John Muir Trail [Archive] - WhiteBlaze

_terrapin_

07-28-2008, 13:42

Bear canister is required. Permits also. Keep in mind that you're at very high altitudes on most of that trail. I'll be starting from the northern end next week -- most of our hike (we're only doing 70-100 miles) will be at 9,500 feet or above. A couple of passes go to 12,000 feet or so. I'm also bringing sunglasses, a light-colored hat, lots of sun block, and a light, long-sleeved, loose-fitting nylon shirt to hike in. I figure the sun at 10,000 feet can cook you in short order.

I don't know how well the trail is marked -- but I'm bringing a GPS as well (something I've never used or needed on the AT.) One of our challenges will be to navigate a side trail to the east (Rte. 395) when our time is up.

Time To Fly 97

07-28-2008, 15:36

fiddlehead

07-28-2008, 16:19

I doubt he or she will be able to do much glissading in Sept.

Terrapin mentions altitudes above 12,000' and dips to 9,500'
Actually it starts at 14,500' and goes down to about 4,000'

You can acclimate a lot easier by going the other way though.

I've learned taking a fishin pole is a good idea. I have one of those telescoping ones.
oh yeah, and a camera

fiddlehead

07-28-2008, 16:41

By the way, i just saw on the news that fires are threateneing the western entrance to the park. Brings back memories of my hike there in '90 when 2 fires closed 2 roads going into the park so they evacuated the whole park.

the only people allowed in were people with back country permits. We had just gotten a 25 day permit a few days before and were ready to star our hike. But we couldn't get down into the valley. So we hiked down.

a ranger spotted us down there and screeched to a halt, did a 360 and came after us. We calmly showed him our permits and he left us alone. So, we had Yosemite village to ourselves as well as much of he JMT.

Only bummer was that smoke took many of the views away. I hope you guys have better luck with that.

Pootz

07-28-2008, 17:13

I am starting the JMT on Sept. 1, 2008 Being an Eastern hiker and AT thru Hikers is there any gear changes i would need. How are the bugs and weather that time of year. I am looking to go ultra light 20 mile days. The bear vault is a 2 plus pound bummer is there anything lighter.

Just got back from 2 weeks on the JMT. The trail is in good shape and well graded. The hardest part is getting used to the elevation. I had a headache for the first couple days. I used all of my gear from the AT with the addition of a bear canister. The other big difference you will notice about the JMT compared to the AT is way less social interaction with other hikers. NO shelters to meet up with people at the end of the day.

Not sure about the 20 plus miles a day thing I did one 20 mile days and it was pretty hard. Unless you are used to the elevation and in great shape I would not plan to hike 20 miles a day for the entire JMT. The elevation profiles look easy but the high elevation makes up for it. most people recommend around 3 weeks for the trail, give or take a couple days.

You can save some weight, but increase costs, by doing lots of mail drops, Tuolumne, reds, vvr, mtr. Trying to resupply at reds or vvr without a mail drop would be difficult, expensive and maybe impossible.

VVR was a great place to stop on the trail. Everyone there was very hiker friendly. We had a great time. The food in the restaurant is very good but expensive. And did I mention beer and wine. You can tent there for free.

reds is close to the trail and has a good but pricey restaurant as well. You will find that everything on the trail is expensive, they have to go through a lots of trouble to get food and other items to reds, MTR and expescially VVR, so it should cost more.

We did not have much trouble with the bugs but things might be different in September.

Drop me a message if you would like more info on the trail.

Cookerhiker

07-28-2008, 17:23

In addition to the sun, the dryness is a blessing in many ways i.e. sweat doesn't constantly pour down your forehead and dishes dry quickly. But because of the dryness, I suggest bringing lip balm, nostril spray, eyedrops, and lotion to prevent chaffing. I never chafe on the AT or any Eastern hiking but the JMT is a whole different ballgame.

Cookerhiker

07-28-2008, 17:26

[quote=Pootz;673549]........We did not have much trouble with the bugs but things might be different in September....[quote]

No - my hike (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=4830) began August 30, '06 about the same time as Trail Trooper and bugs were never an issue.

taildragger

07-28-2008, 17:38

Instead of resupplying at VVR, check out mono hot springs, they have a PO and its a hitch from VVR

Hana_Hanger

07-28-2008, 17:43

Bugs....not a problem at all
Cooler weather... 30 - 32 degrees some nights
Late August thru Oct Chance of Thunder storms and even Snow sometimes
we were in a storm with pea size hail...late August.
Late Sept they even closed Hwy 120 for a couple of days due to snow.

Biggest thing is remember everything is shut down after Sept 15
all your resupply points....etc...

