As you probably don't read the register-guard in Eugene, lately from Bill Sullivan
(appeared on July 15th in the Outdoors section):
Hidden Wilderness
You may be ready for a summer hike or backpack into the High Cascades, but are the mountains ready for you? If
you’re worried about running into lingering snowdrifts or mosquitoes on your favorite high-elevation trail, consider a
scenic peak that’s a little lower: Battle Ax in the Bull of the Woods Wilderness.
Near Mount Jefferson, Battle Ax not only commands views from Mount Hood to Diamond Peak, but it also hosts an
interesting rock garden of subalpine wildflowers and weather-stunted trees.
A 6.4-mile loop to the summit gains 1,730 feet of elevation, passing a collection of tranquil ponds. If you’re
backpacking, you might bypass the summit and head for forest-rimmed Twin Lakes.
Conservationists once called this mountain hideaway the Hidden Wilderness, because it really is overlooked by
crowds. It helps that the final six miles of the drive are on a miserably bumpy road.
I’ve seen even a Prius drive to this trailhead, but everyone has to take it slow and easy.
The wilderness area’s official name, “Bull of the Woods” was originally the name used to describe a tough crew boss
in Oregon’s ox-logging days.
Some say Battle Ax won its name because of the peak’s sharp, hatchet-shaped silhouette. Others note that “Battle
Ax” was a brand of chewing tobacco popular when gold prospectors scoured this area in the 1890s.
To find the trailhead, start in the town of Detroit, 50 miles east of Salem on North Santiam Highway 22. From Eugene,
the prettiest route to Detroit is to drive up the McKenzie River to the second “Y”, just before Santiam Pass, and turn
left toward Salem for 32 miles.
At a “Breitenbush River” pointer beside the bridge in the town of Detroit, turn north on paved Breitenbush Road 46 for
4.3 miles.
Then turn left onto one-lane, paved Road 4696 for 0.7 mile, and turn left again onto Road 4697, a gravel road with a
“No Trailers” sign.
After 0.9 miles, Road 4697 degenerates to a rocky, gullied track. After enduring an additional 3.7 miles of this road,
you’ll reach a junction in a pass. Veer left past a green metal post onto a level road that’s just as awful. At a fork 2
miles later you’ll reach a possible parking spot.
Do not attempt to continue driving up the rough road to the right 0.4 miles to the official “trailhead,” because there is
no parking and no turnaround spot up there.
In fact, parking is so tight even at the road junction that it’s best to take the left-hand fork and drive 0.4 miles down
Road 390 to the Elk Lake Campground. Here you’ll find parking, a restroom, and a lovely lakeshore. Motors are not
allowed on Elk Lake, so it’s a quiet spot to canoe, fish or camp.
If you’ve parked at the lake, walk back up the road 0.4 miles to the junction, and walk left up the road another 0.4
miles to a post on the right marking Trail 544. If you have a global positioning system device, the location here is N44
49.421’ W122 07.867’.
The trail switchbacks up through a lichen-draped Douglas fir forest with an understory of vine maple. After a viewpoint
of Mount Jefferson at 0.7 miles the path levels off through a plateau with blue huckleberry bushes, shaggy-barked
Alaska cedars and froggy subalpine ponds.
When the path crosses rockslides, listen for the “meep!” of guinea-pig-sized pikas warning their friends.
After 2 miles on this trail you’ll reach an X-shaped junction at a ridgecrest.
Here you face a decision. If you prefer lakes to peaks, you could go straight on Trail 544 for the long trek to Twin
Lakes.
In this case your route climbs gradually up and down along a ridge 1.5 miles to a junction in a forested saddle. Turn
right on the 1.9-mile path down to Upper Twin Lake. Then keep right for an additional 0.8 miles to find its lower
partner, an even prettier pool in deep hemlock woods.
For the loop to Battle Ax, however, turn uphill to the left at the X-shaped junction onto Trail 544B. This narrower path
climbs a ridge with wind-stunted hemlocks and rock gardens of pinemat manzanita and purple penstemon.
At Battle Ax’s summit, eight foundation piers remain of the old fire lookout. The High Cascades stretching from Mount
Adams to Diamond Peak also are visible from this summit.Take a short side trip out of a shaley ridge to the east for a
breathtaking view down to Elk Lake.
Then continue on the loop trail down the mountain’s south face 1.5 miles to Beachie Saddle, where you turn left onto
an abandoned road. Closed to vehicles by washouts, the old road is now a hiking trail back to your car.
William L. Sulllivan is the author of 18 books, including “The Oregon Variations,” a new collection of short stories with
one story set in every county in the state. Read a sample at
http://www.oregonhiking.com.
TP
