Otis Peak & Hallett Peak

July 31st, 2007

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Today's destination was Otis Peak via the northeast slope. The three of us got started from Bear Lake TH at 5:45am. The weather was clear and calm. The first leg of the hike was a quick 2.1 miles out to Lake Haiyaha. At the lake, we had some snacks, and took a little time to study possible routes up the foot of Otis. Up on the ridge, we saw a rock fin which we dubbed the camel humps. Below them, was a ramp heading up a bit east of south. To the west of the ramp, things looked increasingly steep and rougged. From the lake, it was difficult to define a best place to climb. So, our plan was simply to hike over to the ramp, and assume we'd find an acceptable route once we got over there. Our general direction would be towards the west side of the camel humps.

Next, we backtracked from the lake a short distance down the trail. We didn't go very far, only enough to get away from the lake, where the trail leaves all the rocks and just enters the woods. At about 6:45am, we left the trail, bushwacking through moderate woods. It was fairly easy, as bushwacking goes, but the woods were thick enough to block our view of Otis. I just kept my compass in hand, and we weaved southwest along the path of least resistance. In 10 minutes or so, we were through the woods to the talus field at the foot of Otis. There were a couple of snowfields and some areas of krummholtz among the talus, all of them easy to avoid.

Once we got even with the ramp, it all looked doable. It was just a matter of picking a place, starting up, and applying our tactical route finding skills. The lower half of the ramp was a mix of talus, loose rock and dirt, and tundra plants. Each of us took a slightly different route as we searched for our preferred type of footing. Hiking on the steep, loose surface required more intense concentration than normal, but it also increased the enjoyment. I suppose it's similar to those folks that like a bit of exposure because it adds something to their experience. I'm sure we could have found an easier route up this part, had we spent the time looking. However, I'm sure it was more fun flying by the seat of our pants. And route finding like this is one of our favorite parts of these hikes.

About half way up to the camel humps, we happened upon a lone cairn. It was about 8:10am. Past the cairn, the slope decreased, and the terrain became all talus. The humps, hidden from us lower down the ramp, came back into view here. At this point, we started curving to the right, angling our way onto the top of the ridge. From a distance, and especially from the summit of Hallett, the downward slant of the ridge looks like it would spill all climbers into Chaos Canyon. However, the top of the ridge is fairly broad, and the slant towards the canyon remains a gentle slope most of the way to the edge. There's no feeling of exposure along the ridge, and the views are fantastic.

The rest of the climb was straightforward. The ridge was mostly talus with some very easy tundra mixed in. It's similar to what's on the southwest slopes of Chiquita and Ypsilon. The slope up Otis is much gentler, so I think it's easier. Midway along the ridge is Point 12,062 which should be skirted on the north side where there's much more room between you and the cliffs lining both sides of the ridge. Contouring around the Point, might save a bit of energy.

Ali reached the summit first at 9:30am; I was last about 20 minutes later. It took about 3 hours from the lake to the summit. The summit itself isn't very big; it's just the last of the small rocky peaks that hug the south edge of the ridge. We didn't stay long because of a cold wind, and we didn't see a summit log. Our descent route was Flattop. Ali had been up here along the continental divide a few times before, but had never climbed Hallett. She definitely wanted to this time, so she set off with Sandy, across the saddle and up Hallett. I followed, but at that point, hadn't decided whether I would climb Hallett, or just skirt directly across to Flattop. Ultimately, since it was so close, and such a nice day, I continued to the summit. I was about 25 minutes behind the girls. They were already well on thier way down to Flattop as I reached the top. Unlike Otis, it was warm on Hallett, and I spent some time taking pictures and enjoying the views.

The descent was without incedent. Ali and Sandy got back to Bear Lake at 1:00pm, and hopped on the shuttle that was just leaving. They continued to Tuxedo Park, and hiked back to the cabin from there. I finished up at 2:00pm, and drove back to the cabin.

Hike Stats:

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