2008 - John Muir Trail

John Muir Trail, California; August 2008

The John Muir Trail is the highest trail constructed in the lower 48. The 211 mile trail runs through the Sierra Mountains from the Yosemite Valley south to the summit of Mt Whitney (from the summit there is an additional 11 miles/6,000ft hike to the trailhead at Whitney Portal).

My dad and I set off on our first backpacking trip together last August to experience what many say is the prettiest trail in the United States. While lacking backpacking experience, I have spent a fair amount of my time outdoors and was fairly confident my endurance and enthusiasm would carry me through. The biggest challenges I saw would be carrying a pack (~35lbs fully loaded with food and water), dealing with the high altitude (between 8,000ft – 14,500ft), and adapting to life on the trail. Here are my notes from the journey along with some helpful links for those interested in planning their own adventure.

Day 0; Friday, August 22
The trip began with a flight to Los Angeles after work. After a late arrival and a night in the town of Lancaster we continued north through the Mojave and through the Owens Valley on the way to Lone Pine. Flanked by the Sierras to the West and the Inyo Mountains to the East, the Owens Valley offers a tremendous panorama. The Valley floor sits ~4,000ft elevation surrounded by 14,000+ft peaks. Los Angeles owns the vast majority of the land (to supply the LA aqueduct) resulting in 75 miles of undeveloped valley save for a few towns and highway 395. After dropping our car at the southern terminus at Whitney Portal we rode in a shuttle with a few other hikers north to Yosemite to start our trip. We arrived at Tuolumne Meadows just after the ranger station closed. Luckily we were able to buy some sausage at the general store for our last meal before the trail. We made camp at the backpacker staging area and fell fast asleep as people trickled into the campsite well past midnight.

Day 1; Saturday, August 23
Morning came at 4:30 for me courtesy of jet lag and the altitude. I quickly got up and headed to the ranger station to get in line to pick up our permits. We were scheduled to begin on Sunday but I hoped we’d be able to secure one of the walkup permits to begin a day early. Turns out I was the first in line by a solid 2 hours but it’s better to be safe than sorry. After a conservation lecture from the rangers we quickly returned to our tents to break camp and start off on the trail. Hiking up Lyell Canyon was very pretty and fast. We went through a bunch of different ecosystems on our approach to Donahoe Pass where the real climbing began. Along the way we also met a Kurt, a great guy from the Bay Area who ended up sharing the first half of our trip with us. He coined us the “Philly Boyz” and would prove to be a great friend. We crested the pass just before dark and camped on the opposite side around 10,500ft. Our first night in the backcountry was nothing short of amazing. After dinner while walking to a stream to clean my feet I saw quite a few mule deer and countless starts. It was awesome to be completely in the wilderness and at least a day’s hike from any road.

Day 2; Sunday, August 24
After broken sleep (still getting used to the altitude) we started descending and passed many lakes. Dad and I got separated somewhere around Thousand Island lakes but luckily reunited. The highlight of the afternoon was feet soaking at a picturesque stream. I never really appreciated the simple things like clean feet until this trip. The trail was very dry and dusty leaving which made everything dirty very quickly. After some nice R&R we continued on the trail and tried to camp around a high alpine lake. Unfortunately the water in the lake wasn’t the most appealing so we ate dinner and decided to press on. While tired, the evening hiking was nice on a full stomach and cooler temperatures. We eventually stopped just after 8PM and set up camp using our headlamps. I made my now traditional walk to the nearest stream and washed up before bed. This was a 20 mile / 12.5 hour day for us; our biggest so far. Fortunately my body was holding well save some chafing from the waistband on my pack. Spirits were high as we passed out and capped off another epic day.

