Pat & Sharon O'Toole

Battle Mountain lies a mile or so northwest of our home ranch, depending on where you start measuring. In all my years, I have been all around it, up and down looking for cattle, and made several forays nearly to the top. But I had never stood on the summit, which is actually a large mesa. The area is famous for its wildlife, particularly the elk herds who hang here to rut and shelter during the fall migration. They like the mountain-top, with its feed, spring water and relative safety from hunters.

Last week, Pat said, “Let’s go to the top of Battle Mountain and look for strays.” Now we did not expect to find that any cows and calves that high, even though it is contiguous to our summer pasture. We know that we could see the world from there, and with the help of binoculars, save ourselves a lot of riding. I was glad to go and finally know that I had been to the top.

We went horseback, and had to lead our horses up through the last rocky embankments that lie just below the sagelands on the summit. When the volcano erupted, about a zillion years ago (I’m sure geologists have an idea when, but I don’t), it left a ring of cliffs around most of the top. A canyon was blown out of the east side, leaving a huge rectangular mass with a V cut out of one side. The sides are covered with a variety of plant life, from sage to pines to aspen groves to Gambol’s oak (its northern-most range, we are told). The key is to wind your way up through the sage areas, and try to minimize the bushwhacking through the brush. It makes sense to follow the many deer and elk paths, except that they can duck under and hop over obstacles that truly obstruct a horse and rider.

When we scrambled to the top, I found a different world than I had expected. The mesa is not evenly connected, but separated into zones by other natural features like rocks and trees. I guess rocks and trees should be expected in such a place! On the slope below the highest point, which actually looks like a pointy summit, we spotted several hundred elk. We could hear their eerie whistles and they milled and courted.

It was getting on toward sunset, and was pretty darned cold, even though snow spotted the ground only unevenly. We found some cattle, some miles to the east, but at least we knew where to look. And we took some photos.

Elk Heaven
photo by Sharon O'Toole

Bibleback & Camelback Mountains
photo by Sharon O'Toole