JMT-Do You Need A GPS??

[q-tip]

I am severely directionally challenged, I get lost between blazes regularly. Question, will I need a GPS for the JMT starting next July 1. Also, any thoughts on using a Wild Oasis tarp vs. a Tarp Tent Contrail. Your thoughts and experience????????????????

[CarlZ993]

If you are 'severely directionally challenged,' you might carry a GPS. The trail was pretty well marked when I last hiked it (2004). With good maps & a compass, you SHOULD be fine w/o a GPS. Personally, I always carry a GPS because I'm a geek-wanna-be. I record my campsites every night (format name = yymmdd). I've never used a GPS to plot where I was on the JMT (did it frequently on the High Sierra Route).

Maps: Couple of options. Tom Harrison's JMT map set is pretty good. That's what I used. I recall around 13 or so 8.5 X 11" sheets. http://www.amazon.com/John-Muir-Trai...+harrison+maps
You could also print out some of Half Miles free PCT maps. This would cover most of the JMT south of Tuolumne Meadows (except a portion between Thousand Island Lakes & Devils Postpile where the trails diverge). Half Mile's maps have a better scale for navigation. http://www.pctmap.net/download/p/mapdl.html

Note: July 1st means you'll need to pay attention to the winter snow pack. Last year was really light. The year before had epic levels of snow in the mountains. Personally, I've always used a late July or August time frame to hike the Sierras. Worse case, you'll may have to pick up an ice ax for your hike (not likely, but possible; Mammoth Lakes Ski Resort didn't close until 4th of July that year; that's near Reds Meadows; probably day 5 or 6 on your hike, SOBO I assume).

A Tarptent or Oasis tarp should be fine on the trail. Dependent on the snow pack, mosquitoes could be an issue in some locations along the trail. More snow = more water = more bugs.

Use Tuolumne Meadows, Reds Meadows, & Muir Trail Ranch as your resupply locations. You will be very food heavy out of MTR.

Have fun on your hike. I think it's the best trail hike in the US.

[BrianLe]

I agree with Carl --- normally I wouldn't suggest a GPS for the JMT, but based on your own sense/confidence about this, just take one anywhere, eh? The trail is still well-marked, and in addition you often have long sight lines, i.e., it's a whole lot easier to orient a map just via terrain association than it so often is in forested areas.

For this, as well as the tent question it would be helpful to know when you plan to hike. Assuming a typical time of year (late July through early September perhaps), either of those tent options would be fine. I hiked through there in June 2008 with a Contrail and it was great. W.r.t. the Wild Oasis, I own a similar Gatewood Cape and hiked quite a lot of miles on the AT with a friend who used a Wild Oasis --- fine there too. If I had a choice and I was hiking the JMT at a typical time period I'd go with the lighter Wild Oasis, figuring that at least some of the nights I might just be able to cowboy camp, depending on bugs. My wife and I hiked the JMT in September this year with no bugs, so YMMV there.

Of course it can rain (and rain hard) there, or be windy or both. Going with a lighter single-wall tent like that, I do suggest that this not be your first experience with such a tent, and that you pay attention to site selection late afternoons when the weather looks threatening.

[colorado_rob]

One very good use of a GPS on the JMT is to locate campsites. I downloaded a list of a couple hundred locations with descriptions and coordinates from some website and had them uploaded into my GPS, along with a printed list of the campsite descriptions, really came in handy a few times. Also: At Reds Meadows and Tuolomne, I got seriously confused w/ all the trail options and referred to my GPS for verification at those places.

Let me know if you'd like this campsite GPS list and I'll get it to you somehow (email? PM?). I might even be able to find the website again. Here is a list of the first 6 places. The coordinates are UTM, followed by the elevation and brief description. The "01" in "Camp 01.xx" refers to the segment, fourteen of them, starting from Yosemite and heading south. For example, that point 4 below "a little knob with room for three" really came in handy as we arrived in this area well after dark and these coordinates brought us right to a very nice little spot, in a very dense forest, that wasn't at all obvious from the trail.

1	Camp 01.06	11S	280130	4180444	7410	Large opening south of trail
2	Camp 01.07	11S	280340	4180617	7520	Just W of creek crossing
3	Camp 01.08	11S	280931	4180873	7720	Along Sunrise Creek
4	Camp 01.09	11S	281283	4181121	7800	a little knob with room for 3
5	Camp 01.10	11S	281270	4181251	7825	Lg opening W of creek
6	Camp 01.11	11S	283946	4182673	8520	Nr a side creek

[colorado_rob]

... I think it's the best trail hike in the US.

Yep, +1 on this seemingly brash statement. I've seen none better. And I've hiked a lot of trails.

Brian Le: I wonder if our paths crossed? We did NOBO in September, finishing at Happy Isles on October 1st this year. Rained a total of 15 minutes one day (at thousand island lakes).

[fiddlehead]

Take the GPS, you'll enjoy the hike more. (especially in the snow)

[fredmugs]

With no snow the trail is pretty apparent. Toitally disagree with the map and compass suggestion since most people cannot properly use a compass and if you wait until you're lost a compass isn't going to help you.

I would use a GPS with Halfmile's GPX files. The trail is listed in, wait for it, half mile increments so you always know where you are. Just remember that the mile markers listed are PCT references and not JMT mile markers. His files also list where the JMT diverges to summit Whitney. When I went up Whitney it was always nice to know how I was progressing.

