The Ottoway Lakes Loop

Two of the many signs of the junction beyond the creek crossing. Our way is ahead, going right towards Mt. Starr King and his brother domes. This section was quite sandy and a warm slog, but not too bad.

Many Junctions

The Ottoway Lakes Loop, September 2004

Now, all along this trail I saw a strange thing. I saw what looked like a bicycle track on the trail, but strangely, I saw only one tire track. Did someone come in on a unicycle? The mystery was solved at the stream crossing where I met four guys and their strange contraption. From a design they found in a magazine, they kluged together a kind of ladder with wheel-barrel handles at each end and a wheel in the middle. They had piled their gear on this rube-goldberg device and were horsing this awkward load down the trail. It looked to be more trouble than it was worth. When I met them, they were all sitting around looking a bit tired. I chatted with them a bit and moved on.

What the heck is that?!? Well, on paper it seemed like a good idea.  You have to admire their imagination, although in practice this kluge may have not have been such a great idea. These guys had all the buzzers and bells too, literally. As you can see, he has a whistle and a cell phone, not to mention a walkie-talkie, giving a whole new meaning to the saying "be prepared". I am sure they had a great time.

The stream crossing was easy if not obvious. Without a doubt, this would be a hairy river crossing early season, and should figure prominently in anybody's early season plans. This would be no trivial crossing. Indeed, it may be a very dangerous crossing during high water. (Consider coming from the trail from Nevada Falls.)

On the other side I found a false trail (perhaps a fire trail or a trail to a better crossing?) heading southeast along the river. The real trail heads north (well defined like all the major trails) to a three-way junction and a cluster of iron Yosemite trail signs.