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The old JMT


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  • #1268072
    Joel Waddell
    Member

    @tenderpaw

    Locale: Lake Tahoe

    From Ropers High Sierra Route

    ‘This tough variation, indicated on the old topo map as a trail, follows the traces of the former Muir Trail over Cartridge Pass, descends 2000 feet to the South Fork of the Kings River and continues up stream into Upper Basin’

    The question I have is did the JMT always go over Mather Pass? If not where was the original route? Amphitheatre Lake?

    #1687088
    Ken Ross
    BPL Member

    @kr

    The "Golden Staircase," the section up Palisade Creek to Mather Pass, was the last section of the current JMT to be completed, in 1938. Prior to that time, there were apparently a couple variations. One route reportedly branched south down the Middle Fork of the Kings River, then up Cartridge Creek and over Cartridge Pass to join the current trail in the Bench Lake Area. Another was a longer detour; from "Pathway in the Sky, The Story of the John Muir Trail," by Hal Roth:

    "Before the trail was built up Palisade Creek and over Mather Pass, travelers had to detour a long distance west and south from the crest, going down the Middle Fork of the Kings River to Simpson Meadow, climbing over Granite Pass, dropping to the South Fork of the Kings, and ascending Paradise Valley back to the John Muir Trail, a detour of almost 50 miles from the highest peaks."

    #1687101
    Joel Waddell
    Member

    @tenderpaw

    Locale: Lake Tahoe

    Thats one hell of detour Ken.

    Thanks for the info.

    Still looking for any info on Amphitheatre Lake…

    Joel

    #1687237
    Chris Kopp
    Member

    @ckopp

    Locale: SoCal

    I echo that. That climb out of Simpson meadow is brutal.

    #1687248
    Bob Gross
    BPL Member

    @b-g-2-2

    Locale: Silicon Valley

    In the Army, there was a term for that:

    It's good training.

    –B.G.–

    #1687254
    Ken Ross
    BPL Member

    @kr

    "Thats one hell of detour"

    And thus the motivation for engineering the trail over Mather Pass.

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