TR: Wolverton to Roads End 8/10-17,2021
Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2021 7:38 am
Tablelands, Big Bird, Deadman &Cloud, Colby Lake, Sphinx Lakes
8/10-17 2021
After relaxing in SEKI with my husband (who met me with the trailer) in good weather, if a bit too hot and some smoke haze, I started this trip with a forecast of another round of monsoonal storms. Permitted to go in Alta, water sources had dried up so the ranger at Grant Grove revised my entry to a Pear Lake “pass-through”. I did not even know such thing existed. It is amazing that once you get to real people (instead of reserve.gov) lots of things happen easily and at no extra charge either. Although I like point-to-point routes, they are committing and that made me a bit anxious.
8/10 Wolverton to Tablelands Lake 10559
8.9 miles7.2 hours, +3900 elevation
Our last campground was Stony Creek. Between the drive to Giant Forest Museum (where permits are issued this year) and waiting in line, I did not get started until 8AM. There were only a few cars in the huge parking lot. I passed a fellow who asked about which route to take (I recommended Watchtower) and met a few day-hikers on the trail. I debated about dropping to the Ranger Station, bypassing Pear Lake, but was uncertain if there was no way to get water there, so continued to Pear Lake for water. The camping overuse at Pear Lake is significant- a real gross-out. Being only noon there was plenty of time to continue.
I dropped down to near the Ranger Station and found a fairly well-worn route up and over the cliffs and traversed into the main Tablelands drainage. The creek was bone dry. Up a ways there were a few inky puddles; then a few trickles of flowing water. At the ponds in lower Tablelands Meadow, the water was stagnant and less than desirable. Since I had not planned on this route, I lacked a map so had to wing it, heading up in hopes that I would get to Lake 10559, with the idea that I could always go back down to the meadow ponds if needed. Thankfully all turned out well and I reached the large Lake 10599 at 3:15. It was a long day but there was pure beautiful clean water and great campsites. And more important, I was back on my maps! The night was actually chilly. Forecast stormy weather was not forecast until the next day.
8/11 Lake 10559 to Big Bird Lake
4.4 miles, 5.3 hours, +820/-1615 elevation
Skies were clear at dawn and I left camp at 7:15 after taking some photos. Travel in Tablelands is not difficult but navigation is tricky. There is little relief and all the gullies and hills look alike. A small error put me at the tarn at the head of Ferguson Creek instead of the tarn above Big Bird Lake. After briefly following footprints towards Ferguson Creek, I realized the error and traversed over to the correct tarn, where I dropped my pack and checked out the descent to the lakes above Big Bird. Once convinced that it would go, I headed down at about 10AM. Clouds were already building. The descent starts on rock slabs then it is a zig-zag down steep little grassy gullies. There are plenty of ways to go that would work, but I was glad that my route was efficient. I stopped to eat a snack and take photos at the beautiful Lake 10435 on the bench above Big Bird Lake.
I had day-hiked here a few years ago and circled Big Bird Lake and vaguely remembered that west shore was a bit cliffy so took the east shore. I had not remembered the brush and ups and downs needed to go along the east shore and cussed the route, reaching the outlet campsties at 1:15. That still left me most of the afternoon to fish, but a gusty wind across the huge Big Bird Lake riled up the waters so much that casting was a challenge and the fish seemed to prefer the deep calmer waters. Soon repeated little rain storms started; in the tent, out to futile fishing, and back in the tent. In spite of these setbacks, I was mighty glad I got on the Deadman Canyon side before the weather pattern became stormy. Having a trail bail-out via Avalanche Pass eliminated a lot of anxiety; now I only had to deal with too many choices and indecision regarding my route. I had Big Bird Lake all to myself; it turned out to be quite nice day.
8/10-17 2021
After relaxing in SEKI with my husband (who met me with the trailer) in good weather, if a bit too hot and some smoke haze, I started this trip with a forecast of another round of monsoonal storms. Permitted to go in Alta, water sources had dried up so the ranger at Grant Grove revised my entry to a Pear Lake “pass-through”. I did not even know such thing existed. It is amazing that once you get to real people (instead of reserve.gov) lots of things happen easily and at no extra charge either. Although I like point-to-point routes, they are committing and that made me a bit anxious.
8/10 Wolverton to Tablelands Lake 10559
8.9 miles7.2 hours, +3900 elevation
Our last campground was Stony Creek. Between the drive to Giant Forest Museum (where permits are issued this year) and waiting in line, I did not get started until 8AM. There were only a few cars in the huge parking lot. I passed a fellow who asked about which route to take (I recommended Watchtower) and met a few day-hikers on the trail. I debated about dropping to the Ranger Station, bypassing Pear Lake, but was uncertain if there was no way to get water there, so continued to Pear Lake for water. The camping overuse at Pear Lake is significant- a real gross-out. Being only noon there was plenty of time to continue.
I dropped down to near the Ranger Station and found a fairly well-worn route up and over the cliffs and traversed into the main Tablelands drainage. The creek was bone dry. Up a ways there were a few inky puddles; then a few trickles of flowing water. At the ponds in lower Tablelands Meadow, the water was stagnant and less than desirable. Since I had not planned on this route, I lacked a map so had to wing it, heading up in hopes that I would get to Lake 10559, with the idea that I could always go back down to the meadow ponds if needed. Thankfully all turned out well and I reached the large Lake 10599 at 3:15. It was a long day but there was pure beautiful clean water and great campsites. And more important, I was back on my maps! The night was actually chilly. Forecast stormy weather was not forecast until the next day.
8/11 Lake 10559 to Big Bird Lake
4.4 miles, 5.3 hours, +820/-1615 elevation
Skies were clear at dawn and I left camp at 7:15 after taking some photos. Travel in Tablelands is not difficult but navigation is tricky. There is little relief and all the gullies and hills look alike. A small error put me at the tarn at the head of Ferguson Creek instead of the tarn above Big Bird Lake. After briefly following footprints towards Ferguson Creek, I realized the error and traversed over to the correct tarn, where I dropped my pack and checked out the descent to the lakes above Big Bird. Once convinced that it would go, I headed down at about 10AM. Clouds were already building. The descent starts on rock slabs then it is a zig-zag down steep little grassy gullies. There are plenty of ways to go that would work, but I was glad that my route was efficient. I stopped to eat a snack and take photos at the beautiful Lake 10435 on the bench above Big Bird Lake.
I had day-hiked here a few years ago and circled Big Bird Lake and vaguely remembered that west shore was a bit cliffy so took the east shore. I had not remembered the brush and ups and downs needed to go along the east shore and cussed the route, reaching the outlet campsties at 1:15. That still left me most of the afternoon to fish, but a gusty wind across the huge Big Bird Lake riled up the waters so much that casting was a challenge and the fish seemed to prefer the deep calmer waters. Soon repeated little rain storms started; in the tent, out to futile fishing, and back in the tent. In spite of these setbacks, I was mighty glad I got on the Deadman Canyon side before the weather pattern became stormy. Having a trail bail-out via Avalanche Pass eliminated a lot of anxiety; now I only had to deal with too many choices and indecision regarding my route. I had Big Bird Lake all to myself; it turned out to be quite nice day.