Tableland Navigation Guidance

[TurboHike]

Planning a trip to the Tablelands this summer.

This video shows much of the area you are planning to hike. Take a look!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zgxpbo-jP0

0:20 the terrain from Moose Lake to 11,200
0:42 the headwall above Lonely Lake
6:29 Moose Lake

[Lenier]

Definitely an inspirational thread. I've always wanted to go to Moose Lake - now I'm inspired to do more than that. I'll have to consider doing a trip similar to this in July or August.

[Trailguru]

A map is worth a hundred words! Thanks.

Personally I would drop down to Big Bird Lake and skip Horn Col. Horn Col is a good way to get to Deadman Canyon but not as good a day hike as Big Bird. The lakes above Big Bird are very scenic. And there is wonderful camping in trees at Big Bird outlet. Good fishing too.

If we do manage to make it to Moose Lake in one day that's definitely something worth considering!!!

How's the route from Lake 11,200 to Big Bird Lake? I hear some say it's fairly straight forward but then some others have said they got cliffed out (The one who said he got cliffed out I believe was trying to go from from BBL to Lake 11,200)

Also to expand on that idea, how would a trip from Lake 11,200 down to Big Bird Lake, then around and up to Deadman Canyon and then back to lake 11,200 via Horn Col and Pterodactyl Pass be? Am I being crazy??

[Trailguru]

Agree with Daisy that it makes more sense to drop down into the Big Bird lakes than what you currently have planned.

If you do go up Big Bird the way you have then back to Pterodactyl, the part of Big Bird peak between your red and green dots is very steep and cliffy. Navigation could be tricky. Big Bird peak is the peak on the right here. Pterodactyl Pass is the low point between the peaks.

You might consider this plan:

Day 1 Wolverton --> Moose via Alta Meadow
Day 2 Moose --> 11,200, set up camp, tag Big Bird Peak
Day 3 Day hike from 11,200 down to Big Bird Lakes, relax and swim
Day 4 11,200 to Pear, relax and swim or climb Alta, return to Wolverton via Watchtower. Pear lake is a great place to be mid-morning after the people who camped there have left but the day hikers haven't arrived yet.

Doing a plan like this gives more flexibility since you have two times where you kinda have a "base camp" and if some of your group don't want to go on the excursions they can just relax at camp.

Thanks Maia. That sounds like a great plan as well and one I have penciled in as a strong contender (provided we can make it from Alta Meadow to Moose lake in one day

But we weren't thinking of going from Big Bird Peak to Pterodactyl pass. The idea was to bag Big Bird Peak and then go down and check out the area near Horn Col and possibly even as far as Copper Mine Peak/Pass area and then come back to Lake 11,200 via Pterodactyl Pass. Something like this:

Inked43182646421_a6befea8b4_k_LI.jpg

[maiathebee]

But we weren't thinking of going from Big Bird Peak to Pterodactyl pass. The idea was to bag Big Bird Peak and then go down and check out the area near Horn Col and possibly even as far as Copper Mine Peak/Pass area and then come back to Lake 11,200 via Pterodactyl Pass. Something like this:

Inked43182646421_a6befea8b4_k_LI.jpg

Ok... I thought you were planning to leave your packs somewhere between Pterodactyl and Big Bird since you said

Then we would come back to around the area near Pterodactyl pass and grab our packs and then head to Moose where we would spend the last night there.

and your CalTopo shows a route basically right over the cliff area I posted about. I guess your route is just a rough plan at this point?

Screen Shot 2021-05-13 at 4.54.02 PM.jpg

So you're leaving your stuff at 11,200, going to Big Bird, Horn Col, then Coppermine, then back over Pterodactyl to 11,200, and then to Moose? If your group can do that in a day, you'll have no problem reaching Moose in a day.

[Trailguru]

and your CalTopo shows a route basically right over the cliff area I posted about. I guess your route is just a rough plan at this point?

So you're leaving your stuff at 11,200, going to Big Bird, Horn Col, then Coppermine, then back over Pterodactyl to 11,200, and then to Moose? If your group can do that in a day, you'll have no problem reaching Moose in a day.

I can see why you were confused. Apologies for that!

If we do make it to lake 11,200 by end of day 2, then day 3 would be something like this:

Pack up our bags, drop them around Big Bird Peak/Pterodactyl Pass area. Bag the Peak, dayhike to Horn Col and Copper Mine Pass area. Back to grab our packs and then head to Moose lake for our last night. The more I think about it the less feasible it seems. I have written down your itinerary as a strong contender although we will likely end up having to skip Alta Peak on the way back and just beeline back to the car via the Watchtower trail.

[maiathebee]

You'll have fun no matter what ya do! My main advice is that between Pterodactyl and 11,200 area to stay high. I'd suggest leaving your packs somewhere lower down before you really go up Big Bird, around the same elevation as Pterodactyl. Also if you get too low below Pterodactyl on the west side, there are lots of little canyons. So, maintaining elevation back to your packs, then also stay high when heading back to Moose. The area at the head of Buck Creek has a lot of canyons and convoluted bits.