Table Mountain — Thursday, Jul. 24, 2025

This trip report is for the abandoned Table Mountain trail which is separate from the maintained Table Mountain trail. Its start is located on west side of Table Mountain on the Chain Lake Loop and leads up numerous switchbacks through forest and talus slopes to the saddle separating the prow of the southern segment of the mountain (endpoint of the maintained trail) from the northern prow. I have been told the trails were split by a rockslide around 50 years ago though many maps still show both Table Mountain trails connected. There is a large whitish rock on the Chain Lakes Loop trail below the northern prow which marks the entry point to the abandoned trail. The trail seems to be getting easier to follow over the years, but is rough or less defined at some times with encroaching scrub and a few fallen trees. It is therefore a bit of a scramble in some locations, though with little exposure except for the sketchy path to the very top of the northern prow (the highpoint of this part of Table Mountain) overlooking Iceberg Lake. All but one of the snow banks have melted off the old trail. The one still over the trail is not too steep, but traction and poles are very helpful, maybe even necessary depending on the iciness of the snow. Once on top, there is much to explore. This northern part of Table Mountain has much more acreage than the maintained route and a hike around the perimeter overlooks the Bagley Lakes, Herman Saddle and Iceberg Lake. View of Iceberg Lake from the prow is dizzying. The areas melted out have lots of flower fields and small meadows that I think far exceed the flowers of the maintained Table Mountain trail. Though a little adventurous, the short, but steep climb up from the Lake Loop has a great payoff in scenery and solitude.