Day 3; Monday, August 25
Today we got moving around 8AM and were anxious to hit Red’s Meadow. Red’s is a mule ranch located near Devil’s Postpile National Monument, just outside of Mammoth Lakes, CA. I had read that cheeseburgers, milkshakes, and showers were big hits at Red’s so we practically ran up the trail. We visited the columnar basalt and then made our way to the store. Here we lightened our packs of some extra food and headed to the natural hot spring showers. After a GREAT shower we hit the restaurant for some much needed calories and then ran into Kurt. The three of us decided to take a detour off the JMT to check out the Iva Bell hot springs (a day’s hike away). The hike to the springs was awesome and featured a bunch of slick rock, streams, and trees as we descended into a steep valley. We passed a few kids coming back from the springs (one girl with an awesome wolf dog – need to get one someday) and reached the springs around dark. After dinner we soaked in a natural hot tub at the edge of a valley. Nothing short of perfect.

Day 4; Tuesday, August 26
We awoke and hit the trail. Today was a very tough day with unrelenting climbing on rarely used trail. Unlike other days with massive views, much of today was spent in thick woods. Though my body felt great, midway through the day I started to crack and wonder if all of this hard work was worth it. Before the journey I had pictured easier days and had not realized just how steep and demanding the High Sierras are. Even keeping a quick pace we still hiked around 12 hours a day with the vast majority of that time spent climbing or descending. This is not Central Park! Eventually we intersected the JMT (much to my relief) and finished the day by climbing the Silver Pass around dusk. We hiked down the valley and found Kurt and camped with him. I setup my tent on a ledge, fell asleep admiring the stars, and awoke to AWESOME views. Life doesn’t get any better than this.

Day 5; Wednesday, August 27
Up moving at sunrise due to dehydration. Sleeping high is beautiful but it can be awfully dry and last night was no exception. Today we hit the wall and discussed pulling out for a day to recharge and regroup. So far our trip had been hard work as we were averaging ~17 miles a day. We decided to relax a bit so as not to run a “death march” to the peak of Mt. Whitney and then wonder where our vacation had gone. With this new ethos we enjoyed a more relaxed 15 mile day. We met a cowboy and various other hikers and decided to camp by a cool pond at Rosemarie Meadows to watch tons of trout jumping for mosquitoes. At this point I was hoping for another warm shower and began to get excited for my next one. Despite my longing for a shower, nothing could take away from the gorgeous scenery of a high mountain meadow surrounded by towering granite cliffs.

Day 6; Thursday, August 28
This morning we passed a bunch of people from the Muir Trail Ranch who were riding horses into the backcountry to fish. We passed numerous lakes surrounding each pass and met a bunch of people along the way. At midday we arrived at the Ranch to pick up our resupply and check out the extra food people had left there. I had a field day! Got to eat more than a container of peanut butter which was an amazing treat after days and days of energy bars:) This was the high life. Kurt arrived while we were there and we said goodbye to our friend. We were going to hike out the next day over the Piute Pass and rejoin the JMT further south. After I gorged myself (dad showed a bit more restraint) we hiked to the bottom of Piute Creek and camped in an extremely steep gorge for the night listening to the roar of the Creek.

Day 7; Friday, August 29
We started very early this morning up the rugged trail to the Piute Pass. We heard the hike generally takes two days but we (mostly I) were bent on getting it done in one. The terrain was really cool as the ecosystem was constantly changing. Along the way we saw a lone packer heading the same direction as us. This was an iconic moment and showed just how wild and untouched this land is. Fortunately, through the efforts of many noted conservationists, the High Sierras are largely untouched by humans and have no roads or other development scarring them. On our descent we met a cool couple from Mammoth with three wolf dogs who made quite the impression on us (you’ll have to ask me for this story). After 20 miles or so we hit the trailhead and began to walk towards the highway with our thumbs in the air. After 30 minutes or so luck struck and a group of photographers picked us up and drove us into Bishop where I enjoyed one of the best showers of my life! After showering we hit a Mexican restaurant and capped it all off with milkshakes from Carls Jr. It is amazing how time in the wilderness brings pleasure back to the simple things in life.

Day 8; Saturday, August 30
Labor Day weekend in Bishop CA!! Whoo hoo it was fun. We organized a ride down to Onion Valley just outside of Independence to pick up the trail. We left town around noon (regrettably missing the rodeo which would have been pretty cool) after downing another round of milkshakes. Before long we were at the trailhead staring up at Kearsarge Pass under cool temps, heavy wind, lightening, and rain. We plowed up the pass, completing the 4.7m and 2,700 feet in an hour and 45 minutes. Let’s just say never underestimate the restorative powers of a shower and a milkshake! The rain kept down the dust and our feet remained “clean” as we rejoined the JMT and camped at Vidette Meadows. It was great to be on the trail again as less than 20 hours in “civilization” left me yearning to be in the backcountry.

