Beckler River Eh?

The last time I drove up there the place was filled with gypsies/squatters. Hard to find a spot to shoot as all the open spaces had a van, blue tarp, and campfire. Place looked like a spread out State Park campground only not as nice.

You get off on Beckler road, then follow the forest service roads off to the left.
When was that ? And which direction did you go ?

I went up the Index-Galena Road, but it's closed about five miles past index.

Yep.

Last time I saw the couple of places I am thinking of, that is the direction I took, as well.

But the road got washed out after that, and I haven't been back since.

I do know, though, that if you go up to skykomish and take Bekler road to the left, then follow the forest service roads to the left from there, (north and west), you'll find the same places.

I've been wanting to go up there and have a drive around again. Mostly just so I can see if I can reach the same Index-Galena road washout, from the other side. LOL (Or if it is washed out again, even further on.)

The washout that is there now, is a couple miles past the washout that they took a couple years to fix.

IOW: When the sign on the side of the road said, road closed in 5 miles... It was. But they fixed that washout, this spring. FINALLY. And now you drive past that, and you'll find a point further on where the "road is closed" again. But the closed sign only closes off half the road.

If you go around that sign and go further, eventually you'll come to where it has been washed out again.

It's all left me very curious whether I can navigate my way back to the other side of that washout, from the east.

I never seem to have the gas money when I have the time and weather.

And now that I have been around this forum for a while, I am wishing that I could also locate those two spots I stopped at before, and get the coordinates. Just to be able to give something back to the community. But I'd need GPS to get the numbers. As it is, I'd just have to guess at where to locate them on a map. Still can't do even that, until I can get up there again.

Ok, I just traced the roads, using google map.

Much better maps than I expected.

To get to the other side of index-galena road, you take Beckler road off of hw2. Northbound.

Stay on Beckler until you see forest service road 65. Continue north.

That will eventually become Index-Galena road and start heading west.

I might paste something together tonight, from google maps. It will at least show you the roads I am talking about. It'll be huge, so I have no idea if I am going to be able to post it or not.

Still not going to be able to pinpoint the honeyholes. But I'd be willing to bet there are a lot more out there than just the two.

I've been on most of the roads out there. As far as I know there is no way, (unless you go around the gate and through banjo country) F-ing eerie feeling let me tell yeah. Ended up turning around because of gas issues.

Anyway, there are more roads closed due to private property now. Can't even get up to Captains Peek on Beckler.

*There's a cool little spot off the road to Index on the right. Road goes back a little. Evidence of people shooting across the river. I got pic's somewhere from a few years back.


edit* There was 2track that went under the power lines in that direction...never got a chance to follow. I don't think it was far enough North thou

I'll head out there again soon, my Friend likes to explore, and the Geo is cheap to run! 30+ MPG!

Let's try this.

I don't know if this will show up or not.

If it does, you should be able to trace Beckler all the way to Index-Galena Rd.


My property also appears on this map. But I am not going to mark it. LOL

And if I remember correctly, you should be able to go the entire distance in the Geo. I don't think that any of those roads are bad enough to require 4x4.

Howsomever... It is getting cold at night up here.

If you make the trip out there, take some mucho warm clothes. Sleeping gear. Something to make a fire with, and some groceries. Just in case you get stuck somewhere overnight.

And save a few large caliber rounds in something, just in case. We have some really big brown bears showing up out here now.

Index road wash out


Shooting across river near park. (there is a large open area there too, but backstop is concrete blocks)


This is your first sign at the top of the pass(?)


I guess no actual picture of the gate later on.
Anyway, maybe things have changed. Go explore, it's fun.

Did I read this correctly?



If I read the regulations correctly, shooting across a body of water is a No-No. Right there on the list with dumping trash or shooting at explosive targets.

Yeah, Not really sure why since there was other places to shoot. Must have been laziness.

That is several years ago. Looks like just before they put up jersey blocks all the way across the road as a barrier, because people were still driving out across this stretch.

They finally got that fixed. Then the road washed out even worse, further on. (Or was already washed out, there, but of course we couldn't see it. LOL)


Top of the pass ???

Top of the pass would be up at the ski resort.

Never was a "gate" on Index-Galena. Just the big signs. And then later, the barrier.

That DOES look like the signs that were up on Index-Galena, when the washout still looked like it does in your first pic. More of the road eventually disappeared.

For a couple years, those jersey barriers just sat there. And they took the signs down. Just left a couple real close to the barriers. You couldn't go any further, anyway, so what was the point of big signs further back towards town, on the road ? LOL Except for the normal size traffic signs they left up near the highway, that said the road was washed out...

Isn't there a "Jack Pass" up there somewhere?

FMJ's right. The barrier is at Jacks Pass. Which is just a 4way intersection. Continue on and the road turns to pavement and then you hit the locked gate. I called the number before and they said they only issue passes to people that own land out that way.

*my comment about Captains Peek was wrong, that's a few more miles up SR2

**washed out road is after the barrier...i went around