It is a wonderful trail...you will need plenty of chap stick and if you can, do not forget some light weight gloves...hands sunburn quickly.

Hana_Hanger

07-28-2008, 17:46

http://www.backpack45.com/johnmuirtrail.html

Nice link for some info and blogs...

Trail Trooper

07-28-2008, 22:05

Thanks for all the good info keep it coming. I would like to do the JMT in 3 or even 4 weeks but I could only get 2 weeks off work Gotta work to fund the adventure.

I like the hennessy hammock but I heard there is not a good item to bring on the JMT what about a bivi or Tarp

taildragger

07-28-2008, 22:26

fiddlehead

07-28-2008, 22:26

Yeah, the hammock is not a good idea. Not that many trees. It's alpine.

I can't imagine sleeping in a bivy every night. Tarp would be great as long as you can set it up without trees. (not that there's not trees but it's not like you can find one anywhere near where you prefer to camp) I'd bring a tarp for emergency and sleep under the stars.

20 mile days might take hiking from sunup to sundown. If you have to cut the trail short, hike from Whitney to Tulomme or even Red's Meadow. Going SOBO doesn't give you as many options for cutting 50 miles or so out.

Time To Fly 97

07-29-2008, 10:14

I'd bring a tarp for emergency and sleep under the stars.

Right on. Stars are beautiful and it barely ever rains. I think I had two nights for an hour or so. It is different on the JMT than the AT - when it rains on the JMT, you feel psyched and want to go stand in it. : )

Happy hiking!

TTF

Trail Trooper

07-30-2008, 23:04

Never Tarped Before What Is A Good Tarp And Are The Easy To Use

Heater

07-30-2008, 23:10

Never Tarped Before What Is A Good Tarp And Are The Easy To Use

You Should Probably Just Go Get A Cheapo Tarp From The Hardware Store To Try It Out. Probably 12 - 15 Bucks.

TwoForty

08-02-2008, 01:34

Ice ax. Glisading down the back sides of passes in the snow is a rush not to be missed - plus safer in the mornings when the trail ice hasn't softened up (self arrest). It is beautiful - camp at Muir hut.

Happy hiking!

TTF

Ice ax probably won't do much good in August.

I don't recall any nice flat spots near the Muir hut and most of the ground are there is rocky. You can get much better sites down around the lakes to the south.

Cookerhiker

08-02-2008, 10:31

...I don't recall any nice flat spots near the Muir hut and most of the ground are there is rocky. You can get much better sites down around the lakes to the south.

Or to the north. We camped at Wanda Lake (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=157459). It's cool to hike up to Muir Pass in the early morning.

_terrapin_

08-02-2008, 11:46

Cookerhiker, I'm reading your journal now. Good stuff, awesome photos. Handy for me as you hiked SOBO as well. This time tomorrow I'll be airborne, en route to San Francisco. Psyched.

Cookerhiker

08-02-2008, 13:54

Thanks - enjoy your hike. You may also want to look at Marta's journal. (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=205123) Unlike me, she finished!

_terrapin_

08-02-2008, 14:40

Thanks - enjoy your hike. You may also want to look at Marta's journal. (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=205123) Unlike me, she finished!

We've got barely seven or eight days to hike, and zero time to acclimatize. Starting at Red's Meadow, we'll make it to Bishop's Pass or bust. If we make super time, maybe we'll make it to Taboose Pass or one of those. Nephew is young and strong, but -- aside from about 70 miles of AT in Maine, with me -- a hiking novice.

Dogwood

08-05-2008, 17:49

Thru-hiked JMT southbound June/July in 07 and went through the Sierras again northbound in June on current PCT 08 thru-hike. Ice axe probaby not needed in Sept. Mosquitos not a problem that time of yr. Rain would be rare but it will get 30-35 degs., particularly on the passes at night. I think hiking southbound from Yosemite is the better alternative because U gradually get acclimated to the elevation that way and U R not carrying a full pack to the highest elevation(Mt. Whitney) to start your hike. U can definitely resupply at Tuolumne Meadows(very near the JMT) and VVR. At that time of yr. U should not have a problem getting a walk up permit at Yosemite. They also rent bear canisters at YNP. Smoke has been an issue in most of Cali this summer.

Dogwood

08-06-2008, 02:59

Water should not be an issue for any more than 8 mile stretches. It is possible to hammock the JMT. If U get caught above treeline U would have to cowboy camp. When used properly, bivy or lite tarp is ideal in Sierras in early Sept. Terrapin, if U do hike out thru Bishop Pass via Dusy Basin it is beautiful and uncrowded. Where Bishop Trailhead starts/ends, near the marina at South Lake, it is possible to hitch.

