The Range of Light. Just saying it out loud makes my pulse quicken and my eyes look to the horizon. The term was coined by John Muir himself, and is a wonderfully visceral description of California's Sierra Nevada Mountains that he roamed and loved. "After 10 years spent in the heart of it, rejoicing and wondering, bathing in its glorious floods of light, seeing the sunburst of morning among the icy peaks, the noonday radiance on the trees and rocks and snow, the flush of alpenglow, and a thousand dashing waterfalls with their marvelous abundance of irised spray, it still seems to me above all others the Range of Light". So well said, and so true. Verdant valleys, towering passes, barren moonscapes…dizzying in its contrasts and enormity. I have walked trails all over the planet and there is something unique about the Sierras that make me feel connected to and yet exquisitely dwarfed by the landscape surrounding me.
The John Muir Trail is the best the Sierras have to offer. Shadowing Muir's footsteps, the trail runs 212 breathtaking and treacherous miles, from the depths of Yosemite Valley to the top of 14,505' Mount Whitney (the highest point in the Continental United States). A through-hike voyage of the JMT will change you deep down in your nooks and crannies, as if each pass gained or spring guzzled rounds your edges a bit more. Afterward you might stand taller, be quicker to smile, or worry a little less because you've seen and done things that most people only read about. But you will earn it. Boy howdy will you earn it. Something I learned the hard way. Twice.
I first discovered the joys of the backcountry when I was seven. I spent two weeks with my dad in Cascade Valley (Mammoth, CA) waking up at sunrise, eating freshly caught trout with garlic and wild onions, and telling ghost stories in the dancing shadows of the fire until my eyes grew heavy. After that the wild was in my blood. Countless backpacking trips and hiking adventures later I decided it was time to brave the entire John Muir Trail.
I was in my early 20's and threw myself at the idea with naïve exuberance. I trained for a few weeks by loading up a pack with rocks and walking up and down the American River Trail in Sacramento. I had no clear idea about how long the trip would take or realistically how many miles I could cover in a day, but I brought enough food for roughly two weeks. I decided to hike the alternate route that starts below Mount Whitney and hike the trail south to north - which in hindsight should have been a red flag. I was determined to hike 212 miles but wanted to skip the top of Whitney because it would be too hard? I was excited to challenge myself and enjoyed the attention I got for attempting something bold, but I clearly wasn't invested in doing whatever it would take to be successful. Which is why I failed the first time. And the second time. Well that, and the ridiculous amount of weight I was carrying.
Like the good Eagle Scout that he is, my dad taught me to venture into the backcountry with anything I might possibly need, including the kitchen sink just to be safe. This is inarguably the most luxurious way to backpack - once you are in camp. But moving with that much weight on your back is a grueling death march that compresses your vertebrae and your spirits alike. When I began that first JMT attempt all those years ago, I distinctly remember the first few steps and the crushing realization that I would have to carry that behemoth of a pack for at least two weeks and crest 11 passes. I trudged toward my first pass and when pain and loneliness stealthily crept over me (which was inevitable), I grabbed onto a low-hanging excuse and quit. A year later the wandering spirit struck me again and I returned to the JMT once more. Except this time I was even less prepared, took even more weight, and sulked off the trail in defeat even sooner. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be.
Fast forward a decade to 2013. I was a different man in a completely different place. I'd spent time in the forge of endurance sport, and had transformed by body and brain into tools capable of completing Ironman triathlons… or perhaps even more audacious endeavors. My life was exactly where I wanted it to be, but the John Muir Trail was still whispering softly to me:
"Do you have what it takes?"
I honestly didn't know. I had pushed back the boundaries on my capabilities, and strongly believed in my mental strength and athletic ability. But the John Muir Trail scared me. Which is ultimately why I decided I had to make one last attempt. And I wanted to put an exclamation point on the experience, so I planned to run it.
In looking back on my past attempts, it was clear why I failed and what I would have to do to finally stand on top of Mount Whitney with my hands held high. What I've outlined below is exactly how this moment became a reality, how I conquered the external and internal demons standing in my way - and how you can too.
