Mount Howard is located in North Easter Oregon and it is the tallest mountain of the Wallowa region. It is known for its breathtaking view from its summit. Due to its popularity, a tram was built to take visitors all the way to the peak at more than 10000ft. There is also a restaurant at the summit of the mountain Called Summit Grill. People in Wallowa often ride the tram to the top to grab a drink while enjoying the view from the summit. In addition, due to Mount Howards height and location, the summit of Mount Howard also provides the perfect place for launching paragliding. Paragliding is a very well known recreational activity here.
The tram station was not far from Wallowa Lake Resort lodge. It only took us about 1 minute to walk to there. When we got there, there was not many people heading to the summit due to the low visibility of the day. The kid who set up the fire in Columbia Gorge is to blame for all these smog. We got to the ticket booth and the round trip ticket is $30 per adult. Seniors and kids under the age of 12 can get cheaper tickets.
The tram seems quite aged but well maintained. The tram was not very big and can only sit 4 people. After we got into the tram, we had to wait for a couple minutes before the tram actually starts moving. While taking the tram, we had the perfect view over Wallowa Lake from the top. It was just amazing. Looking down at the mountain, we could also see trails used by ATVs to deliver goods to the top of the mountain.
After around 7 minutes, we got to the top of the summit. The first thing we did is to grab lunch at Summit Grill restaurant. It was not a very big restaurant and just offered the usually burger, fries, and salad. We did see many locals enjoying their lunch here.
Once we finished our lunch, we went for some hike at the summit. There were few very short trails at the summit. Every trails at the summit lead to a view point towards different directions. However, due to low visibility, we could not see very far. The total of all the trails at the summit sums up to be about 2 miles, but when we were hiking on the trail, it felt less than 2 miles and we finished all the trails rather quickly.
We also went to see the paragliding launch area at the summit. There was no one there when we went. We could feel strong wind blowing towards us.
In general, Mount Howard summit is a must visit place since it is the hallmark of the region. The summit of Mount Howard offers incredible views during clear weather and having a drink at the Summit Grill is just one of the best thing to enjoy.
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