TR: John Muir Trail, 7/2-7/16
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End of May I shared https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/john-muir-trail-2021-hike-plan/, my John Muir Trail hike plan. It’s about time I get around to telling how it went. In short, success.
This was my 2nd JMT thru-hike, this time northbound, and first all trail trek since I hiked the JMT (southbound) in 2009. I hike slower now than then and spent more time on trail to sustain the same daily pace.
Northbound, scenically is quite different than southbound, and I think superior. That could be the newness, as most times I use the JMT I’m heading south. But whichever, a key learning is to stop and look back, in fact look all around. I never know if I’ll get back to a place and I’ve missed so much in my haste.
2nd time round was a very different experience. I had none of the first-time anxieties, hiked for the most part alone but spent more time at stops, and in camp visiting with others, and I think, I saw more.
Route-wise I was not a purist. I started at Horseshoe Meadow over Cottonwood Pass and ended at Happy Isles (well actually Yosemite Village). Day hiked Mt. Whitney, side tripped to VVR, errantly detoured to Duck Lake, took the PCT High Trail from Reds Meadow to Thousand Island Lake, and summited Clouds Rest.
Water along trail was scarce until Wallace Creek, and sources until then quite turbid. At most times I carried and wanted 2 liters at hand.
Mosquitos were generally a 1 or 2 with one exception, the short section where the trail skirts the Wanda Lake shoreline, there they were at the Biblical plague level. Aside from that, three nights they were annoying from around 7-9pm and I wore a head net and used deet around my wrists and ankles. Biting flies were a major nuisance from Franklin Meadow until Senger Creek, and for most of the way from VVR to Goodall “Harassed by Flies” Pass.
Weather overall was great. Moderate temps except for the Franklin Meadow to Senger Creek segment (hot), and just a few rain showers. I used a tarp 3 times for the threat of rain, though only one night (at VVR) were there any showers.
Gear-wise, three standouts. The chrome dome umbrella is awesome, cooler head and constant shade. Used it probably 98% of the hike, packing it only when the wind made it necessary. The Sawyer Micro filter, piece of crap. It clogged the first night pulling water from Upper Rock Creek Lake and was miserable to use for the rest of the trip despite backwashing 2 or 3 times per day. And lastly, my iPhone 12 Pro Max; this is the best electronic gadget I’ve owned. It has plenty of battery life, excellent photo quality, and so intuitively easy I took more than 400 shots.
Find my day-by-day journal notes here https://vennacher.wordpress.com/2021/10 … rail-2021/, my hike stats here https://1drv.ms/x/s!AuRFCa25NsESgr5XytskoO2afKWu8Q?e=o9nROD, my gear list & mini reviews here https://1drv.ms/x/s!AuRFCa25NsESgr5VEof9awEYvW8wlQ?e=eXPOLk, and menu here https://1drv.ms/x/s!AuRFCa25NsESgr5Wtaiy7aNf4MWegA?e=Gekclx. Meantime, enjoy a daily pic.
Oh wow! What a small world! I passed around 10:43 AM and stayed down in McGee canyon that night along Evolution Creek. The next day we resupplied at MTR and camped at Sallie Keyes Lakes. After that was 2 nights at VVR because the first night was to much fun to leave and my trail buddy was really hurting.
On the 12th we stayed at Lake Virginia.
On the 13th my trail buddy quit the trail when we got to Mammoth and I spent the night in a hotel wondering if I should do the same, I was missing loved ones at home by that point and not having a companion to finish the trail with kind of put a damper on it for me.
On the 14th I hit the trail and felt no doubt that I wanted to continue. I had sour patches in hand, the scenery was beautiful and life was good!! Funny how fast my mood changes once on trail. That night I stayed at Ruby Lake between Garnet and Thousand Island.
Then on the 15th I was feeling incredible physically and did something kind of crazy, I ended up hiking from Ruby Lake to Yosemite Village. It wasn’t my intent to do that, I just started walking and got to Tuolumne Meadows way faster than I thought and the hiker camp was full so I figured I could walk a little further… before I knew it, it was dark and the stars were out, and for some reason I just kept walking. My inreach said 46 miles that day when I finished up at 2:24 AM. It was actually a really cool way to end the trail for me, almost a full moon and hiking over and down into the valley under moonlight while listening to podcast about philosophy and personal life goals/choice was something different for sure. It was probably just the endorphins but either way I think I will remember that days walk as one of the more defining and life shaping moments for me.
I was the guy wearing a lot of blue and had a pocket tarp with a MYOG bug net as for a shelter.
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