While I love the JMT and really want to get back on the trail and do it again, I had a few issues.
The biggest being that I have 3 dogs and they give my wife the hardest time when I leave them alone with her for an extended amount of time, (especially my lab mix).
My lab mix is an endurance nut.
She has done two 50 mile runs with me and a 100k with zero problems or issues.
So I figured that instead of doing the JMT again and torturing my wife and having to have her pick me up at the other end, I figured I'll do a massive dog loop between the National Parks.
Calculated distance via Sierra Mapper comes to 165 mile and 42,000' of gain.
The loop:
Starting at Lake Tomas Edison, I'll go over Bear Ridge and head south on the JMT to Piute junction.
Head toward Piute Pass until I hit the Sierra High Route through Desolation and follow the SHR all the way to Reds Meadow.
This portion of the SHR follows a lot more trail than the rest of the route.
At Reds follow the pack trail west to Lakes Minaret, Cecile, and Iceberg to Lake Ediza.
Head to the pass between Banner and Ritter to Lake Catherine and back down to the north side of 1,000 Island Lake.
Over Island Pass then head east to the north side of Waugh Lake and around to Agnew Pass.
Back to the JMT to Reds Meadow.
Head due south on the trail out of Reds up Crater Creek and around to Iva Bell Hot Springs and follow the trail south all the way to Lake of the Lone Indian and chief Lake (near Silver Pass).
Head over Goodale Pass and back to Lake Edison.
This will give me an excellent chance to see a lot of the Sierras that I have never seen before.