[R1ma]

Note: July 1st means you'll need to pay attention to the winter snow pack. Last year was really light. The year before had epic levels of snow in the mountains.

+1
This was July 2nd, 2011 in Desolation Wilderness (PCT @ Tahoe, yes, ~150 miles north, bu Squaw Valley was open that weekend too)
5902592244_e43c74480e.jpg

S6300292 by scorpio516, on Flickr

[Miner]

As long as you have a map, The Tom Harrison JMT map pack is what I recommend, you shouldn't get lost. Just actually check it when you come to a trail junction and you should be fine. The only way you'd get lost is if you assume you know which way to go instead of checking. There are a few junctions where the sign points to a feature that you know is on the JMT, but by going a different route. Check your maps. No GPS should be needed unless going in the spring when the trail is stil burried in snow.

I thought it was far easier to get lost on the AT, at least the AMC section since they are too busy with other things to put blazes where they are actually needed, due to not carrying a real map.

[CarlZ993]

Yep, +1 on this seemingly brash statement. I've seen none better. And I've hiked a lot of trails.

Brian Le: I wonder if our paths crossed? We did NOBO in September, finishing at Happy Isles on October 1st this year. Rained a total of 15 minutes one day (at thousand island lakes).

We didn't cross trails. I did SoBo from Lake Tahoe to Tuolumne last August. I got a little bit more rain that you did. A couple days pretty hard (unusual for my previous experiences in the Sierras). In 2004, I hiked JMT SoBo in 17 days and didn't get rained on at all (late July/August).

[BrianLe]

Brian Le: I wonder if our paths crossed? We did NOBO in September, finishing at Happy Isles on October 1st this year. Rained a total of 15 minutes one day (at thousand island lakes).

Perhaps so! My wife and I hiked SOBO starting the afternoon of September 8th from Happy Isles, finished Sept 24th. We took a day off at Reds Meadow. Ditto on the rain --- little to none the whole time. My wife wasn't inclined to cowboy camp, but it was perfect conditions for such. It was very cold wind blowing on the climb up Whitney but otherwise just superb weather throughout. Not that many people, no bugs, my 32F rated sleeping bag was enough --- just a wonderful trip.

[Sly]

One very good use of a GPS on the JMT is to locate campsites. I downloaded a list of a couple hundred locations with descriptions and coordinates from some website and had them uploaded into my GPS, along with a printed list of the campsite descriptions, really came in handy a few times. Also: At Reds Meadows and Tuolomne, I got seriously confused w/ all the trail options and referred to my GPS for verification at those places.

Let me know if you'd like this campsite GPS list and I'll get it to you somehow (email? PM?). I might even be able to find the website again. Here is a list of the first 6 places. The coordinates are UTM, followed by the elevation and brief description. The "01" in "Camp 01.xx" refers to the segment, fourteen of them, starting from Yosemite and heading south. For example, that point 4 below "a little knob with room for three" really came in handy as we arrived in this area well after dark and these coordinates brought us right to a very nice little spot, in a very dense forest, that wasn't at all obvious from the trail.

1	Camp 01.06	11S	280130	4180444	7410	Large opening south of trail
2	Camp 01.07	11S	280340	4180617	7520	Just W of creek crossing
3	Camp 01.08	11S	280931	4180873	7720	Along Sunrise Creek
4	Camp 01.09	11S	281283	4181121	7800	a little knob with room for 3
5	Camp 01.10	11S	281270	4181251	7825	Lg opening W of creek
6	Camp 01.11	11S	283946	4182673	8520	Nr a side creek

Rob,

You may want to zip your GPS file and post it to the JMT forum with the above example. Then PM AT Troll or Alligator and have them make it a sticky (you may be able to do this after you post until thread tools)

[SassyWindsor]

I use my eTrex 20 for auto travel and trekking. Different map sets (SDisk) used for both, naturally. I would carry one to use for emergency use or maybe for POI's I'm looking for. But as far as staying on the trail, not needed what so ever, unless you're traveling in white-out conditions then I'd probably stay held up.

[MuddyWaters]

Im pretty sure a few people hiked it in the years before we even had GPS technology.

GPS is great, but is no substitute for also knowing where you are on a real map.

Consider it to be an aid, but do not depend on it. Its an electronic device after all, it can fail.

[q-tip]

Thanks for the feedback--just saved a boatload of $$$$$, and I am rethinking the start date--It seems August might be better....

[English Stu]

I did the JMT in 2010 it is a great trail. I would take a GPS and and only switch on if positionally challenged. The regulars say it is well signed; I don't agree the AT is well signed. JMT is nothing like that and really only marked at changes of direction with a battered tin sign, there is the odd PCT sign on a tree when the same trail is used. I got really nervous at river crossings as there can be several tracks at the other side as people dodge off for a sit down to dry off, attend natures call, with no reassuring whiteblaze.The beauty of the JMT is superb.

[schnikel]

My wife and I hiked the JMT in '11. We used Eric the Black's atlas and were very pleased with it. I didn't feel a GPS was needed, and we were never lost on the trail. I would agree with others that the trail was well marked. If you are going in July, August there will be plenty of people around incase you have questions.
Schnikel