Table Mountain Traverse 15-Feb-2010

[Bosterson]

Cool trip report, Van. I was actually thinking of heading out to Table this weekend and this seems like an interesting alternative to the Heartbreak Ridge loop that I did the last time. Couple of quick questions: so you continue on the PCT past the two Heartbreak Ridge trails/billboards, and that's when you find the three roads and power lines.. I assume this is obvious, but after turning right onto that third road, you continue up to the top of the ridge to a 3-way junction that's not obvious, and then find the spur that leads SE down the ridge towards Table... Ok, so at that 3-way, it's not obvious when you reach it? Are you not clearly at the top of the ridge? And is it not clear which direction on the ridge leads towards Table (ie, because you can see it) so you'd have an idea of which direction to look for the spur?

Second question: once you follow the spur and it turns into a use trail and then the use trail leads up the back NW corner of Table, how's the steep section? I've been up on that corner of the summit and don't recall seeing an obvious (or, rather, non-sketchy) way down it, and it looks kind of vertical in your picture... Is there a walking trail up, or does it become scrambly, or...?

Third Q: do you or Don or anyone have any kind of picture of the topo that shows the route between the PCT and the NW corner of Table? If I decide to skip the normal Heartbreak section and try going up this way, I'm going to potentially be leading some people who have never been there before, and it would be nice to at least have a good mental map in "hand"...

Thanks!

[Don Nelsen]

Third Q: do you or Don or anyone have any kind of picture of the topo that shows the route between the PCT and the NW corner of Table? If I decide to skip the normal Heartbreak section and try going up this way, I'm going to potentially be leading some people who have never been there before, and it would be nice to at least have a good mental map in "hand"...

Thanks!

Here you go:



-Don

[VanMarmot]

...so at that 3-way, it's not obvious when you reach it? Are you not clearly at the top of the ridge? And is it not clear which direction on the ridge leads towards Table (ie, because you can see it) so you'd have an idea of which direction to look for the spur? Second question: once you follow the spur and it turns into a use trail and then the use trail leads up the back NW corner of Table, how's the steep section?

Question #1: When you reach the top of the ridge you'll see a road curving off to your left and straight ahead some trees with a short rock wall to their right (see the picture). Head straight for those trees and you'll come right to the end of the road you'll want to follow - it'll be obvious once you're there. This road heads ESE toward Table.

Question #2: Not very steep and the trail is obvious at this point. Looking down from the summit, this section looks steeper & sketchier than it is because you can't really see it or the trail. Just be careful and you shouldn't have any problems.

[Bosterson]

Wow, speedy answers to my questions. Thanks, guys!

[BaileyBoy]

Nice, Don't topo helps me too and Van's detail makes me feel secure that I can find my way up too. Isn't it great to have resources like these guys!!!!

And finding out that you can drive in from the north really opens my mind to getting down into Greenleaf Basin.

Skip

[beag]

A few added points which might help. Usually I follow the PCT to the top of the ridge. I then do a very short, easy bushwhack underneath pylon to where the 2020 road tops out. There may be some flagging which is not neccessary. Then I hike the old road, trail over to Table. Also when I get to the ridge on the PCT, I head North for a very short distance where there is a hugh scree field with great views and a lot of vision pits and walls. Just climb up the rocks and you will find them. Further North on the PCT there will be great flower displays in June or July depending on how early the flower season is this year.

To drive up the 2020 road you need a vehicle with hi clearance. I have a small pickup and I can't make it all the ways to the top.When I drive that way, I usually park at what I call the five corners and hike the road up to Table or Birkenfeld. From the five corners I also hike down to the Greenleaf Basin area.

Another way I get up to that area is to take Keuffler Road all the ways to the PCT on the North end of berkenfeld. From there you can hike over to Table or Three Corner Rock which is well worth a visit. Don and I were up in Hamilton Creek three corner Rock area yesterday and as usual we had a great day with one or two moments of concern. We did find a patch of snow. Glad Don has a great car. I hope he posts a trip report.

[Don Nelsen]

Hi guys,

I should add as a cautionary statement: You not only need high clearance and four wheel drive to drive to the north side of Table Mountain, you need to know how to handle your vehicle on such roads. You also need proper tires for such things – if you manage to have a flat, the little spare that most modern cars come with may not get you back, plus there are few flat spots safe enough to jack your car up to change a tire. This can be a very real problem as the rocks on those roads are large and sharp. Also, there are some very dangerous spots on most of the roads leading up there with a few very steep sections. In the very best of weather, I’ve been able to drive my old 2WD Astro van up there but, again, it had high clearance and I’m familiar with how to handle it on bad roads. If it were even slightly wet, two wheel drive would be impossible no matter what.

Another thing, taking a chain saw along is not a bad idea – here’s a view along the 2020 road a couple of years ago:





Landslides occur on this road – Here’s a view from a couple of years ago. I had a six-foot pry bar with me to move big rocks - it came in handy:



If you haven't brought your pry bar, you have to move the rocks the hard way:





Also, there may be some snow up there in spite of the dearth of snow in many places this year. Here is what beag and I found at only 3,000 feet yesterday on the way into the upper Hamilton Creek area:



I could have been worse: Here is nearly the same spot on June 18th, 2008:



Had this guy not been clearing the road, this would not have opened up until well into July.



Back to Table Mountain: Here is the road near the junction in the saddle on the north side of Table:



Sometimes the snow is hard packed enough to drive on, but if you sink in a soft spot, you are really stuck. We didn't hazard this part and walked the rest of the way:



I forgot to mention, your car will get very dirty! - this was yesterday at Three Corner Rock:

[Guy]

Great Photos Don...

Looks like access for the Meacham's will remain restricted to the South side, I'd never get Chiyoko to move those rocks out of the way for me

[VanMarmot]

All I can say is that Don's efforts at road building make walking up the other side of Table look easy by comparison.

[Bosterson]

If one were to want to use the old road/trail part of the loop as a descent (less steep for those with bad knees), you said the backside trail is hard to see from the summit, so how would one go about finding it from up there?