Mount Beachie – Battle Ax Loop
We found a nice camp spot at Elk Lake. Each morning started with an early kayak trip around the lake to watch the nights fog layer succumb to the rising sun. While we were at the lake, we explored the upper meadow, where the lake water comes from, and the lower meadow, where the lake transitions to Elk Lake Creek and ultimately empties into the Collawash River.
Saturday, we hiked the Mount Beachie-Battle Ax loop, which starts out with a cross-country scramble of the Eastern summit of Mt Beachie, and over to the true summit of Mount Beachie. Then taking the trail back to Beachie Saddle and up to the summit of Battle Ax, where we continued along the ridge and back to our camp on the lake.
Fun weekend with my lovely wife, Deb.
Deb and I going for an early morning kayak around Elk Lake…
Mount Beachie (East Summit) and Battle Ax (right)
Morning light on Beachie…
The sun drawing up the fog, sometimes as small cyclones…
Hiking past a few primitive camp sites…I guess without enforcement, rules don’t apply.
Odd place to dump road brushing material…
Heading up the scramble route to the east summit of Mt Beachie. That’s Elk Lake in the distance.
Just use the goat trails…literally.
First view of the east summit of Mt Beachie and Phone Booth Rock…
At Phone Booth Rock. I gave it that name 20 years ago when cell reception in this area was very limitted. I used to camp at the lake for more than a week, and would climb this rock to call the office. It was the only place with cell reception 🙂
Looking down at Giebeler Lake.
Elk Lake Basin (right) and Battle Ax Creek Canyon (left)
Phone Booth Rock…
Looking through the keyhole at the Battle Ax Creek drainage…
From the true summit of Mt Beachie, looking at the craggy east summit and Battle Ax to the left.
Battle Ax Mountain. See the Ear Hole cave?
Been there, done that a couple times…
Good Pika habitat…
From the summit of Battle Ax, looking at the NE ridge of Mt Beachie
Ouch…that’s the Bull of The Woods Wilderness. Burned many times in the past 20 years, the biggest being the Bull Complex fire in 2021…
Back down near camp…
Upper meadow…
Lower meadow…
The track for Saturday’s hike, the Beachie Battle Ax loop…
