The Ottoway Lakes Loop

Typical trail (looking SE) in the upper reaches of theTriple Peak Fork of the Merced River near 9700 feet.

Crossing the Ridge

The Ottoway Lakes Loop, September 2004

After a short rest I began to tackle the last climb of the day up to a low spur of Triple Divide Peak, which separated the waters of the Merced Peak Fork of the Merced River and Triple Peak Fork. It was not a particularly hard climb: indeed there were long sections of level straight trail on the park-like slopes. But it did seem to take a long drawn out time for the trail to finally crest the ridge and head downward to Triple Peak Fork.

Some engineered trail above theTriple Peak Fork of the Merced River.

Once I was headed downward, I was frustrated by the fact the trail seemed to be heading the wrong way, a sure sign I was getting tired. As a mater of fact, the trail headed away from my camp destination several times, much to my exasperation. In reality, the gentle trail gradually lowered me to the canyon floor, sometime through long level stretches (sometimes even climbing a bit!) in thick alpine forest. At one point there was a short steep well-engineered shaded stair section down through a rocky joint that broke up the mostly gentle trail.