1st time JMT, Solo and thru-hike

[schultz104]

Any advice?
thanks
Eric

[MuddyWaters]

Walk, eat, take pictures, sleep.
Repeat 12-20 times.

[Malto]

Keep your feet clean, the dust will tear them up on the JMT.

[fiddlehead]

One of my favorite things on the JMT is to make sure I start hiking early in the day, and also still be on the trail late.
Take long breaks at beautiful lakes during the day, but catch the sunsets and sunrises while up and with good views.
I also like to camp up high and not where the majority of people go.
Unfortunately though, I have yet to see a bear while hiking this trail.

[CarlZ993]

1. Go North to South. Much easier to get acclimated to the elevation.
2. Resupply early & often during the 1st half of the hike: Tuolumne Meadows, Reds Meadows, & Muir Trail Ranch. Be prepared for a long stretch at the end w/ little opportunity to resupply (w/o a significant hike/hitch or cost of a horse pack food drop).
3. Go w/ a light pack.
4. Lot of water available. Drink early & often (very dry climate). The longest stretch I had w/o water was 6 miles. If you leave a water source hydrated, one liter should suffice until you get to the next one.
5. Carry high calorie, low-volume food so it fits in your bear canister. The bears in the Sierras have their PHDs in getting hiker's food. Store your food properly. On 3 JMT hikes, I've seen 5 bears. Four entered my camp. One got some food trash I had bear-bagged in a tree (I got lazy one night after hiking my bear canister a good distance from my tent & then discovering some food trash in my pack).
6. Take extra camera batteries. Scenery is spectacular. You don't want to run out of juice.
7. If you average 12 miles/day, it will take 18 days (w/o zero days). Decide if you want to go faster, slower, or have some zero days. The trail is graded for pack animals so it isn't as steep as some of the stuff you see on the AT.
8. Take care of your feet. Wash them daily (if not more frequently) & air them out on breaks. The trail is very dusty from all the pack animal traffic.
9. Weather is generally drier in the Sierras than in the Rockies. My last JMT hike in '04 was completely rain-free over 17 days (unusual).
10. Enjoy your hike.