Gables Lakes / Mt. Tom

[RoguePhotonic]

Hiked in Saturday up the Gables Lakes trail which although not really maintained is still a decent trail the whole way. Made a horribly painful ford at Gables Creek barefoot and checked out how completely contaminated the creek is slightly above the ford. pretty much the dump site from the old house there is in the creek.

I camped at the upper Lake at about 10,880 and made an attempt at Tom by following the cirque up to the ridge to the South and then cutting over Peak 12,130 which was a tedious class 3 slog. After leaving that summit I really did not feel like 1600 feet of nasty scree up Mt. Tom so I decided to visit the mines in the area and drop back down from the low saddle North of Peak 12,130. It was an extremely loose tedious and often sketchy route down. Class 3 for sure with one class 4 crack I down climbed. Made the hike out today and home.

Snow was never an issue. Only a few patches here and there. Mosquitos were kept down by the wind but were swarming along Gables Creek around 10,000 feet.

Photos Here