Ostrander to Ottoway - Cross Country

[Grzldvt]

Anyone done Ostrander to Ottoway via Horizon Ridge past Hart Lakes then up to Buena Vista Crest to Ottoway? It looks like a major roadblock around Hart Lakes. I have taken some serious close up pics of the area an it looks impassable. But as we all know from a distance things look bad, but when you are there it is easy.

[AlmostThere]

What kind of "major roadblock" are you seeing?

Last time I was there I saw some great campsites around the lakes. Looks like a bit of work descending to the Buena Vista trail but do-able. Coming down the end of Horse Ridge is class 2 - class 3 ish depending on your route. But folks do that okay. You probably want to be okay with bouldering to try it - not for folks prone to vertigo.

[Grzldvt]

I need to dig out the pics again but it looks like there is a wall just past Hart that looks impassable. I have been out slightly beyond Horizon and headed to Hart, but ran out of time. My real goal is to get to Ottoway Lakes, without having to slug it down Illilouette Canyon for two days. Based on what I have seen, once you get past this wall, you can get up on top of the Buena Vista Crest and cruise along the top to Ottoway. Then over Red Peak Pass, up the Merced River Canyon and back to Glacier Point. Did the reverse of this trip , but the last two days were down in the Illiloutte hole, something I would like to avoid on this trip.

[orion]

there should be a route through there no problem, you might want to give yourself an extra day for exploring.

there is a pretty cool hidden waterfall on that Illilouette route, if you listen for it.

hiking down to the valley and shuttling back to the car is one way to avoid that final slog up to Mono Meadow trailhead, if you don't mind the stink of freshly washed and scented humans on the trail.

you can also cut up Red Creek and go over the pass to the north of Red Peak, though you'd be skipping Ottoway.

also, you can cut down directly from Red Devil Lake if you want to shorten the route on the other side.

my preference for that area is to come in by Chiquito Pass, saves about 1000' of elevation over Glacier Point road, and you can spend the 1st night at Chain Lakes. If you want, you can do a loop through Fernandez/Post Peak Pass. From Ottoway out through Chiquito is just one day hiking.

[Grzldvt]

there should be a route through there no problem, you might want to give yourself an extra day for exploring.

there is a pretty cool hidden waterfall on that Illilouette route, if you listen for it.

hiking down to the valley and shuttling back to the car is one way to avoid that final slog up to Mono Meadow trailhead, if you don't mind the stink of freshly washed and scented humans on the trail.

.

Don't mind the stench at all. I was looking at starting at Ostrander, I have a hideaway site so to speak that I have been going to for years and it is more of a symbolic place to start this one as we(my hiking partners) have sat there and enjoyed the views and talked about this trip for a couple of years now. Many moons ago we did the Red Peak Pass trip from Glacier Point up the Merced River Canyon over the pass and up Illiloutte Canyon. This time we want to do it in reverse with cross country involved. So you have been very helpful.

[orion]

well, i should mention a couple things:

that way up Red Creek and over would involve miles of talus, from the tarn up over the other side and on to Red Devil Lake, almost all talus. i happen to love hiking on talus, but i noticed others not so much.

if you cut down from Red Devil Lake, where it starts to drop at the end, stay towards the south side of the drainage and you should have no problems.

[Grzldvt]

Not a problem for us either.