REDISCOVERING MYSELF THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Visit to the "Banana Belt" of Wallowa County in winter

This winter has been a disappointment to me...primarily because there has been one incident of measurable snow, which was about 6 inches right before Christmas.  Then the rain began and after the snow melted, the only moisture has been in the form of rain.  We get a rain-snow mix, but nothing that sticks.  Temperatures have been in the high 30's and low 40's, which certainly hasn't been conducive to winter weather.  Recently, we took a drive to the neighboring mountainous county of Wallowa to visit Imnaha.  My husband hadn't been there  for years, and I simply wanted to go "somewhere." It's 40 miles to Joseph, which is essentially "the end of the road" in NE Oregon.  The trip to Imnaha is 30 miles NE into an isolated area, which has been homesteaded for generations.  Joseph sits at an elevation of 4,190 feet and Imnaha's elevation is 1,978 feet. The temperature on the car thermometer crept higher the farther north we went, from 38 to 51 degrees: hence the name "the banana belt."  The growing season is considerably longer in Imnaha.


The landscape is basically treeless, unlike much of the forested land of Wallowa County. 






These cows needed short legs on the uphill side for the steep
                                grazing land. Several ranchers have cattle in this area.                                           

There's a Post Office and a school in "city center." 

The Imnaha Store has a colorful history. 

4 comments:

Bill said...

Thanks for sharing these--- I would love to get over there one day.

Unknown said...

This looks like a great place to visit, Evelyn.
The lack of trees in the landscape is truly striking.

Michelle said...

Wonderful photos of this area. The city center is about the size of town I enjoy.

Laura~Pretty Pix said...

Fascinating info, Evelyn. We'd love to explore that region again.. it's been well over 30 years, when we lived in Kennewick.
Wow, time flies.
Thanks for sharing!