If the Forest Service would recondition the Standley Guard Station for public use during winter, this would be a worthwhile trip for a backcountry ski trip. Otherwise, it is a difficult endeavor for a single day ski tour but we're featuring it nonetheless. The challenge is following the narrow ridge out to the wide-open bench where the cabin is. At any point leading up to Bearwallow Trailhead area you could ditch snow machines and skin the rest of the ridge. Some advanced snowmobiling can get you to the wilderness line only 1.5 miles away from the cabin with almost all of the elevation gain completed.
Along the route there are plenty of ski options if the snowpack is good, thanks to a fire in the 2000s that has left a lot of burnt standing timber on some interesting ski terrain. The snow will be good around the cabin with some sweet basins to ski into. It is a beautiful spot with some nice views of the interior of the Wallowas. This area of the Wallowas sees little to no visitors for most of the year, except for wolves and rabbits.
A caveate is a long road slog for 10 miles you will have to endure at the very bottom of Big Canyon. Then, you start climbing on road before it breaks out into more open terrain. It isn't a convenient and fun access point for skiing but it is an interesting option for something challenging and different. You might also be able to access it via the Cougar Ridge Trailhead route, but we haven't tried that. In any case, you start just off the highway near Minam at Big Canyon Road where a fish hatchery is.
