Picking up Otter Peak after going through McGee Coulee Arch

 

Descending to McGee Coulee trail

Walking across the top of Otter Peak

Approaching Otter Peak

Gordon Whirry climbs up through the arch

Gordon Whirry at the beginning of our hike in brilliant sunlight

The skies cleared and headed for the Little Belts to climb Otter Peak (elevation: 6,713 feet) after walking under the McGee Coulee Arch.

We had done the Arch in September and had seen Otter in the close distance up McGee Coulee.  It seemed a shame not to climb that close at hand.  And, that's why returned Tuesday.

We took the west ridge up toward McGee Coulee, although Mark Hertenstein thought it might have been better, and with less deadfall to climb over, had we taken the east slope.

Last time we did the arch we approached it from above.  This time we hit it from the bottom, climbing straight up through a large scree field.

This proved to be a much better way to go.

After a walk along the flanks of the Sawmill Ridge, we dropped back down through snow to McGee Coulee at the foot of Otter Peak.  From this point it is about 1,200 feet up a relatively steep, and sometimes open slope.

On top we found that there had been a recent herd of elk there that had churned up the hard-pack snow, and the elk had left their calling-card droppings everywhere.

The views from the top were quite good ----- Mount Barker, immediately to the east was the highest point, although we could see Long and Neihart Baldy peaks, Servoss, Big Horn and Thunder mountains, and then out onto the Great Plains toward the buttes near the Rocky Mountain Front, the Bearspaws, and Snowies.

The sky was a deep blue, highlighted by a bright sun, that despite a relentless wind, kept us relatively warm.

We walked 7.2 miles and gained more than 2,200 feet, driving only 45 miles from Great Falls.

The Arch is highlighted in yellow