View Full Version : average hiking time for JMT
PUNKINPUSS11
02-03-2010, 16:17
just so i can properly plan my flights. ill say i am average in pace, i know the elevation changes r alot. just looking to see an average....thx
I'd say 14-25 days from the journals I've read and people I talked to during my '08 JMT hike.
I'd recommend taking 3 weeks to allow you to soak in all the JMT has to offer.
ChinMusic
02-03-2010, 17:54
I'm hiking a section of the JMT on late July and permits are secured. Hiking from Red's Meadow to Happy Isles and we ARE going to take our time.
I haven't been out there before. How is the ground for tent stakes? It may be a dumb question but I don't want to show up with my Lunar Solo only to find I should have selected a free-standing tent.
I'm hiking a section of the JMT on late July and permits are secured. Hiking from Red's Meadow to Happy Isles and we ARE going to take our time.
I haven't been out there before. How is the ground for tent stakes? It may be a dumb question but I don't want to show up with my Lunar Solo only to find I should have selected a free-standing tent.
You shouldn't have any issues on your section hike.
Megapixel
02-03-2010, 22:15
just so i can properly plan my flights. ill say i am average in pace, i know the elevation changes r alot. just looking to see an average....thx
After looking at the book and maps we are planning on just setting a "safe date" for our return flight, and if we are ahead of schedule, we will rent a car and check out some other sites since we've never been out west before. WE also thought about leaving the return flight open, but we are concerned about what will be available a few days before we need the flight to happen, as well as what prices may come up!
Good luck on your hike.
fiddlehead
02-03-2010, 22:22
I think a lot depends on whether you are acclimated or not.
The first time I did this trail, although none of us were acclimated, one of the group of 3 was way out of shape and had a very hard time climbing out of Yosemite Valley on our SOBO hike.
The next time, I was acclimated to at least 8,000' and did 20 mile days.
The next time, I was attempting a speed hike and was well acclimated and had trained for the even and did it in 5 1/2 days.
The next time, I will take my time a bit more but hopefully be acclimated so I will enjoy it as much as possible. (by the way, I enjoyed the speed hike as well as the other 2 although the first time is the best as far as being awestruck)
Good luck and have fun.
I live on the east coast and needed two days on either end for getting to and from the park via public transportation. Buses south and north out of Lone Pine do not run daily. I hiked the JMT in 14 days. Wish I could have taken a few days longer. It would be nice to have down time to photograph or fish or just relax and take in the beautiful scenery. Plan in a zero day or short mileage day if you can. On the other hand I had a couple of long mileage days that got me to some beautiful spots, so pushing on although tired had nice rewards. Getting over Muir Pass at 7 in the evening, however, left me too tired to really enjoy it. After that I planned not to go over high passes at the end of the day, but go over them in the mornings with fresh legs. That helped.
Chin Music: re tent stakes. In a few places the ground was rock hard and a rock was needed to get stakes into the ground. I broke two carbon fiber stakes and one of them while just pushing it in by hand. (camping just north of Forester Pass) Thin skewer stakes work best. At Guitar Lake I never did get all the stakes into the ground. I put them in the tie-outs, flat and parallel to the shelter floor. and put rocks over them. At most sites,however, stakes were easily pushed into the ground by hand.
Helmuth.Fishmonger
02-04-2010, 10:12
between 3 days and 2 months, anything is possible.
I've done it 15 times now, fastest being 10 days, usually around 14-18, never over 19 so far.
Helmuth.Fishmonger
02-04-2010, 10:25
4 days 5 hours 5 minutes
http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=67989&page=1&gonew=1#UNREAD
3 days 9 hours 58 mins
http://pbakwin.home.comcast.net/~pbakwin/fkt/jmt.html
19 days at age 11
http://didnt.doit.wisc.edu/outdoor/Muir2009/calendar/calendar.htm
In 1999 we start just north of Kings Canyon in the John Muir Wilderness we only had ten hiking days and wanted to do Whitney. Should I ever do it again, I will start in Yosemite and take 16 days to complete the trail this will give me a day of acclimation and leave one day for a zero day.
Four words of advice, don't forget a hat , SPF 30 or 50 , and a field maintainable plus back up tablets.
Bring some cash so you can stop a Whitney Portal Store for a couple of cold ones you would have earned it.
Enjoy the Hike
Should have read; "Four words of advice, don't forget a hat , SPF 30 or 50 , and a field maintainable filter plus back up tablets".
Helmuth.Fishmonger
02-04-2010, 13:27
regarding that filter - not a big deal if you leave it at home. We haven't used a filter in a LONG time.
sunscreen is much more important
at the portal - do get the Mooseburger!
About 220 miles. JMTers typically avg 13-18 miles/day. That's 13 - 17 days for just on JMT mileage. Take it from there based on individual needs, goals, fitness, carrying wt, ooh aah time, zeros, hiking out/in if you choose to resupply those ways, side trips, etc.
I met three 21 year old girls, who were taking a 30 days. A parent was hiking in re-supplies at various point. When I last saw them they were sitting along the trail just south of Pinchot Pass taping blistered feet.
I have hiked the JMT twice. Once in 1954 and again in 2008. Both times I spent about 20 days on the trail. If you have a choice, I recommend going North to South; you will have more time to get in shape before you hit the high passes.
The Other Tom
02-07-2010, 21:16
Chin Music: re tent stakes. In a few places the ground was rock hard and a rock was needed to get stakes into the ground. I broke two carbon fiber stakes and one of them while just pushing it in by hand. (camping just north of Forester Pass) Thin skewer stakes work best. At Guitar Lake I never did get all the stakes into the ground. I put them in the tie-outs, flat and parallel to the shelter floor. and put rocks over them. At most sites,however, stakes were easily pushed into the ground by hand.
Rambler:
That's good info in general and will be helpful to others who are hiking the entire trail, but Chinmusic is only going from Reds to Happy Isles.
My experience in that section is that it's easy enough to use tent stakes.
Helmuth.Fishmonger
02-08-2010, 14:35
Rambler:
That's good info in general and will be helpful to others who are hiking the entire trail, but Chinmusic is only going from Reds to Happy Isles.
My experience in that section is that it's easy enough to use tent stakes.
there are thousands of places you can camp around the JMT, anything from a glacier-polished slab of granite to deep soft sand. I am certain there are places you can't set up a non-freestanding tent on any section, but usually a few steps and you'll find a place where you can push in a stake by hand, or with a little convincing. I've set up tents from the summit of Mt. Whitney to the sandy beach of Tenaya Lake. And if it's a bit too rocky, like on the top of some passes, you probably won't need a tent anyway, as you wouldn't stay up there if the weather wasn't perfect for sleeping cowboy style under the stars.