TwoForty

08-10-2008, 23:46

Or to the north. We camped at Wanda Lake (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=157459). It's cool to hike up to Muir Pass in the early morning.
Yeah, I hiked up Muir Pass first thing in the morning from Helen Lake. It was a cool experience.

Mr. Parkay

08-11-2008, 13:44

Hello,

The Ursack would be a good choice for the bear resistant container.... I'm pretty sure it's been "approved" for use on the JMT. It weighs about half as much as the Bear Vault, plus it's a sack, so it takes up a lot less space in your pack

http://www.ursack.com/ursack-catalog.htm

Also, I would consider 20 miles a day on the JMT to be equivalent to 30+ miles a day on the AT.... since the elevation gain/loss is insane on the JMT. Just a thought. Good luck, it's a cool trail!

fiddlehead

08-11-2008, 13:59

Also, I would consider 20 miles a day on the JMT to be equivalent to 30+ miles a day on the AT.... since the elevation gain/loss is insane on the JMT. Just a thought. Good luck, it's a cool trail!

Really? I see them about the same as the grade is much easier on the JMT. (unless you are talking about northern VA or MD or PA)

Mr. Parkay

08-11-2008, 15:24

Really? I see them about the same as the grade is much easier on the JMT. (unless you are talking about northern VA or MD or PA)

Well, its true that the grade is easier on the AT, but the JMT is much more difficult in terms of elevation gain/loss. On the jmt you have to go up and down a "pass" almost every day... which means 3500ft up then 3500ft down.. sometimes more.

Comparing 20 on the AT to 30+ on the JMT might be an exaggeration... but I'd say the JMT is definitely a lot harder.

Kerosene

08-11-2008, 19:54

To me, it's not so much the elevation change as it is the condition of the footpath. I'm in good enough shape that I can handle the vertical, but a rocky/rooty footpath slows me down a bunch. I get the sense the most of the JMT and PCT facilitate a nice stride, uphill or down. Correct?

Marta

08-11-2008, 20:45

For me, one of the biggest factors in how far to go every day was that I wanted to sleep relatively low. I had a just-barely-warm-enough sleeping bag, which for me was a 20 degree bag. So I hiked pretty short days, usually doing one pass, and setting up camp as low as possible between passes.

In 2007 I didn't have any snow to contend with, and didn't have to factor time of day for going over snow fields into the plan.

As far as the physical effort, the altitude didn't bother me at all, and the smooth treadway was heavenly. If not for the sleeping-low thing, and the fact that I wasn't in a hurry anyway, I could have done much more distance per day. But I know the altitude knocks some people for a loop.

Summit

08-11-2008, 21:03

I'd say that in a 'typical' day, the elevation gain/loss on the AT vs. JMT is about the same for the same amount of miles. The difference is on the JMT you do a 7 mile ascent followed by a 7 mile descent, 3500 feet up, 3500 ft down. On the AT you do 3-4 1000 ft ascents/descents a day, coming up with roughly the same numbers. The 'factor' that may tip the JMT being more difficult is the long ascents/descents without switching between the two tends to wear your leg muscles down more. Once I acclimated to the altitude, I did not feel it was much of a factor - sure it was the first couple of days.

Cookerhiker

08-11-2008, 22:06

Well, its true that the grade is easier on the AT, but the JMT is much more difficult in terms of elevation gain/loss. On the jmt you have to go up and down a "pass" almost every day... which means 3500ft up then 3500ft down.. sometimes more.

Comparing 20 on the AT to 30+ on the JMT might be an exaggeration... but I'd say the JMT is definitely a lot harder.

It's hard to compare a 2,175 mile trail with a 220 mile trail. I agree the JMT is harder if you're comparing it with much of the mid-Atlantic portion of the AT. I hiked the JMT in Aug-Sept '06 one year after hiking the AT from Gorham to Katahdin. IMO the AT in Maine, especially from Gorham to the Bigalows, is much harder than the JMT.

Trail Trooper

08-13-2008, 20:23

what deg bag should I get JMT start date Aug 30 - sept 15

_terrapin_

08-13-2008, 20:26

what deg bag should I get JMT start date Aug 30 - sept 15

My guess is around 30-35 degrees. I was on the trail last week for a couple of days and nights. Neither night got much below 50. I had a 45 degree bag and was snug, in my Tarptent.

MOWGLI

08-13-2008, 20:27

what deg bag should I get JMT start date Aug 30 - sept 15

I just hiked 110 miles last week with a 40 degree bag. Nights were warm. But I sleep warm. A 20 degree bag would be a good choice.

MOWGLI

08-13-2008, 20:28

I get the sense the most of the JMT and PCT facilitate a nice stride, uphill or down. Correct?