---
An endeavor such as this must be properly planned and prepared for. I know that may grate against your adventurous spirit, but it is the only way to hold success in your grasp. I hate detailed planning more than most, and how I finally got over this was by focusing on and getting excited about the end result, rather than the minutiae in between. I gave myself slightly more than a year to plan and train for this third JMT attempt, and I focused on three key factors:
- Brain Training
- Body Training
- Going Light
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Introduction
- Brain Training
- Cultivating gratitude
- Visualization
- Positive Self Talk
- Body Training
- Going Light
- Main Gear
- Clothing
- Misc
- Backpack
- Tent
- Sleeping "bag"
- Bear Canister
- Water Purifier
- Footwear
- Other considerations
- Direction
- Timing
- Permit
- Maps
- Trip Length
- Food
- Water
- Resupply
- Strategy
- Author Bio
# WORDS: 4660
# PHOTOS: 20
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"Jake, can you tell me how you teleport? Could come in handy with bears…."
Have you installed iOS 8?
Go to Settings, it's under General > Accessibility > Minkowski Spacetime – "OFF"
I wrote this earlier, but decided not to post it because it didn't seem right at the time, but considering how much a combo of ego and testosterone has made it's way to this thread, it seems more fitting now.
"I can appreciate both Josh's views and perspectives and Billy's. I don't view Billy being so much as rude, as bluntly giving a contrary perspective on something he views as important. Aside from the comment of "city mentality", to me he didn't try to denigrate the other view/perspective, other to say it wasn't for him.
There is a fine, but glaring line between being rude/disrespectful and being contrary for the purpose of trying to make others think deeper.
I sometimes have the Josh like view/perspective and Billy like view/perspective vie for dominance within.
I realized that for myself at least, the more Josh like view/perspective/motivation when it crops within is almost entirely related to the ego side of me. Can i say that in everybody elses case, that is is always the case? No, but i will say that i've observed in a fair number of people with these kinds of mind sets and patterns, that ego is a big factor often.
Does that make it "bad" or something to condemn? Nope, just limited and ultimately unfullfilling. Anything tied to the ego, well it's never enough. You'll never be fast enough, strong enough, rich enough, somebody will always be more so and you'll be overly attached to that until you move out of those patterns.
Usually when we are younger, we start off more towards the more Josh like mindset and attitude (especially us men!), but as we get older, if we are amenable to gaining some deeper wisdom, we usually start to veer more to the more Billy mindset/attitude/perspective (at least in this specific area and context). Not surprisingly, Billy is old and Josh much younger. I'm not saying Billy is generally wiser than Josh, but in this area, i would say the wisdom goes more to Billy. "
"A lot of many trails is dull brown dirt with trees all around…"
Oh, those passive continental margins.
It's easy to plan a hike in and lounge/fish/think/write style trip. I do many each year.
It's harder to plan my nutrition/gear/route/timing when I want to cover ground fast in an unfolding new area to me, for multiple days. Especially trails with lottery permits.
Both experiences have merit but the latter is more fun to read about; we all do the former in our own style.
Edit to add: the author was honest in showing his progression from a failed bear hang to finding the lightest bear canister. Kudos on that
Justin, I found it rude since the article was about his hike, his plans etc. HYOH BS artists always find passive aggressive ways of hinting that "their way" is superior in various ways. "see more" "experience nature" blah blah blah. They have no way of knowing what experience the other person is having or wishing to have but it is inferior to the way they do it.
i am not even close to as fast as the FKT guys but have done longer day hikes and longer days while thru hiking the LT to see how I would do. Not aiming for a speed or time but to complete the distance at hand. Some people are happy with staying inside the box and others like to see what is near the edges. It comes in handy that you know you can do x-distance if needed.
when certain ideas and people pop up every time someone mentions going faster than "normal" it is rude. If you don't like apples, a thread about apples is not for you.
apologies to George Carlin, but the back-and-forth banter about appropriate hiking speed always reminds me that there are two types of hikers – the maniacs that hike faster than you and the idiots who hike slower…..
btw – I enjoyed the article
That is certainly possible Jake, it's also possible that they have "been there, done that" before themselves and have realized certain self illusions and have become more honest with themselves about their motivations/intentions behind outer activities.
I don't know for sure what is the case with these individuals, but i'm open to various different interpretations.
America is a very competitive and individualistic country, and we especially raise males in this manner. It's a very ingrained and nationalistic mind set. We are very imbalanced to the "Yang" in so many areas…i'm all for anything that adds a bit more balance to our hyper competitive, hyper macho, hyper type A, hyper "success" driven society.
