For years, I have been hearing about this place. When speaking of it, friends like Matt Barley would make it sound to my ears as though I would have to travel through both time and space to get there. It was mountain country, where men earned an honest wage by the work of their hands and the sweat of their brow. A loving community led a peaceful life in their beautiful and secluded piece of creation. Simple pleasures were celebrated to the glory of God, and the same was graciously offered to any visitor passing through.
I have known Henry for only a few years. In that short time, both of us have lived in Europe – myself as a ski bum in Norway, and Henry as a skateboarder in Barcelona. Both of us appreciate the nomadic lifestyle, which made it easy for us to hit it off after meeting in Moscow. In fact, prior to my departure in 2007, I spent several weeks sleeping on Henry’s couch.
Henry and I agreed over coffee outside of Bucer’s one Summer evening last year that neither of us were eager to get married, or even to start dating. That was before I moved to the Midwest to live with my cousin for the Fall. After I arrived in Wisconsin, I was surprised to hear from Henry, since he is not the type to call, even when he is supposed to, and certainly not out of the blue. Our running joke had been that Henry would never remember I existed until he saw me.
His call could only mean one thing. Henry wasted no time talking about the weather before telling me about his new romantic interest. What struck me at the time was not that Henry had a girlfriend, but how serious he sounded about her. Henry didn’t just tell me he was dating – he told me he had found “the one.” The relationship might have been easier for me to judge over the phone if I had known the girl, but I only recognized her last name from having met her two older brothers years ago. Their family was from Wallowa County.
The girl’s name was Änna. I learned that she grew up riding horses after being adopted into the Hostetter family as Henry would tell me about how he was talking to her father, visiting her family, and falling ever more in love. So it came as no surprise when I soon learned they were engaged, and at the wedding Pastor Tollefson highlighted their differences well: “Swiss-German meets Korean, skateboarder meets equestrian, wanderer meets small-town girl, tall meets… not tall. Opposites attract.”
Henry and Änna were married last Saturday, and the occasion provided the perfect excuse for me to finally visit Wallowa County for the first time. Though I had neither lodging nor transportation, a tent, sleeping bag, and spiffy new sleeping pad would suffice as long as I could find a ride there and back. Thanks to Caroline and Susanna, I did.
The wedding was held at the Hostetter’s Rim Rock Inn Restaurant overlooking Joseph Canyon. One can get an idea of how far removed the restaurant is by reading on its website, where the visitor is given directions not only by car and motorcycle, but also by plane and helicpoter. While it is located only a short sixty miles from Moscow as the crow flies, the two and a half hour drive consists almost entirely of winding roads up and down the Lewsiton and Rattlesnake grades crossing through Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.
The outdoor wedding was a success, despite some ominous storm clouds that constrained themselves to thunder and lightning until after dinner, when the sun had set and the rain began to fall. This didn’t put a damper on the festivities, though, as the band played on and the dance floor was grooving late into the evening with the help of the bride and groom. While the Rim Rock refers to itself as an “Inn,” its accommodations are limited to RV hookups and a trio of furnished tipis. Thankfully, I was able to avoid a soggy tent by crashing Susanna’s tipi, along with David Hoos, Katie Bauer, and the Stevensons.
We were woken up early Sunday morning by the sunlight filling our tipi. When we rolled out of our sleeping bags and opened the flap, we were greeted with an incredible view, complemented by a scrumptious breakfast of coffee and pie, courtesy of Rim Rock managers Otto and Bethany Nielson. The wedding party had dispersed, and we were left with plenty of time to conversate, rejuvinate, and contemplate the scenery before us.
Although our view of the sunrise over Joseph Canyon was a sight to behold, I had been disappointed to learn that the Rim Rock sits on the northern boundary of the county, and that the heart of Wallowa was another half hour down the road. My disappointment returned to expectation when I learned that we would be attending Pastor Tollefson’s Christ Covenant Church in Lostine, which would take us those few extra miles south.
We worshiped with many who had been at the wedding the night before, including Henry’s wonderful family, whom I have known over the years. Afterward, we were invited over for lunch by the Hostetters before hitting the road back to Moscow. Jordan’s invitation, followed by his parents’ incredible hospitality to a complete stranger (in their beautiful home) made me that much more pleased to see Henry and Änna starting a family of their own together.
My first visit to “the county” was a long time coming and over far too quickly. Like my trip to Chicago earlier this Summer, perhaps the only thing the two places share in common is that I left wanting more time to explore. Fortunatley, Wallowa is practically in my backyard, so I hope it will not be long before I return.
A few pictures from the weekend are up on Flickr.
