Wender·Vista
Anthony Lakes alpine basin
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileOregon
in the Elkhorn Mountains, northeast Oregon

Anthony Lakes alpine basin

— powder the granite kept dry.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“A granite-rimmed basin in the Elkhorn Range west of Baker City, with the highest base elevation of any ski hill in Oregon. The lakes hold ice into June. In winter the chair line moves about a hundred skiers an hour and the snow keeps the cold-smoke texture the eastern slopes are known for. — from the studio

from the studio
Anthony Lakes alpine basin
— bring it home

Anthony Lakes alpine basin, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Anthony Lakes alpine basin

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Anthony Lake sits at about 7,100 feet in the Elkhorn Mountains, a granite spur of the Blue Mountains in northeastern Oregon. The basin is part of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and lies roughly thirty-five miles west of Baker City on Forest Road 73, also called the Elkhorn Drive Scenic Byway. The small ski area above the lake, Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort, runs a single triple chair from the base to a summit of 8,000 feet and is the highest base-elevation ski area in Oregon by a clear margin.

— the air

The dry cold-smoke snow Anthony Lakes is known for comes from its position east of the Cascade rain shadow. By the time a Pacific storm reaches the Elkhorns it has lost most of its water content, so the snow falls light and powdery rather than wet. Annual snowfall averages around 300 inches, deposited at temperatures cold enough that the surface rarely sets up into a crust. Cross-country skiers reach the upper lakes on skin or snowshoe well into May, after the resort itself has closed.

— the season

The road in, Forest Road 73, closes through deep winter and is plowed only as far as the resort gate, so the upper basin in February is reached by snowcat or on skin. The lakes thaw in late June. Wildflower bloom on the meadows runs from early July through mid-August, with paintbrush and lupine the dominant colour. Western larch on the lower slopes turn gold around the second week of October, a short window of seven to ten days before the needles drop.

— where
United States · Baker County, Oregon
— within
Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
— elevation
2,164 m · 7,100 ft
— position
44.9619° N · 118.2300° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
1 km E
Elkhorn Crest Trail
ridge trail
1 km S
Hoffer Lakes
alpine lakes
55 km E
Baker City
town
30 km S
Phillips Lake
reservoir
25 km SW
Sumpter
historic mining town
N
Anthony Lakes alpine basin
Elkhorn Crest Trail
Hoffer Lakes
Baker City
Phillips Lake
Sumpter
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Anthony Lakes alpine basin — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Anthony Lakes lies in the Elkhorn Mountains of northeastern Oregon, inside the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. The basin is about thirty-five miles west of Baker City on Forest Road 73.

Yes. Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort runs a single triple chair from a base at 7,100 feet to a summit of 8,000 feet, making it the highest base-elevation ski hill in Oregon.

The Elkhorns sit east of the Cascade rain shadow. Pacific storms drop most of their moisture before reaching the range, so what falls at Anthony Lakes is cold and light. Snowfall averages around 300 inches a year.

Anthony Lake, Hoffer Lakes, Black Lake, and Crawfish Lake all sit within a short walk of the trailhead. The Elkhorn Crest Trail connects them along a ridge running above 8,000 feet.

Forest Road 73 typically clears of snow by mid-June and stays open through October. In winter it is plowed only to the ski-area gate; the upper basin is reached on skis or by snowcat.

Western larch on the lower slopes turn gold around the second week of October. The window is short, usually seven to ten days before the needles drop for the year.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for customers from northeastern Oregon. Anthony Lakes is one of the recognized places out that way. A Small or Medium with a handwritten studio note travels well.

The granite and pine palette reads cleanly in Mountain-modern, Cabin-modern, and warm Scandinavian rooms. It pairs well with raw wood, wool textiles, and matte black hardware.

The piece fits the current alpine-modern direction: desaturated greens and granite greys, one strong horizon, plenty of negative space, treated as fine art rather than as resort memorabilia.

A single Large reads from across the room over a standard sofa. A 4-tile Mural carries the basin and ridge as one image; a 9-tile Mural treats the view as a wall-scale window.

Yes, in Dura Satin or Matte. Both finishes resist scratching and water spotting and are intended for vertical installations like showers and backsplashes.

A soft microfibre cloth and water. The colour is held inside the ceramic surface beneath a thin glossy finish, so nothing wipes off or fades with normal cleaning.

Yes. Every WenderVista tile is original Wender Studios work, slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure. No licensing, no third-party art.

— if this one stayed with you

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