau completed both of those races in a single season last year, a feat accomplished by a very small group of elite mushers. Aaron Peck of County Grande Prairie, Alberta, has raced the Iditarod four times, the last time in 2013.

But most teams will have their eye on Jessie Royer of Darby, Montana. Royer finished second in her first ECX race last year, 33 minutes behind Bruggeman. Later that season, Royer finished fourth in the Iditarod, only seven hours behind champion Dallas Seavey. That was her best finish in the “Last Great Race”, and her fifth top-ten finish in thirteen trips to the Iditarod. Now that Jessie is familiar with the ECX race, hers is considered the team to beat this week. The 200-mile field is rounded out by Jennifer Campeau of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta; Josi Thyr of Cataldo, Idaho; Bryce Mumford of Preston, Idaho; and ECX rookie Alea Robinson of Eagle River, Alaska.

Mushers will have no problem finding ample snow throughout the course; the Wallowa Mountains have been blessed by heavy precipitation this winter. The biggest hurdle for mushers, aside from the challenging and steep course, will be warming temperatures.

“Sled dogs are surprisingly good at regulating heat, considering how hard they run,” says Troy Nave, one of the ECX race directors. “But they prefer to run when temperatures are around zero. Temperatures at the start – and even the overnight lows – are forecasted to be much warmer than that.”

In addition to the 200-mile, twelve-dog event, this year’s Eagle Cap Extreme features an eight-dog, 100-mile race as well as a two-stage, 62-mile Pot Race. As of press time, no entrants had registered for the Juniors Race, first offered last season to 14 – 17 year old mushers.

For a full schedule of race events, including up-to-the-hour musher standings, go to the ECX website: www.eaglecapextreme.com. Visit Race Central at the Joseph Community Center for updates, education activities for kids of all ages, silent auction bidding, and ECX merchandise.

The ECX operates as a 501(c)(3) organization. It is put on with the help of more than 150 volunteers, and is supported by over 100 local businesses and individuals. It runs under special permit on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.

Early in August, Portland, Oregon, cycling enthusiast Jonathon Maus spent some time exploring northeast Oregon and the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway by bike. His resulting blogs on BikePortland.org will leave you yearning to park the car, hang up the keys and use just two-wheels to experience our beautiful corner of the state. Following is the prelude to his first two installments and links to the blogs. Thank you, Jonathon, for sharing your adventure!

Jonathon Maus, BikePortland.com Last week I spent five days taking a closer look at bicycling and bike tourism in Wallowa, Baker, and Union Counties as part of a partnership with Cycle Oregon. Starting in the small town of Halfway on Monday, I rode northeast to circumnavigate the Wallowa Mountains and Eagle Cap Wilderness. I camped, rode rocky dirt roads, did some bushwhacking, sampled singletrack on a mountain bike, rolled on an official State Scenic Bikeway, and met the people working to make this region a biking destination. All this week I’ll share stories and photos from the road.

First installment: Five Days In Eastern Oregon; Halfway and an adventure to Ollokot

Second Installment: Five Days in Eastern Oregon; Riding Rails and talking tourism in Joseph

more to come…

See more fantastic photos of the journey on flickr.

The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center near Baker City, Oregon, will have two days of living history presentations for visitors over the Memorial Day Weekend at the “Meet the Pioneers” event.

On Saturday and Sunday, May 23 and 24, volunteers and staff will demonstrate pioneer skills such as quilting, crafts, and food between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Visitors will be able to participate in typical frontier crafts such as Dutch oven cooking, gold panning, or making beeswax candles and rag dolls. Presentations by roving interpreters will portray mountain men and homesteading women with authentically outfitted re-enactors. Characters are based on thoroughly researched historical sources, and include real-life pioneers such as Joe Meek and Elizabeth Trullinger.

Storyteller, Karen Haas will perform three times daily in the Leo Adler Theater on May 22-24. Her programs are “Wagons West,” “Eliza Jane Meeker- Pioneer Memories & Future Dreams,” and “Narcissa Whitman.” Program times are 11 a.m., 12:30, and 2 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“Wagons Ho! Experience the Oregon Trail” continues in the Flagstaff Gallery. This special exhibit uses costumes, life-size games, puppets, and a full-scale packable pioneer wagon for youngsters to learn about Oregon heritage and the frontier adventure. All hiking trails at the Interpretive Center are open. Conditions are excellent for bird watching, wildflower sighting and picnicking, taking the self-guided geology walk or the Trail Tender shuttle tour.

The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, operated by the Bureau of Land Management, is located east of Baker City, Oregon. Take Exit 302 from Interstate-84 onto Oregon Highway 86 and proceed five miles. The Center is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Admission for adults is $8; seniors are $4.50; children 15 and under are free. Federal passes are accepted.

Visit oregontrail.blm.gov for more information about the Center or call (541)523-1843 for an update on programs and events. For information on other events in Baker County, Oregon, call (800)523-1235.

It’s calving season in cattle country along the byway! Watch for newborn calves frolicking in the valley pastures. Worried and scolding mother cows can be seen, trying to curb their baby’s enthusiasm for newly discovered mobility. The playful antics and splendid facial markings, particularly on calves of mixed breed, are photo-worthy for every animal lover.

Where there are new calves, you will also find Bald Eagles. Always a treat to see, the noble birds act as a cleaning crew in calving grounds. Recently, over 20 Bald Eagles were seen in one field near Haines, Oregon. Watch for them soaring above meadows, standing in the middle of a herd of cows, or perched in willows and cottonwood trees.

Terry Richards, a writer for the Oregonian newspaper and a loyal fan of the Wallowas, recently posted an article on OregonLive.com about the magical mountain range. Read his tips and advice, then come explore.

But remember, just because it is spring in the valleys and the snow line is moving up the mountain sides, travel in the high passes can still be dangerous. Snow clogs many of the passes and you should not continue if you encounter drifts in the road. It will get worse as you move higher and you could get stuck and unable to turn around. Cell service is not available in many remote places. Stay cautious, don’t go into unfamiliar places and enjoy the lower elevations or stick to the well maintained roads.

Most of us live here largely because we like to spend time in the mountains; hiking, camping, skiing, fishing, hunting, biking – whatever our favorite recreational pursuits. Some say we take them for granted. I don’t think so. We’re just used to them always being there and you can only express their beauty so often, such as when the sunset is particularly colorful or the snow especially crisp against a blue sky.

That’s why it is fun to read the reports of someone who has newly discovered our corner of the state. Their fresh perspective on the things we hold so dear is reaffirming and gratifying.

Early in April, Travel Oregon and the Eastern Oregon Visitors Association arranged to have just such an intrepid soul pay us a visit. Cassandra LaConte, a California girl with a sense of adventure, a fantastic eye for great photos, and a pack of followers on Instagram, Twitter and her own blog (Diminsions to the Undefinable), started her visit in Joseph having driven south from Lewiston, Idaho; an amazing drive itself. She had a packed itinerary and appointments to meet with a number of us along her way, so we could each show her a few of our favorite things.

We are now having the privilege of reading her impressions while visiting the Wallowas and Hells Canyon Scenic Byway country. Please take the time to go to her blog and read along. It’s an adventure to share in and one that will make you want to follow her tracks. Please do! We think you will love it, too.

First report:  http://cassandraleconte.blogspot.com/2014/04/oregon.html

Second report:  http://cassandraleconte.blogspot.com/2014/04/oregon-day2.html

#Wallowas, #traveloregon, #easternoregon