12th Annual Eastern Oregon Backcountry Festival

We are so excited to be celebrating 12 years of glorious mountain culture in Eastern Oregon. We’ll continue to offer two avalanche snow safety clinics on Saturday taught by Wallowa Avalanche Center forecasters and the guided backcountry tour in the A-Lakes backcountry on Sunday. Also, our online fundraiser will have a ton of cool gear and local merchant prizes to auction off. So…come up to Anthony Lakes for a fantastic weekend of backcountry fun and support the Wallowa Avalanche Center and their mission of keeping people safe and riding on top.

Jan. 22 – Feb. 4, 2024- Online Auction

Online auction to benefit and raise funds for the Wallowa Avalanche Center. Amazing prizes, equipment, and services from local businesses and sponsors will be available.

Feb. 2, 2024 – Film Showing & Fundraiser @ HQ in downtown La Grande

We’ll be showing the new Matchstick productions movie, LAND OF THE GIANTS. Along with showing the film we’ll have a raffle and pie auction event to raise funds for the WAC. Dust off the old family recipes or excite us with your phenomenal baking skills. We need pie donations galore! Expect great local brew, food, and vendors. 

Saturday, Feb. 3 – Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort

8 a.m – Festivities start out with the Kip Rand Memorial Backcountry Race.

10 a.m. – Avalanche Companion Rescue Clinic at Anthony Lakes. (Meet at EOBF tent outside south of the rental shop)

1 p.m. – Avalanche Basics Clinic: snow profiles and stability tests in the AL backcountry.(Meet at EOBF tent south of the rental shop)

3 p.m. – Wanderlust at the Lodge. Come dressed in your most outlandish outfit and prepare to dance your pants off!

Sunday, Feb. 4 – Elkhorn Mountains

9 a.m. – Self-organized free touring day in the Anthony Lakes backcountry. Join WAC forecasters on a tour of Angell Basin near A-Lakes. They’ll show you some helpful techniques for evaluating the local snowpack and good touring options. (Meet at EOBF tent south of the rental shop)