Table Mt: east cliff edge (finally, success!)
Posted: December 6th, 2017, 8:19 pm
Very cold/windy, but no clouds, so I finally pulled this off after two rainy-day failures starting from Greenleaf Creek below the falls, and above the falls. Today I decided to try again from above (it was pretty much a toss up, and I still hadn't made up my mind as I was driving up the gorge).
Routefinding went exceptionally well. No mistakes made, all went according to plan. I now realize on my first trip I passed 50 ft from the end of the crack, but couldn't see it. As expected, the cliff edge up high is brushy, and views were generally poor. In fact, I don't think anything above the crack was worthwhile.
Coming down, I just followed a ridge into Greenleaf Basin until it faded, and then vered left (northish) so I wouldn't hit Greenleaf Creek too low. More efficient, I thought. Well, I always suspected Greenleaf Basin was a swampy mess, but damn, it's just terrible. And thick with Devil's Club. I would have saved time descending directly east to the creek, and then following it up, instead of this horrible "shortcut". At least I managed to find an old road on the west side of Greenleaf Creek. It featured some large sheet metal fabrications, but burried under duff, so I haven't a clue what they were.
Once I finally got to the easier east side of Greenleaf Creek, I decided to follow what I think is a RR grade, instead of the main road (which I think is a decommissioned section of CG2020). It was a bit hard to follow, but I kept seeing clues: a sawcut log, a rusty pail, a cable.
Routefinding went exceptionally well. No mistakes made, all went according to plan. I now realize on my first trip I passed 50 ft from the end of the crack, but couldn't see it. As expected, the cliff edge up high is brushy, and views were generally poor. In fact, I don't think anything above the crack was worthwhile.
Coming down, I just followed a ridge into Greenleaf Basin until it faded, and then vered left (northish) so I wouldn't hit Greenleaf Creek too low. More efficient, I thought. Well, I always suspected Greenleaf Basin was a swampy mess, but damn, it's just terrible. And thick with Devil's Club. I would have saved time descending directly east to the creek, and then following it up, instead of this horrible "shortcut". At least I managed to find an old road on the west side of Greenleaf Creek. It featured some large sheet metal fabrications, but burried under duff, so I haven't a clue what they were.
Once I finally got to the easier east side of Greenleaf Creek, I decided to follow what I think is a RR grade, instead of the main road (which I think is a decommissioned section of CG2020). It was a bit hard to follow, but I kept seeing clues: a sawcut log, a rusty pail, a cable.