Day 9; Sunday, August 31
This morning we were up early and moved at a quick pace. It was very windy and I was feeling quite good after our trip to town. We stormed up Forrester Pass following a guy ahead of us who seemed to be moving like the wind. The cyclist in me came out as I announced to my dad I didn’t want to get dropped and really wanted to run him down. After passing countless people I summited right behind the fast guy. Up there we spoke and he said we wore him out. Apparantly he had spent the past few hours looking down at our blue backpacks gaining on him! Anyway a highlight was when I told him my buddy was just a few minutes behind. When my dad surfaced the guy was shocked to see my “buddy” was in fact my dad. He was shocked at my dad’s level of fitness (as am I) and gave us the greatest compliment in my eyes and accused us of being from Boulder, CO (aka the Gore-tex Vortex). Pretty cool. It was even cooler to tell him we’re the Philly Boyz and run on cheesesteaks (thanks Kurt). The pass was incredibly windy; the wind even lifted the hiker’s loaded pack and threw it a few feet. We continued the day in strong fashion and hiked to Crabtree Meadows to set up camp before making our bid for the summit the next day. Again we were aggressive on the miles today but it was quite a bit of fun. The night before Mt. Whitney was both exciting and sad.

Day 10; Monday, September 1
Today was the big day and we were moving by sunrise. The climb to Whitney passes Guitar Lake and a few others. I kept scanning the horizon hoping to see Whitney but it was blocked by other seeming huge mountains. Then the climbing began. And continued. Finally those huge mountains became small mountains. After 6 hours we reached the highest place in the continental US. The amazing part about being on top was looking all of the way down into Lone Pine at 4,000ft. It was a great feeling to reach the top and get to meet the resident marmot cruising for snacks. After a few photos we began the 11m descent to Whitney Portal. This descent was crazy because it just kept going and going (there are 99 switchbacks on one steep stretch alone). Granted we needed to descend over a mile but it was a long way. We were hesitant to camp along the way down as the camps were overcrowded with day hikers who clogged the trails on their way up to the summit. Eventually we made our way down the mountain and to the Whitney Portal store where we capped our journey with two Gatorades and another cheeseburger each. We then picked up our car and drove down to the Carl’s Jr. and ordered up another round of milkshakes. Yum…

Reflections
This was an incredibly rewarding journey that I will remember forever. I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to complete such a journey with my dad and share the time on the trail with him. Going into this I was not prepared to be on the trail for two weeks without a break. For me it took a few hours off of the trail to make me appreciate just how special it was to be free from the trappings of society and all of the associated stresses. Days on the trail are simple and rewarding. Without the distractions of everyday life people are allowed to focus on the basics like water, food, meeting interesting people, incredible views, and self reflection. While I missed showers and grew tired of filtering my water, once I returned to the modern world I found myself missing these “inconveniences” and wishing to return to the basics.

Logistics
For recommended gear lists/etc please visit some of the links below as the experts know much more than I do. The temperatures at altitude fluctuated considerably. Morning cools dipped into the 20s while during the day in the sun the 90s were not uncommon. Fortunately the Sierras are dry in the summer and precipitation is uncommon.
Our setups were fairly light with base weights around 18lbs (no food/water). My recommendation would be to keep it ultra light and simple. There is nothing worse than a heavy pack full of things you don’t need. For food do not rely strictly on energy bars as they become impossible to stomach after the first day! Also I didn’t need to eat nearly as much as I had initially thought based on my previous triathlon experiences. I had planned for 4,000 calories a day but would probably take that down to 2,500 and just eat more milkshakes whenever near a town!

Helpful links
Elevation profile: http://www.pcta.org/images/elevation_new.jpg
Lightweight philosophy: http://www.backpackinglight.com/
Inspiring adventurer: http://www.andrewskurka.com/