Table Mountain - alternate route?

General discussions on hiking in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest
User avatar
dmthomas49
Posts: 267
Joined: May 16th, 2013, 6:51 am

Table Mountain - alternate route?

Post by dmthomas49 » June 10th, 2018, 12:59 pm

Does anyone know if this is a possible shorter route to the top of Table Mountain? I was thinking about driving and biking along some of these roads as shown on Google Earth to see if I could get to the power lines that go up the ridge. I don’t know if these roads are accessible or not. There is a McCloskey Creek road that goes part of the way, but the other roads look like logging roads. I was thinking, get as as far as I could with my CRV and then use the mountain bike.
F92E97DF-01A5-4517-A998-525FE45799C1.png
Has anyone explored this area?
"The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness."
— John Muir

beag
Posts: 350
Joined: April 6th, 2009, 2:30 pm

Re: Table Mountain - alternate route?

Post by beag » June 10th, 2018, 1:37 pm

If logging company don't have their gate locked you can drive to the PCT near Three Corner rock. You can also drive up Keufler and end up in the same place. 2020 road will also get you to same area.

Webfoot
Posts: 1759
Joined: November 25th, 2015, 11:06 am
Location: Troutdale

Re: Table Mountain - alternate route?

Post by Webfoot » June 10th, 2018, 1:43 pm

The side you're looking at, from Kueffler Road, is gated by Weyerhaeuser: permit required. You'll need to come from the other side.

User avatar
dmthomas49
Posts: 267
Joined: May 16th, 2013, 6:51 am

Re: Table Mountain - alternate route?

Post by dmthomas49 » June 10th, 2018, 2:24 pm

Kueffler Road looks like it starts near Beacon Rock and then end at a y that turns into Pacific Road and Hall Road. Are you saying that one of these will lead to the PCT? Looks kie there are some road restrictions to Three Corner Rock also.
"The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness."
— John Muir

Webfoot
Posts: 1759
Joined: November 25th, 2015, 11:06 am
Location: Troutdale

Re: Table Mountain - alternate route?

Post by Webfoot » June 10th, 2018, 3:34 pm

You can drive Kueffler Road all the way to TCR with a "high clearance" vehicle, but you'll have to drive past a confusing sign. However that's not the short way to Table Mountain. There is a locked Weyerhaeuser gate at (45.6979, -122.0648) that will interfere with your plans. Instead come from the east on CG-2020.

User avatar
Don Nelsen
Posts: 4377
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: Vancouver, WA

Re: Table Mountain - alternate route?

Post by Don Nelsen » June 10th, 2018, 5:53 pm

beag wrote:
June 10th, 2018, 1:37 pm
If logging company don't have their gate locked you can drive to the PCT near Three Corner rock. You can also drive up Keufler and end up in the same place. 2020 road will also get you to same area.
What beag said. I've driven up to TCR but wouldn't recommend it. Definitely hard on your car!

Proof:
Image

The 2020 road is the best way to get to the back side of Table and the PCT though. Again, logging on the weekdays so you must be careful of log trucks but most of the road is wide enough to pass. However, there are many areas that are not. I've had to back up as much as a quarter mile to let trucks pass. Not a big deal really. There are three ways across the upper Greenleaf Basin from Five Corners but you need good clearance for all but the northernmost one. The powerline road is the worst with a couple of small stream crossings and some really tight switchbacks on steep grades. There are still some fingerprints in my dash from some of my passengers on that one!

dn
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly

"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller

User avatar
dmthomas49
Posts: 267
Joined: May 16th, 2013, 6:51 am

Re: Table Mountain - alternate route?

Post by dmthomas49 » June 10th, 2018, 8:22 pm

Thanks all. This is good information. I wonder if my 2010 CRV could make it up the CG-2020?
"The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness."
— John Muir

Webfoot
Posts: 1759
Joined: November 25th, 2015, 11:06 am
Location: Troutdale

Re: Table Mountain - alternate route?

Post by Webfoot » June 11th, 2018, 3:03 am

Don Nelsen wrote:
June 10th, 2018, 5:53 pm
The powerline road is the worst with a couple of small stream crossings and some really tight switchbacks on steep grades. There are still some fingerprints in my dash from some of my passengers on that one!
That sounds like my driving. The east side of Greenleaf is "worse." :lol:
sunday-drive.gif
sunday-drive.gif (1.26 MiB) Viewed 2966 times

dmthomas49 wrote:
June 10th, 2018, 8:22 pm
I wonder if my 2010 CRV could make it up the CG-2020?
If the road condition hasn't changed too much since I was last up there, and my recollection is not too far off, I think you'll be fine if you go slowly.

User avatar
kepPNW
Posts: 6411
Joined: June 21st, 2012, 9:55 am
Location: Salmon Creek

Re: Table Mountain - alternate route?

Post by kepPNW » June 11th, 2018, 2:01 pm

dmthomas49 wrote:
June 10th, 2018, 12:59 pm
Does anyone know if this is a possible shorter route to the top of Table Mountain? I was thinking about driving and biking along some of these roads as shown on Google Earth to see if I could get to the power lines that go up the ridge.
There was a recent report on the PortlandHikers group, where the family did drive right to that saddle between Table and Birkenfeld before hiking (1.4 miles) along the north ridge to the summit. If you're on Facebook, they'd be good ones to ask for most current conditions.
Karl
Back on the trail, again...

User avatar
dmthomas49
Posts: 267
Joined: May 16th, 2013, 6:51 am

Re: Table Mountain - alternate route?

Post by dmthomas49 » June 11th, 2018, 5:19 pm

Thanks Karl. That makes me hopeful....
"The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness."
— John Muir

Post Reply