Red Peak and Ottoway Lake--July 4th weekend, 1999
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The joint US/Commonwealth team of Steve, Stacey, Joy (US), Douglas (Oz),
Magdalen (Can) and I (NZ) did the usual camp-just-outside-the-park-boundary
on Friday night, rose early to pick up the permit then headed through 
Yosemite to the Glacier Pt road. "It doesn't seem right to start a trip
by going downhill" was the cry as we dropped down to Mono Meadows and the
Illiloutte Creek. The back of 1/2 Dome came in and out of sight through the
trees, then disappeared as we passed beneath Starr King and reached Red Creek.
Leaving the trail we negotiated fallen trees and talus, heading up past 
Grayling Lake to the basin beneath Red Peak. The evening light turned the
mountains and trees a beautiful colour as we ate dinner at the end of a long 
hard day...From the pass beneath Red Peak we could gaze across square
kilometres of rolling exposed granite--as though the bones of the earth
were laid bare--to the Minarets and Ritter and Banner, beneath which I'd spent
last 4th of July...A small expeditionary team ascended Red Peak then we 
continued over soft snow and hard rock, looping round the back of the peak,
over a second pass and dropping down to scenic Ottoway Lake--alas home to
many mosquitoes. "A new record--10 in one blow" said Steve slapping my
shoulder...I succumbed and put on deet, Magdalen donned her bug shirt and
stood impervious, Joy wandered around in a bug net designed for the head end
of a sleeping bag, and the setting sun turned the snow above us pink...I
didn't get my swim in before dinner, and afterwards the sun had gone, so left
the next morning without visiting the little island just offshore...The long
hot dry hike out took us past 15 miles of wildflowers in reds, yellows, whites,
purples and blues and several good dipping spots (Ah! A chance to cool off
and feel a little cleaner...) and back up to the cars. We'd all cut our
food a little finely--moldy pita hadn't helped--and after a welcome stop
for pizza we headed home.