Tablelands Pass

[oldranger]

TITLE: Tablelands Pass

GENERAL OVERVIEW: Please include a general overview of the pass. For instance, this pass leads from basin X to lake Y.

CLASS/DIFFICULTY: Class 1-2 on west, class 2 on east

LOCATION: Provides access between Table Lands and Deadman Canyon. HST Map

ELEVATION: 11,200ft

USGS TOPO MAP (7.5'): Please include the name of the USGS 7.5' topographical map the pass appears on.

DESCRIPTION: From the Tablelands just head to the Pass where the small tarn at the head of the Big Bird Lake Chain of lakes is located. If you can't read a map and the terrain you are s.o.l. because there really are no distinctive features to point out. To drop down to Big Bird do not drop down to the lakes above Big Bird but work your way down and e. toward the ridge that slopes sse to the west of Big Bird. From that ridge there is a steep grass covered gulley that leads down to the lake about 2/3rds of the way down the lake. An alternate route is to traverse n on the side of the ridge to the lake basin nw of Big Bird Lake going to about the second lowest lake in the chain before traversing and dropping to the n. end of Big Bird. The reverse of either route will get you from Big Bird to Tablelands pass. The green gully that drops down to the lake is pretty obvious from the north end of the lake. Sorry but no pics of this pass.

[Wandering Daisy]

I did this pass recently and YES, you can drop down to the lakes above Big Bird. They are actually very beautiful and personally, I would not miss them even if it means a slightly more difficult, less efficient route to the outlet area of Big Bird. (You could also go back up to Old Ranger's route). The more comfortable you are on steep slabs, the more directly you can drop down. This route also is good if you want to fish the east shore of Big Bird on your way.

Route down to Lakes above Big Bird

It is a zig-zag route down to Big Bird Lake from the lakes above. There is somewhat of a fisherman's trail on the east shore of Big Bird. Getting around the south end is brushy. The "trail" goes fairly high above the lake at many points. I also day-hiked the west shore and it is a bit cliffy but does avoid much of the brush.

Also note that there is a tarn at the head of Ferguson Creek on the Tablelands Ridge and if you are slightly off in navigation you can end up there. Be sure to scout the route down. You should be able to clearly see the lakes above Big Bird if you are on the correct descent route.

[frozenintime]

while picking up our permit this august, the lodgepole ranger mentioned there was a "practically ADA-accessible ramp" leading from slightly north of big bird up toward the two beautiful lakes to its southwest. he showed us roughly on the map and off we went.

four days later, we were looking up from the lake toward this supposed ramp. we weren't 100% sure what we were looking at, but gave it a go anyway, and it turned out to be pretty great.

here is a photo of our rough route (taken a couple days earlier from the ridge above lonely lake):

from the main campsites on big birds north end, we headed west and gained quite a bit of elevation on some steep slabs before turning left and following wide, easy ramp. from below, it's easy to recognize the ramp as it's just above some prominent black streaked slabs:

eventually there is a very mild crux, where the ramp narrows to a grassy gully. from below, it's hard to tell how wide and/or exposed this section is, but it's a piece of cake in person:

looking back at our route from above the grassy gully:

from here we hit a lovely, grassy flat section (easy to spot on the topo as well). we kept heading south and eventually started wrapping around the hillside above the lower of the two lakes.

then it was a mix of grass and slabs to the pass. we climbed roughly NW toward the 11,000 marking on the usgs topo, and then contoured SWish toward the pass. this part is all wide open and fairly simple, though unrelenting and tiring.