WALLOWA COUNTY — How does a ski trip to the Wallowa Mountains sound for some serious backcountry downhill skiing?

That’s what Victor and Kelly McNeil and Eagle Cap Mountain Guides are offering for hardy souls of intermediate or advanced skiing expertise.

Starting after the first of the year, the McNeils will begin their fourth season offering overnight backcountry yurt trips to give customers the opportunity to explore the Wallowas in the winter. The season lasts through mid-April.

Victor McNeil, who is based in La Grande, said the winter experience can build on what people who are familiar with the Wallowas in the summer already know.

“Anybody who’s been to the Wallowas in the summer, knows it’s beautiful,” he said. “Add snow and it takes it to the next level.”

Almost everything suppliedThe McNeils provide food, sleeping bags, pads and pillows, but customers bring their own alpine touring skis or split boards and avalanche rescue gear. They also need to bring some experience skiing in the backcountry.

“It’s not really a good place for beginners,” he said. “They need to be intermediate to advanced downhill skiers and competent to ski in variable conditions.”

The McNeils and the up to five ski guides they hire will do all the real work.

“We do all the guiding and cooking for the price tag,” he said.

Accommodations include a 20-foot yurt that serves as the dining and hang-out area, a sauna and a 20-by-16-foot wall tent for sleeping.

McNeil said the charge varies, depending on the number of people. For a full group of seven, the fee is $350 per person per day. The experience is generally two to three nights.

“It depends on what the group wants to do, but we do a minimum of two (nights),” he said.

They also do day trips, he added.

Clientele varies

They do get a wide variety of skiers coming into Northeast Oregon for the experience. Many come from Portland, Seattle, Boise and Bend.

“We do have some local customers, as well,” he said.

Particularly, locals who know the Eagle Cap Range are aware it “is just a special, beautiful spot,” he said.

The tripsAfter taking a snowmobile to where the yurt is pitched, near Buck Creek Drainage above Union, clients enjoy at least a couple of days skiing that area.

They also do four-day, three-night ski mountaineering trips that traverse the Wallowas at the old gold-mining ghost town lodge of Cornucopia near Halfway that end near Wallowa Lake.

“It’s a long trip, a lot of up and down,” McNeil said. “We do all kinds of different trips. The overnight ski trips are our bread and butter, but we offer other trips as well.”

SafetyMcNeil is certified with the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association, which is the highest level of mountain guide certification in the world. He said that all of his guides are professionally trained by organizations such as the American Mountain Guides Association and the American Avalanche Association.

They also teach the basics of dealing with avalanches. During the first three weekends in January, they’ll be offering avalanche-training courses in accordance with the regional avalanche center. The three-day, 20-hour courses teach how to avoid getting caught in an avalanche, reading avalanche conditions and teaching rescue skills.

“Some employees are avalanche forecasters and teach avalanche courses for the Wallowa Avalanche Center,” McNeil said.

Part of their equipment consists of small, packable sleds that can be used to evacuate people if they become injured.

“If a person were to get injured, we can haul them out in them,” he said.

To reserve your place in the yurt and on the mountain, contact Eagle Cap Mountain Guides.

Eagle Cap Mountain Guides

What: Backcountry ski guides

Who: Victor and Kelly McNeil

Phone: 503-329-6603

Where: 80 Otten Drive, La Grande

Email: info@eaglecapmountainguides.com

Online: https://eaglecapmountainguides.com/