Table Mountain by Lion Rock and Flag Mountain ranks #5 before Mount Lillian. To the north sits Diamond Head, perching over Tronsen Meadow. Then on the west spans the vast Teanaway Backcountry and Stuart Range.
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Table Mountain at a Glance
Access: Table Mountain Road (end of the pavement)
Round Trip: 6.5 miles
Elevation Range: 5720′-6200′
Gear: snowshoes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Table Mountain Road
We went to Lion Rock a year ago, and in hindsight, we could’ve also visited Table Mountain. I scratched the idea at the time due to time constraints. But driving near the top of these high points is possible when snow-free.
This time, we parked slightly higher than last time’s starting point. Oddly, the first snow patch on the roadway was at the same spot. Even though it kept us from driving closer to our goal, we could use the exercise.
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A Mindless Wander
As we walked over the snow, a caravan of VW vans emerged. None of them could get through, so they turned around to try their luck on other roads. “So much for trying to find peace out here.”, I thought.
We enjoyed the peace for a second until the rumbling broke the quiet. With barely enough clearance, a truck had made it past the snow. The second vehicle looked like a tow truck to pull the other out of the snow/mud, just in case.
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Roadside Attractions
Despite heavier snowfall this year, we saw more tracks than last time. Soon, we caught up to the two trucks as they couldn’t continue in deeper snow. But the driver had a blast pulling each other out from the muddy mess.
Half a mile before the road fork was a group in a jeep lineup. They greeted us from behind the trees by the road and asked where we were going. “We would’ve joined the party, but I forgot to RSVP,” I said. Everyone laughed as we continued.
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Table Mountain Summit Views
We walked from the Lion Rock junction for another half a mile and headed downhill. Soon, we reached the Snowshoe Ridge Trail fork. It would’ve been the trail to come up from Flag Mountain had we had time.
We didn’t get the front-row-seat view of Stuart Range this time. It’s been cloudy, so I didn’t expect to see much of anything. But we had glimpses of Old Pass Hill, Roughhouse Mountain, and the next-door Lion Rock.
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Outro
The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. As we left the summit, rain clouds from the north swept across, then it rained for half an hour. Meanwhile, the sounds of ATVs continued down in the nearby canyons.
The rain stopped before we returned to the Snowshoe Ridge Trail fork. Soon, the sun made its way out of the clouds just in time to dry the gear. By then, everyone had left, so we enjoyed a quiet walk back to the car.
See more trip photos here.