Beehive Peak

Beehive Peak

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Summary

Beehive Peak
Javaman.
Another Labor Day upon us and another search for something newish, backcountry and canine-friendly …and suitable for a 3-day weekend from Portland. We thought about going back to the Wind Rivers again but the drive seemed a bit much for 3 days (getting old). A quick search through mountainproject’s multi-pitch options in Montana revealed a new to us Beehive Basin area outside of Big Sky (~2h drive time savings). And so went. A leisurely drive after work on Friday night and an equally leisurely continuation the next day put us at the trailhead in the late afternoon on Saturday. Quick approach to Beehive Basin and an unhurried climb on Sunday (alpine start of 10am). We climbed the Original Route, a.k.a. Javaman, (5 pitch, 5.10) and found it to be pretty nice: sustained at 5.9 with a 20 foot section of harder climbing. Good quality rock as well. Experience is marred only by the presence of the sprawling ski area visible on the horizon. One more night in camp and back home the following evening. While there’s the light and fast approach, this trip would fall under slow and gourmet – yeah, we ate and drank quite well during our two nights in the backcountry on this one.

Photos

Beehive Peak
Starting the hike up to Beehive Basin on a late afternoon (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
More approach scenery (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Benny on approach. There’s always the energy left over for some vigorous stick play (Sept. 2018).

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Shirley and Benny on the hike in. Beehive Peak is the pointy thing just right of center (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Late afternoon approach to Beehive Basin (Sept. 2018).

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Benny in our camp in the evening (Sept. 2018).

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Beehive Peak above Beehive Basin. The Original Route (a.k.a. Javaman) climbs more or less the center of this SE face (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Cooking up something gourmet (Sept. 2018).

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Morning in Beehive Basin (Sept. 2018).

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Benny ready to go (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Starting the approach to the route in the morning (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Small crags above camp. There’s a short 5.7 mulitpitch on that formation reportedly (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Beehive Peak. The Original Route or Javaman starts at a tiny overhang just above the ground and adjacent to the black streak on right (Sept. 2018).

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A closer view (Sept. 2018).

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Charging up (Sept. 2018).

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Benny on the hike up (Sept. 2018).

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Chilling (Sept. 2018).

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Racking up for the route (Sept. 2018).

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Leading pitch 1 of Javaman (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Good boy!!

Beehive Peak
Good climbing on pitch 1 ; the whole route in fact (Sept. 2018).

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Shirley on pitch 1 (Sept. 2018).

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Leading pitch 2: nice cracks to good slab to crux dihedral above (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Looking back at Benny from low on Javaman (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Shirley on the slab section of pitch 2 (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Looking into Beehive Basin (and our camp) from low on the route (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Shirley on the crux of the route (pitch 2; Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Shirley at an uncomfortable belay atop pitch 2 of Javaman (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Shirley topping out on the pitch 3 traverse (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Views tainted by the ski resort (Sept. 2018).

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Belay atop pitch 3 (Sept. 2018).

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Starting up pitch 4 – quite nice (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Looking back at Shirley from the lead of pitch 4 (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Higher on pitch 4 (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
The view is not pristine. Big Sky ski resort takes a little bit away unfortunately (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Shirley topping out on pitch 4 of Javaman (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Views into Beehive Basin. Our camp is just right of that larger puddle (Sept. 2018).

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Shirley nearing the top of pitch 5 of Javaman (Sept. 2018).

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Shirley on the summit of Beehive Peak (Sept. 2018).

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A plaque and an empty summit register (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Views from the summit. One of these is probably Beehive Lake on the opposite side of the mountain to where we’re camped out (Sept. 2018).

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Shirley entering the shit gully on descent (Sept. 2018).

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In the shit gully (Sept. 2018).

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Shirley and Benny hiking down (Sept. 2018).

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Descending with Beehive in the background (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Shirley and Benny hiking down back to camp (next to that large puddle below; Sept. 2018).

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Almost dinner time (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Benny nearing our camp (Sept. 2018).

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Chilling back near camp after our climb (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Life is good (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Not much of a lake…more of a puddle (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Camp life (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Tent family times (Sept. 2018).

Beehive Peak
Hiking out early in the morning on day 3 (Sept. 2018).

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