Info Patti researched on Otokomi Lake:
- Elevation gain of the trail is 1882 ft
- Elevation at the trailhead is 4488 ft
- Elevation of the lake is 6482 ft
- The big mountain at the head of the lake is Goat Mountain, 8826 ft
- The bowl the lake is in is called Rose Basin. That and Rose Creek are named for the red rocks, which are called argillite.
Since Otokomi Lake is on the east side of the Park we got an early start. It was a cool morning with the temperature at 38 degrees. Steam rose from the creek across the road and the river on the ranch.
This was my second trip over Logan Pass this year and in the morning sun lots of snow was on Heaven's Peak (obscured by the cloud) and its northern ridge and lookout (on the knob on the very right of the photo). The Park was going to restore and stabilize this historic lookout but due to the heavy snow this year they have postponed the work until next year.
On the way we stopped for a bathroom break and I took this photo up Gunsight valley towards Jackson Glacier.
In the parking lot at Swiftcurrent Inn, and near the trail head, I saw this small trailer. Man, I've seen tents larger than this trailer. I don't see how an adult could sleep stretched out.
The view near the start of our hike. I believe one of these mountains is Goat Mountain.
Apparently an old small dam used to be on Rose Creek near the start of the trail. It is near the cabins.
The water was running high. The previous time I hiked to Otokomi Lake I only remember seeing a few okay waterfalls. This time there were lots of opportunities to see waterfalls. Well.. a correction. I just read my post on my hike to Otokomi Lake in 2007 and I had commented on the numerous waterfalls and had a number of photos of them. I guess they didn't make a great impression as I forgot about them.
I have a YouTube video of the above photo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5QfP4eNhSg
I have a YouTube video of the following photo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAnCu_Kwah0
In the video Gene is telling Patii and I that several other people wanted to join our hiking group because one person saw a bear on the trail ahead. This guy was hiking alone when he saw the bear and he was pretty nervous about it. We never saw the bear. Of course when people were calling "Hey bear! Hey bear!" over and over, the bear left.
The following photos are of the same waterfall as in the preceding photo. Just a different view.
I have a YouTube video of the following photos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_M1__BI8fE
I have a YouTube video of the following photo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20g67KKaLVU
I have a YouTube video of the following photo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkdjkOFhgQM
Here is a waterfall from the mountains on the side of the valley.
It is amazing where some trees grow.
Our hiking group once the three other people joined our group after the person from Seattle saw a bear.
These are views towards the start of the Valley. In the first photo I believe that is Otokomi Mountain. The "pointy" mountain in three of the photos is Divide Mountain. I hiked/scrambled up it last year.
Otokomi Lake is at the end of the valley, below the snowfields.
We had to cross three snowfields on way to the lake.
Otokomi Lake. The previous time I visited the lake was June 29, 2007. I took a similar photo. There is more snow this year than that year.
Two differences from the previous time I did this hike:
- No mosquitoes this time
- No fish swimming at the mouth of the lake. While Jake said he saw the fish there when he hiked to this lake the previous Monday, I saw no fish. I did see a half dozen or more adults and kids fishing in the lake. That may explain why no fish this time.
Ivy only made to the first snowfield before stopping. She quit a half mile from the lake. Gene caught up to Patti and I, saw the lake, then went back to be with Ivy as she ate her lunch. Patti and I found a spot somewhat out of the wind and ate our lunch by the lake. The lake's water was very cold! The air temperature was pretty chilly, especially when the sun went behind a cloud.
On the hike back to the trail head, not too far from the cabins, I spotted this a little ways off the trail. In between the foil pieces I saw a small credit card sized piece of plastic. I don't know what it was or the purpose of this. Some kind of monitoring device?
On our drive back over Logan Pass I took a couple photos of what was left of the "Big Drift". Keep in mind these photos were taken July 23.
The view west from Logan Pass. Lots of snow still.
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