Much of the JMT is rocky. Some sections really slowed me down due to rocky tread. What really facilitates moving on the trail is the grade, which is usually pretty easy due to the fact that the trail is graded for pack stock.

_terrapin_

08-13-2008, 22:28

Much of the JMT is rocky. Some sections really slowed me down due to rocky tread. What really facilitates moving on the trail is the grade, which is usually pretty easy due to the fact that the trail is graded for pack stock.

Actually, what struck me as unusual was the sandy footpath; sometimes deep sand... just a bit tricky to walk on. If you're hiking with a partner, you need to keep a respectable distance between each other, because of all the dust that's kicked up. As for grades and inclines -- pretty mellow.

TwoForty

08-14-2008, 00:58

Also, I would consider 20 miles a day on the JMT to be equivalent to 30+ miles a day on the AT.... since the elevation gain/loss is insane on the JMT. Just a thought. Good luck, it's a cool trail!

I thought it was the opposite. I do 15-20 miles on the AT is GSMNP and I was doing 20-25 on the JMT. The grade is easier and the footing is a lot easier as well.

MOWGLI

08-14-2008, 08:48

Well, its true that the grade is easier on the AT, but the JMT is much more difficult in terms of elevation gain/loss. On the jmt you have to go up and down a "pass" almost every day... which means 3500ft up then 3500ft down.. sometimes more.

Comparing 20 on the AT to 30+ on the JMT might be an exaggeration... but I'd say the JMT is definitely a lot harder.

I donno. Because of the grade of the JMT compared to the AT, I think 20 on the JMT is definitely easier than 20 on the AT. But I still wouldn't want to do two passes in one day on the JMT. One is enough for me.

MOWGLI

08-14-2008, 08:52

Actually, what struck me as unusual was the sandy footpath; sometimes deep sand... just a bit tricky to walk on. If you're hiking with a partner, you need to keep a respectable distance between each other, because of all the dust that's kicked up. As for grades and inclines -- pretty mellow.

Good points. The trail is very dusty.

There are many places on the JMT where rocks slowed me down. Coming off of Muir Pass (SOBO) is a good example. Although technically not the JMT, Bishop Pass is another example.

It's all good though.

mrc237

08-14-2008, 09:00

Good points. The trail is very dusty.

There are many places on the JMT where rocks slowed me down. Coming off of Muir Pass (SOBO) is a good example. Although technically not the JMT, Bishop Pass is another example.

It's all good though.

I was thinking "Where were all the rocks when I hiked the JMT. Then I thought (when you wrote Muir Pass) under the snow:D.

MOWGLI

08-14-2008, 09:21

I was thinking "Where were all the rocks when I hiked the JMT. Then I thought (when you wrote Muir Pass) under the snow:D.

Not much snow this year. Those hiking the JMT in September may have some water issues in places. The trail was much wetter in '06 when I hiked it - 3 weeks later than I did this year.

Cookerhiker

08-14-2008, 09:50

Actually, what struck me as unusual was the sandy footpath; sometimes deep sand... just a bit tricky to walk on. If you're hiking with a partner, you need to keep a respectable distance between each other, because of all the dust that's kicked up. As for grades and inclines -- pretty mellow.

Good points. The trail is very dusty. ....
It's all good though.

The dust along with the dryness is why I recommended that hikers bring some kind of nasal spray. I sure will next time.

Marta

08-14-2008, 12:31

The dust along with the dryness is why I recommended that hikers bring some kind of nasal spray. I sure will next time.

I wore a dustmask:

http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=252381

A good look for me, I think.:D

MOWGLI

08-14-2008, 12:48

If anyone is interested in a current journal on the JMT, I'm in the process of uploading photos and journal entries at the following site;

http://Postholer.Com/Jeffrey Hunter

It's not a complete thru-hike. Just a walk from Tuolumne Meadows to Bishop Pass - bypassing Bear Ridge and Selden pass.

Summit

08-14-2008, 16:51

The Old Fhart

08-14-2008, 18:05

There is going to be a presentation on the JMT at the Long Trail Festival in Rutland, VT, this weekend that I plan to attend.

Cookerhiker

08-15-2008, 10:10

The 'Golden Staircase' was about as tough a five miles as I've ever encountered, and I was going down it (NOBO)! :eek: Didn't have trekking poles in 1977 when I did the JMT, but sure could have used them here. My knees were shot after that descent.

It seemed to go on forever - even though the hike up (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=157521) (I hiked SOBO) was in the open, Mather Pass was not discernible so I never knew what point I was hiking to. At least the view from the Pass was fabulous as was the campsite that night by the lakes down from the Pass.