I see the attitude of having to hike a trail within a certain time, if it's not for purely pragmatic reasons (lack of time, etc,), as possibly a symptom of this larger societal and especially common male issue.
Or to put it in a different and more generalized way, when i did a 6 day meditation type retreat, the trainers took away our watches and cell phones, and their were no clocks, so we never knew exactly what time it was. This was apparently a rather stressful thing for some, especially most of the male participants it seemed. Those who are constantly measuring, when they are asked to turn that part down for a bit, well… it often just doesn't sit right.
Another cool trip report being overshadowed by predictable BPLBS.
This was a nicely written piece about a cool adventure. I appreciated the emphasis on developing mental toughness and positivity. Certain people tend to have these traits more than others, but thats cool that you were actually able to train yourself.
As for the argument against fastpacking, a lot of people like to challenge themselves in the wilderness. A lot of people seek out the wilderness for beauty, escape, simplicity etc. Most of these interests can co-exist without issue. Just enjoy backpacking for what it means to you (ie HYOH)
What is it with hiking and hikers? Why is it that whenever someone does a route faster than normal, someone ALWAYS chimes in with "But did he see anything? Must have been looking at his feet all the time ".
Someone else's achievement, in this case Josh's, is certainly stirring up strong emotions in some people, and I can only think it is a feeling of jealousy. Someone has been out there enjoying themselves immensely doing something others are not capable of. Maybe the hike was hard or even unpleasant at times, but the feeling of self satisfaction and fulfilment afterwards has flooded in, and they've burst into prose. Ok, it's a bit grandiose, but if someone doesn't blow their own trumpet once in a while, no one will do it for them. And I for one find it highly interesting.
I'm no record breaker, but I have always enjoyed hiking fast, and usually the only person who knows about it is me. It's got nothing to do with " modern competitive living ", it's just something that makes me, personally, feel good. However, if I do happen to mention it to other people, invariably someone pipes up in a derogatory tone " What are you trying to prove? did you see anything ".
No one truely likes losing at sport, or a game of chess, say. In the case of speed hiking not everyone is able to go fast, but everyone is out there just the same, so it makes them feel bad, and so they hit back with " That's not the way to do it ".
Why do some people find it so hard to applaud excellence, and FKTs and attempts there at are certainly examples of excellence. Do you ever hear someone say of a top marathon runner " Why is he running so fast, is he seeing anything, is he looking at his feet, he'd be better off running slowly ". Of course not, so why pick on fast hikers?
"Do you ever hear someone say of a top marathon runner " Why is he running so fast, is he seeing anything, is he looking at his feet, he'd be better off running slowly ".
Maybe because he / she would be running a marathon race (ergo, a race) on flat pavement in a city with nothing to see with like minded spectators is why you would not hear those comments.
What kills me is that if there is a contrarian view that states early that the concept of moving fast is open to debate, the fastpacker's quickly become defensive?
Some of us won't applaud excellence because we find running in the backcountry counter to why most of use leave the city in the first place. We leave our busy lives to 'de-compress' and experience a slowing down of time in the wilderness. We simply don't find it 'excellent.' Jealousy? More like confusion. So..ya..you get comments trying to better understand why someone would want to do this. Justin's post(s) hit the nail on the head.
I really don't give two turds either way, but the way Billy was jumped on was pretty par for the course here. Everyone has opinions whether you like it or not. Like cooking in a tent in bear country or carrying a gun into the back country or that dome tents are the worst design in inclement weather, etc. It is what ultimately makes this site pretty great because the one thing we have in common is the love of the back country. Thank God we don't agree on everything else (this is not the beginning of a discussion on religion – carry on).
Here's my take: there are lots of ways to enjoy the wilderness. You are welcome to enjoy it any way that makes you happy as long as we all play by the same rules and your way does not cause extra adverse impact on either the wilderness or other people enjoying the wilderness.
Some amble along, happy for the respite from a pressured urban existence. Others find a remote fishing spot and try for one fishing goal or another. Some are peak baggers. Some want to climb impossibly difficult rock routes. Some want to spend a night on top of each 14er in the range. Some want to push their bodies as hard aerobically and/or endurance-wise as they can. For all I know some may be lake-baggers with packraft. Etc.
I do not really see how any one of those is different from another as long as it does not have an increased adverse impact on either the wilderness or my enjoyment of the wilderness. Some of those activities may not be my cup of tea, but I have no problem with others doing them.
