Table Rock State Park

Date: Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Map: Link
Trails: Table Rock, Carrick Creek, Pinnacle Mountain, Mill Creek Falls Spur
Distance: 6.0 miles
Time: 3 hours
Rating: 4 out of 5

My original plan was to hike the entire Jones Gap trail. I left the house at 9:30am. However, when I arrived at the entrance to Jones Gap State Park at 10:40am, I found the gate was closed. There were two other cars in front of me; one of the drivers said he had just seen the park ranger, who said the park was closed due to ice. I was disappointed, but not surprised, as about 4-6 inches of snow fell up here 3-4 days earlier. The last 2 miles of the road leading up to the park entrance was covered in ice. Oh well....

As I headed back down River Falls Road toward Hwy 11, I decided to go to Table Rock State Park instead. I could have tried Caesar's Head State Park, which also has access to the Jones Gap Trail. But as it is even further up into the mountains, I thought it might be closed due to ice as well. And, I would really prefer to hike the 5.3-mile trail starting from the Jones Gap trailhead, which allows for climbing on the way out, and descending on the way back.

It took me another 30 minutes to drive to Table Rock, turning right (south) onto Hwy 11. I arrived at 11:10am. By 11:20am I was on the trail. I decided I would go to Mill Creeks Falls, via the Pinnacle Mountain Trail. Basically, from the trailhead, I followed the Table Rock Trail to the first junction after the bridge, then turned left onto the Carrick Creek Trail, and stayed left onto the Pinnacle Mountain Trail. All trails are clearly blazed, and every half-mile is marked.

There was snow still on the ground, as evident in the photos. It was obviously thicker at higher elevations and in the more shady areas. Some parts of the trail were completely clear of ice and snow. But in many others, I had to walk through snow. There were other footprints already there, making it very easy to follow. In places where I had to cross streams on rocks or footbridges, the footing was a little treacherous, but otherwise I did not have too much trouble.

The Pinnacle Mountain trail weaves along hillsides as it gains elevation. Eventually, you'll see large boulders, followed by some large rocky overhangs. Beyond that, there are some stream-crossings over rocks. Finally, at about 2.6 miles, you'll come to a junction. Turning right lets you continue on the Pinnacle Mountain trail. I stayed left onto the Mill Creek Falls Spur trail, which is another 0.4 miles to the falls. This was probably the most "rugged" part of the hike. It really feels like you need to use both arms in addition to your legs, as there is a lot of scrambling over rocks and downed trees, and constant steep ups-and-downs. The snow/ice certainly added to the level of difficulty. Again, though, my hiking pole helped a lot.

At 1:00pm, I reached the falls and took photos. It was quite a sight seeing the waterfall frosted around the edges. In fact, I think this was the first time I've ever hiked in accumulated snow. There is a bridge that crosses in front of the waterfall, which allows a good view, but the trail no longer continues on the other side. On warmer days, I have sat on the bridge here and had a snack. But today there were about 4 inches of snow on the bridge. So I just stood there for awhile before turning around.

The return trip was much easier due to it being mostly downhill, and a little quicker. Upon joining up with the Carrick Creek Trail again, I turned left so that I could complete the full clockwise loop. I finally arrived back at the parking lot at 2:20pm and headed home. It was a little cold (in the 40's) but not bad, and a very enjoyable hike with all the snow!