Table Mtn in danger of imminent collapse! 11/3/19

[Bosterson]

Ok, clickbait title. I haven't been up there in 2 yrs it seems, since the week after the fire began, when I ran into Doug and Karl and we watched the smoke choke the Gorge and flames shoot up on Munra. So maybe this is old news, but there is one spot where the cliff edge is almost right to the edge of the trail, closer to the meadow side when you first reach the cliff. That spot was always close to the edge - but I feel like since I was last there possibly some serious erosion has happened. I peeked over and realized that spot is possibly over a bit of a dirt/rock cornice, with a huge erosion chute underneath it running straight down. I quickly moved and tried to eye it from either side - it looks like maybe one of the the basalt columns might have collapsed? Based on how it looks and how undercut the cliff edge is, I would give good odds that section of the summit clifftop trail will collapse into oblivion in the next 5 yrs. Anyone else been up there in the past couple years and noticed a change? I tried to get pics of it but they didn't really work - this one is looking from the west end of the cliff (when you first reach the cliff from the meadow), and the spot in question is the obvious spot at the end of the scrub groundcover where the dirt is clearly eroded back to the trail.

My trip ended up being the normal HBR > NW Ridge loop (I had bigger plans but got sidetracked IDing trees!). Crossing from the south cliff to the north viewpoint, it appears that Fire Bros (douchepithecus stultusignis) have been visiting Table Mountain, as I came across this extremely obnoxious fire ring (and lost trekking pole) in the flat area approximately at the "true" summit.

Here is the fire pit after I chucked all its rocks and logs over the cliff. I packed out the pole.

It was an insanely lovely late summer/early fall day, despite it being Nov. Lots of maple leaves covering the ground, very warm - I stayed in T-shirt and shorts the whole day, getting back to the car at 5:25pm just in time to not need a headlamp in the early darkness. Other highlights included this vintage remnant

and a free hat I found at a powerline junction.

Attention WTA! The sign at the top of HBR could use a little love.

[jessbee]

Thanks for taking care of the fire ring and trash!

[Don Nelsen]

I think you are correct, Nat, but from the following photos, it's hard to tell. Sounds like we need to go up there and match some of the older photos more carefully to see just what has changed.

I've looked back through my photos and so far have only found a couple shots from about the same spot: Taken June 14th 2018:



Looks about the same so any collapse must have happened earlier.

Here's one taken April 23rd, 2018:



Here's one from the other direction taken April 2nd. of '08:



And the same vantage point taken on Jan 29th, 2011:

[Chip Down]

That cable brings back memories.

A nice day indeed. I stepped out of my car at dawn and regretted the fleece pants.

Thanks for getting rid of the fire ring.