The Ottoway Lakes Loop

The shoreline of Lower Ottoway Lake. The peak here is merely a ridge connected to Merced Peak, which is off to the left.

Lower Ottoway Lake

The Ottoway Lakes Loop, September 2004

Having seen a great deal of what the Sierra has to offer (almost everything really), I have become a bit jaded, in particular when judging whether a feature is special or out of the ordinary. Even tired and thirsty, I could see that Lower Ottoway Lake was something special. Little did I know then, it would get even better. More on that later.
This lake ranks among the jewels of Sierra Lakes and makes it a worthwhile destination all by itself. It is unusual in many respects. First of all, the rock in the are ranged from shades of red and gray, and the granite ranged from cream to white. Thrusting from one side of the lake is a peninsula that ends near the middle of the lake to compliment a small tree crested island. Attractive groves of stunted trees decorate the landscape, while lofty peaks and ridges surround everything.

This was pretty much my first view of Lower Ottoway Lake. Further up the basin are the Upper Ottoway Lakes. Merced Peak is seen on the right.

The trail gently edges the lake past former illegal camps now removed by Rangers, to the ubiquitous steel Yosemite trail signs that announces that the lake is at 9700 feet (actually 9652 feet) and it is 3 miles to Red Peak Pass (actually 1.6 miles). At the signs, a small pretty brook smelling slightly of sulfur, still flowing strongly, danced down from a small ridge. I followed the stream upward past a large campsite on the right to a flat pretty meadow with a perfect shaded packer camp next to the brook. It was just about 3PM, so I made myself at home and began to set up camp.

Mid-way aroud the lake on the trail is a set of iron Yosemite signs with less than accurate information. Right above these signs to the right of this picture are some excellent camps.

After set-up, wash up, rehydration and into my evening clothes and camp shoes, I strolled around the park-like lake to admire the views. Around 5PM, the guys that had been manhandling the wheeled kluge showed up minus the kluge. They had wisely stashed the contraption for later pickup somewhere far below not far from the Clark Fork, to my understanding. The all looked beat, but they intended to stay for a few days and recuperate.