{"id":500,"date":"2015-01-02T09:53:41","date_gmt":"2015-01-02T17:53:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/outdoor\/?page_id=500"},"modified":"2026-04-08T11:38:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T18:38:30","slug":"eastern-oregon-backcountry-festival-2026","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/outdoor\/eastern-oregon-backcountry-festival-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"14th Annual Eastern Oregon Backcountry Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jan 30 – Feb 1, 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n
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The 14th annual Eastern Oregon Backcountry Festival is going to be the best one yet! We will host our annual film showing and fundraiser Friday night at HQ<\/a> in La Grande while still offering an online auction through the month of December and January to raise funds for the Wallowa Avalanche Center. For Saturday events move up to Anthony Lakes where we’ll have the Kip Rand Memorial Backcountry Race, host several free snow safety clinics throughout the day, and have live music by High Pine Whiskey Yell<\/a> in the Main Lodge at 3:30pm. On Sunday, join WAC forecasters for a tour into the A-Lakes backcountry to assess snow conditions and learn about the local terrain. The event is a collaboration between the Outdoor Adventure Program<\/a>, Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort<\/a>, and Wallowa Avalanche Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the events on Saturday and Sunday are free to attend and participate in. All the fundraising is for the Wallowa Avalanche Center (WAC) and we want people to know that even small donations can make a big difference in helping us promote safe and informed decision-making in the backcountry of Northeast Oregon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A special thanks goes out to this year’s local festival sponsors: Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort<\/a>, Eagle Cap Mountain Guides<\/a>, and Union County Chamber of Commerce <\/a>for their support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fabulous Auction & Raffle Items<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We have received tremendous support from the backcountry community and local businesses! Here are a few of the FANTASTIC<\/strong> auction items we’ll have for 2026:<\/p>\n\n\n\n