Wrong turn over the Great Western Divide

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jkemper
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Wrong turn over the Great Western Divide

Post by jkemper »

This last summer a couple of buddies and myself traversed the Great Western Divide. We however went over the wrong pass going from Thunder Ridge to MacLeod Pass. The pass we went over is the closest chute next to Table Mountain. I haven't been able to find a name for this pass so I was hoping someone knew what it is called. Attached is a picture of the pass. From where this picture was take MacLeod pass is off to the right and Table Mountain is off to the left. Thanks for your help.
IMG_1859.jpg
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maverick
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Re: Wrong turn over the Great Western Divide

Post by maverick »

Hi jkemper

Did you mean Thunder Mnt to the left? I do not recall any named passes near
Table Mtn.
Thunder Mnt has 2 passes east-southeast and south(Thunder and MacLeod) and 1 west
if it (Thunder Ridge).
Are you sure that is not MacLeod Pass it looks like it, I remember the chute being right
next to Thunder Mnt as seen in your picture though that has been over 20 yrs ago.
I read you TR and from the shot taken from the top of the pass I see the two lakes
to the west that looks like the lakes at the start of Table Creek.
Table Mnt has glaciers to the east and west of it which I do not see in your pic's
nor do you mention so IMO you were on top of MacLeod Pass and not Charmin Pass
which does have a nice ring to it by the way.
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Re: Wrong turn over the Great Western Divide

Post by jkemper »

maverick

sorry i should have been more specific on where this picture was taken. This is the east side of the pass looking west. The Lat/Long is roughly 36 39.763N 118 28.469 W.

Table Creek look really nice. I was eyeballing Cloud Canyon on the map. Has anyone been up there and if so is it worth the trip?
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maverick
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Re: Wrong turn over the Great Western Divide

Post by maverick »

Yep and then those are the Lakes of Table Creek in you photo from the top of the pass.
Colby Lake is pretty and the Whaleback is really cool with that said
I would not go there for it to be my destination, only as an area to pass thru on my way
to Glacier Ridge, Cunningham Creek, Colby Pass, Lion Lake Pass, Kaweah Basin, or
some other area in the vicinity.
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Re: Wrong turn over the Great Western Divide

Post by oldranger »

What a great trip. I suspected that jkemper actually went over Macleod Pass. And was confident that Maverick or someone else would point it out. From my experience it is the only practical route from Table creek directly to the Kern Drainage. However I was puzzeled by the flicker photo with the caption "top of Table Creek Drainage." There just aren't any lakes that size and the view to the west should be a little more complex. It should include Glacier Ridge. Anyhow getting out my trusty map it appears to me that the photo is actually looking s. from near Forester Pass as the two lakes in the photo match the contours of the lakes to the s. of Forester and I would guess that is Diamond Mesa to the left, e., of the lakes.

It appeared that you followed Secor's advice to go to the E. of the last lake when going over Thunder Ridge to avoid the cliff band. As I recall I always went west. I was also pretty intimidated by the top couple hundred feet on the Cunningham Creek side of the pass. The large, steep, unstable talus really made me nervous. Macleod on the other hand, never bothered me.

Thanks for stimulating my memories of trips from 20 years past.

Mike
Mike

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maverick
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Re: Wrong turn over the Great Western Divide

Post by maverick »

Hi Mike

Do any hiking this summer up near Green Lake, Sisters, or maybe Eagle Cap Wilderness?
I've heard such great things about ECW its supposed to be a miniature Sierra up
there, can you confirm this or is this an exaggeration?
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Re: Wrong turn over the Great Western Divide

Post by oldranger »

Maverick,

Yes and yes. I'll provide a little detail in the Beyond the Sierra Nevada forum.

Question for you or anyone else that knows the answer. How did Cinder Col get its name? As I recall it was mostly slabby granite. Certainly not cinders like in Central Oregon, home of what seems like a bazillion cinder cones, and where the roads used to be red because they used cinders in the asphalt.

Mike
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Re: Wrong turn over the Great Western Divide

Post by maverick »

Sorry I do not have the answer to your question about Cinder.
Mike do you have any photo's you could post from ECW?
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Re: Wrong turn over the Great Western Divide

Post by jkemper »

Mike
You are 100% correct i mislabeled that picture; it is in fact the top of Forrester Pass looking south.

Here are the pictures from the top of the pass. This one is looking west at the Table Creek drainage.
IMG_1853.jpg
This one is looking east at lake 12,295 ft.
IMG_1857.jpg
I sure wish they would make a digital camera that would allow you to tag photos when you take them. Its tough to sort through 1000 pics at the end of a trip and remember where they where taken.

cheers jeff.
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Re: Wrong turn over the Great Western Divide

Post by ERIC »

jkemper wrote:
I sure wish they would make a digital camera that would allow you to tag photos when you take them.
They do. There are a few of them out there. Here's one of them. And here's an alternative.
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