The Wallowa Lake Tramway is an aerial cable

gondola lift A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supp ...

near

Joseph, Oregon Joseph is a city in Wallowa County, Oregon, United States. Originally named Silver Lake and Lake City, the city formally named itself in 1880 for Chief Joseph (1840–1904) of the Nez Perce people. The population was 1,081 at the 2010 census. ...

, in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, named for

Wallowa Lake Wallowa Lake is a ribbon lake south of Joseph, Oregon, United States, at an elevation of . Impounded by high moraines, it was formed by a series of Pleistocene glaciers. On the south end of the lake is Wallowa Lake, Oregon, a small community made ...

. The tram runs from the floor of the

Wallowa Valley Wallowa may refer to: Places *Wallowa, Oregon *Wallowa County, Oregon *Wallowa Lake *Wallowa Lake State Park *Wallowa Mountains *Wallowa River Other *''Acacia calamifolia'', a shrub or tree *''Acacia euthycarpa'', a shrub or tree * ''The Wallo ...

to the top of Mount Howard.Oppenheimer, Laura. Beyond Bend. ''

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 185 ...

'', August 19, 2007. It travels to an elevation of above sea level and allows for views of the

Eagle Cap Wilderness Eagle Cap Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the Wallowa Mountains of northeastern Oregon (United States), within the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest.

area and the rest of the

Wallowa Mountains The Wallowa Mountains () are a mountain range located in the Columbia Plateau of northeastern Oregon in the United States. The range runs approximately northwest to southeast in southwestern Wallowa County and eastern Union County between the ...

History

The tramway was built in 1968,Oregon's Eagle Cap opens to skiers. ''

Spokesman Review ''The Spokesman-Review'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a ...

'', December 31, 1997. and opened for service in 1970.Richards, Suzanne. Little Switzerland destination Northwest. ''

'', January 6, 1991. In June 1992, a malfunction caused the evacuation of the lift's passengers who were then flown by helicopter down the mountain, with no injuries reported. This was the first safety incident for the tram. Later that year, the tramway was used to haul

fire fighters A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...

fighting a forest fire to the top of the mountain. In 1999, tram owners explored expanding the tramway to include a winter resort.Barker, Eric. Owners of Wallowa Lake Tramway want to expand; Owners of tramway ask the U.S. Forest Service for permission to expand into a full-scale ski area. ''

Lewiston Morning Tribune ''The Lewiston Morning Tribune'' is an independently owned newspaper in the northwestern United States, located in Lewiston, Idaho. Founded in 1892, it serves counties in north-central Idaho and southeastern Washington, the southern portion o ...

'', October 16, 1999.

Operations

Twenty-five towers are used along the route to support the cables of tramway. The Wallowa Lake Tramway rises vertically,Lorton, Steven R. Wonderful Wallowas; Wallowa Mountains, Oregon. ''Sunset'', August 1, 2000, No. 2, Vol. 205; Pg. 34 ; . starting at the level of the lake. At the top of the gondola ride, an elevation of , is Oregon's highest restaurant, the Alpine Grill. The Tramway runs May through October. It formerly ran on the weekends in winter for

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...

and

snowshoeing Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwe ...

.Richard, Terry. The Wallowas in winter. ''

'', December 17, 2000. The four-person gondolas take fifteen minutes to make a one-way trip. The tram is the steepest four-person gondola in North America, ending at the peak of Mount Howard.Wood, Terry. Get Out - Eastern Oregon: Serious hikes, spectacular scenery put the WOW in Wallowa. ''

The Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington (s ...

''. September 13, 2007. The tram is operated on of land leased from the Forest Service through a special national forest permit. At the summit one can view wildlife, and wildflowers in an

alpine meadow Alpine tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high elevation, with an associated harsh climate. As the latitude of a location approaches the poles, the threshold elevation for alpine tundra gets ...

. Parts of Oregon,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

, and

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

are visible from the summit. Two miles (3 km) of hiking trails are available.

References

{{Reflist, 30em

External links

Wallowa Lake Tramway
(official website) Transportation in Wallowa County, Oregon Tourist attractions in Wallowa County, Oregon Wallowa–Whitman National Forest Gondola lifts in the United States 1968 establishments in Oregon Joseph, Oregon