Aneroid Mountain - 8.2.2022
We started this hike from the base (4450') of the Wallowa Lake Tramway... located just south of Wallowa Lake... and will step off of the tram at 8140 feet... 100 feet below the summit (8241') of Mount Howard.
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After hiking a third of a mile we are very near the summit of Mount Howard... here looking at the path leading over to Royal Purple Overlook... named after Royal Purple Creek which is the drainage just below us that goes down into the East Fork of Wallowa River down in the valley... we will be heading toward East Peak over on the far left in the photo.
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On the summit (8241') of Mount Howard... getting ready to give up 200 feet of elevation and head toward East Peak which is the middle peak in the left foreground.
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Giving up elevation from the summit of Mount Howard and will soon be gaining elevation toward East Peak which is now barely visible in the middle of the photo.
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After hiking a total of 1.2 miles we are entering the Eagle Cap Wilderness at the north end of East Peak... here looking west and NW across the valley to the Hurwal Divide (left) and Chief Joseph Mountain (right).
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Beginning to traverse underneath the east side of East Peak... and East Peak will block our view of the Eagle Cap peaks and mountains for at least another mile and a half of hiking.
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Pretty much underneath the summit of East Peak now... heading for the pass out there in the foreground. 'Aneroid Mountain North' is the peak in the left foreground... and we got our first look at Aneroid Mountain beyond the north peak.
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After hiking a total of 2.9 miles we have reached what I named 'Asterisk Pass'... with 'Aneroid Mountain North' to the left of the asterisk and Aneroid Mountain to the right of the asterisk.
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From Asterisk Pass we have made it past East Peak and can once again see a lot of the Eagle Cap peaks and mountains... plus Aneroid Lake in the center of the photo.
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A closer look at Aneroid Lake from Asterisk Pass... located below Petes Point (left) and Point 9160 (right) above the lake... and beyond Petes Point and Point 9160 on the horizon are Glacier Peak (left) and Eagle Cap (right).
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Denali Girl at Asterisk Pass... with East Peak behind her.
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Leaving Asterisk Pass the path becomes more faint... and we will kind of directly head for Aneroid Mountain in the distance by hiking along the west side of 'Aneroid Mountain North' in the foreground.
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Looking back at Asterisk Pass and East Peak as we hike along the west side of 'Aneroid Mountain North'.
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Reeling in Aneroid Mountain... but there is still plenty of work to do.
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This pano was shot from underneath the summit area of 'Aneroid Mountain North'... looking south to Aneroid Mountain on the far left... and looking north to East Peak on the far right.
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We have passed beyond 'Aneroid Mountain North' and will have to give up a little elevation before making the final push to the summit of Aneroid Mountain.
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We had to give up ~200 feet of elevation since leaving Asterisk Pass... but after having passed by 'Aneroid Mountain North' every step from here to the summit will pretty much be uphill.
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Looking back at 'Aneroid Mount North' as we continue hiking for the Aneroid summit.
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Continuing to gain elevation on our way to the Aneroid summit... here looking back at Chief Joseph Mountain on the far left... and East Peak and 'Aneroid Mountain North' on the far right.
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Reeling in the summit of Aneroid Mountain.
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Denali Girl took a break and sent me ahead... with the last 300 feet of elevation gain to the summit being pretty steep.
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Almost on the summit.
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After hiking a total of 5.1 miles I am standing on the summit (9702') of Aneroid Mountain watching Denali Girl coming up from near the patch of snow below.
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On the summit of Aneroid Mountain... looking SW toward Dollar Lake and looking NW toward Bonneville Mountain.
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Looking down at Aneroid Lake... and Denali Girl pointed out that the 'shallow and kind of scumy lake' just below Aneroid Lake is actually named 'Roger Lake'... and I'm still trying to process her description of the lake.
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A closer look at the Dollar Lake area.
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Denali Girl on the Aneroid summit... with Aneroid Lake and Roger Lake below.
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Looking SE from the Aneroid summit at the Bonny Lakes... with Hells Canyon not all that many miles away.
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The 1954 benchmark on the summit of Aneroid Mountain... with no mention of 'Aneroid'... but it does say 'Bonny'... perhaps it was originally referred to as 'Bonny Mountain'.
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Descending from the summit of Aneroid Mountain... it is 2:30 pm and we need to get back to the tram before it shuts down at 5:45 pm.
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Pretty much tracing our steps back to the tram... with 'Aneroid Mountain North' and East Peak in the distance.
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Heading for Asterisk Pass... with East Peak beyond.
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Traversing underneath East Peak... looking back at 'Aneroid Mountain North' on the far left... and our last look at 'Aneroid Mountain' for the day.
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We have passed by East Peak and can see the rounded summit of Mount Howard in the center of the photo... with Royal Purple Overlook on the far left... with the town of Joseph, Oregon out there in the flat country on the far left.
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Heading for the rounded summit of Mount Howard... another half mile of hiking will get us to the tram 20 minutes before it shuts down for the day... the hike was a total of 10.2 miles, gaining 2261 feet of elevation.
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