–MV
Wonderful article and great effort by the author! Bravo!
"Everyone has opinions whether you like it or not. Like cooking in a tent in bear country or carrying a gun into the back country or that dome tents are the worst design in inclement weather, etc. It is what ultimately makes this site pretty great because the one thing we have in common is the love of the back country."
+1
I think BPL should put this as its mission statement:)
diversity of opinions is good
you can choose those ideas that work for you
frustrating if you want the one "correct" idea chosen for you
"If you are moving fast and looking at your shoes then perhaps after a bit more experience you will start seeing the scenery as you move. Just because you can't do it doesn't mean others have the same limitations."
Come on. It isn't skill or experience. Over rough terrain, it takes a certain amount of work and time looking at where to walk. It isn't complicated. If you go slow, you have more time to see each place you visit, ceteris paribus. If you go fast, you have more time to see more places.
Pointless argument.
"Pointless argument."
+1
I'd say BPL should create a new forum called "Pointless Argument." You could delete a number of other forums since, c'mon, a whole lot of threads on BPL often devolve into pointless arguments!
It could be the new chaff!
"Pointless argument."
It could be the new chaff!
Oh no, it couldn't.
When I move too fast on the trail I get chaffed.
I like how "backpacking light" allows you to be free explore more and expand your possibilities.
Once you achieve UL status it means the weight taken off your back lets you take less breaks and have a less demanding hike.
This seems to be what a lot of people on this site are out to achieve.
Now take this a few steps future.
Start dipping into SUL loads and getting yourself into shape.
Naturally it will be much easier to keep a good pace.
You will need even less breaks.
You are able to hike for much more of the day and even enjoy some excellent night hiking.
Your fitness opens up many possibilities for trips you can do with one week off work (instead of 3).
This seems to be what almost no one at this site wants to achieve.
I read "fastpacking the JMT" and was surprised and delighted to see my OMM 32 pack being used, (I was the OMM founder and the pack designer, but now quasi retired and writing a garment training manual). These packs are normally only available in UK so am wondered if the author is a Brit or if no where he got the pack.
Mike Parsons
I so don't understand why this discussion gets people so upset…..
want to hike fast? GREAT! I love a good long run in the woods and I really, really miss my ability to do that. I loved how easy it was to just rack up miles and feel the ground under my feet and the wind in my face and to effortlessly move along the trail.
Want to hike slow and take a lot of breaks and photos or fish or nap or read or whatever? GREAT! I like to do that, too! I love to read with my feet in a creek…I'm always stopping to take lots of pictures, etc.
I just really don't get it how one person's hiking style has ANY effect whatsoever on another person's hike and why any of us have any standing at all to criticize how someone else hikes.
I really like reading about FKTs and attempts and whatnot because I wish I could do those things again – and one day I will. I want my fitness to be able to carry me across mountain passes like a breeze and to put in a 30-40 mile day with the same level of discomfort and pain I get now after a 14-miler.
But holy crap why do we always have to criticize how someone spends time in the wilderness??? It just makes no sense to me.
Speaking for self, well i was never upset one way or the other nor trying to minimize Josh's accomplishments. I just liked and more agreed with the overall spirit of what Billy wrote. I should have just left it at that looking at it in retrospect. I do kind of agree with Ralph that the context was probably not the best for that, and it would be belong better in a thread of it's own.
I think anytime someone exercises a lot of self discipline and willpower to accomplish a self made goal, it's admirable to some extent. So, kudos to Josh for that. I didn't get to read the whole article, so can't speak to anything else besides that and what others have said from reading same.
Something else occurs to me — some of the issue seems to be that many assume high mileage means hiking faster, and therefore not seeing things. Trail runners do indeed go faster, but that does not apply to all who do high mileage days.
Skurka's comments on that are that he does not hike faster. He just hikes longer days and is more efficient at getting routine things done. If you believe Skurka, it seems to me that some of the adverse comments about high mileage, non-trail-running, days may be misplaced.
–MV
Skurka does hike longer and more efficiently.
On a good trail he will cruise at 3 mph, or faster, for 12 to 15 hours. As do many others.
But a Lot of folks don't hike that fast, or that long, and to them 30+ mile days seem incomprehensible, let alone being enjoyable. Hence their dismay and chiding, followed by a "HYOH".
Such comments are not misplaced per se, just mypoic.
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