Route finding: Jack Main Canyon to Otter lakes

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BillyBobBurro
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Route finding: Jack Main Canyon to Otter lakes

Post by BillyBobBurro »

Howdy Folks,

I was thinking of dropping down Jack Main Canyon from Bond Pass with the idea of x-country travel up to Otter & Peninsula Lakes and finally to lower Twin lake. If anyone has done this route I would love to hear your advice or perspective on this route.

Thanks
-Bill
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SSSdave
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Re: Route finding: Jack Main Canyon to Otter lakes

Post by SSSdave »

Have not done that but always like a good topo challenge that in this era one has the extremely valuable tool of Google Earth to assist. Have done Edith to Bearup and that whole zone has challenging brushy huckleberry oak slopes.

https://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=38.0862 ... 3&z=16&b=t

Can see just one possibility on the topo that does not include dangerously steep slabs. Follow my suggestion zoomed in with GE and the topo. Take at least a short section of rope. From Otter go due west through the 9080+ saddle. Continue due west past 4 ponds then up a forested slope to a 9240+ saddle with a pond on its west side. From there, climb nw to the 9560 ridge after carefully evaluating doing so via where one can best climb within areas with scattered pines just east of the 9640+ peaklet as shown on GE (best 8/11/2017 historical). Doing so too far east on the arete ridge could be an issue. Although the north side appears the steepest part of the route on the topo, a look at GE shows a pine filled soil slot of just 200 feet vertical dropping down from 9600 that is probably the single secret passage into the remote world. Photogrammetry used to create topos tends to blur such forrested slopes as it sees tree tops.

Otter1.jpg
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