View Full Version : Just Finished JMT on Oct 1st : WAOOOO
I pick up my walk-in Permit in Yosemite on the Sept. 15th afternoon and started hiking around 3-4 pm
Reached Whitney on Thursday Sept. 30th around 7PM and spent the night on the top.
My pack was to heavy I started with more than 45lb. (my pack was 40lb but I kept grabbing and adding more stuff)
No resupply I carried all my food
I had planned to do it in 10 days ( crazy was I)
You need to free your schedule and take your time, it's so beautiful , some place I didn't want to move just stay there for a couples of hours even days but my schedule forced me to keep going.
I took 2 Half days break where I didn't move at all just stayed on site.
I always wake up early but late start ( start hiking around 9:30 a.m.) and except 2 days I always stop around sunset, with numerous small break for lunch,water filtering, pictures taking or just taking all the scenery in.
I miss the wilderness already
I uploaded the pictures on Kodak gallery
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/memberLandingPage.jsp?sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee
Here's a google document that I used as scratch pad / notes
JMT 2010 -
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1gqViqxaO8FNWscQCOp5s4t4iUbph-VwwglBtiapg8f8
Here's the website where I got most of the information
http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~rbell/JohnMuirTrail.html (http://alumnus.caltech.edu/%7Erbell/JohnMuirTrail.html)
Also, I am planning to do it next year, but doing a lot of reading about pack weight....I did the High Sierra recently, and struggled with too much weight on the passes..
How much was your packt weight? And, how long did it take you to make it from Muir to Whitney?
Roughin' It
10-06-2010, 12:44
I can truly say that I am jealous. Seems like you did it at a fairly good pace as well. I've heard people take a month to do it.
Also, your Kodak picture link didn't work for me.
Congratulations on your achievement! Are you going to do it again?
congrats on finishing the John Muir Trail. Tell me, is it as spectacular as folks say it is? My understanding is that it is a pretty amazing trail!
Here's same album on different website
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/578702971mROhFi
congrats on finishing the John Muir Trail. Tell me, is it as spectacular as folks say it is? My understanding is that it is a pretty amazing trail!
Spectacular is not the word it's unbelievable , hard to describe, and no pictures of movie can bring the feeling of being there.
Congratulations on your achievement! Are you going to do it again?
Yes definitively but differently ( with food resupply ) and at a more relax pace and explore all the surrounding.
Spent the night on Whitney - Yeah! Cold up there at night! I had my water bottle freeze solid by the next morning when I slept up there on July 4.
Next JMT thru start out at the Pohono TH near Bridal Veil Falls, head up past Dewey, Taft Pts, etc, possibly camp at Bridal Veil Cr, hike to the top of Sentinel Dome(the other but largely forgotten "other Yosemite Valley Dome"), take in Glacier Pt. and Illioutte Falls, and head over to the JMT on the Panorama TR that links Glacier Pt to the JMT/Nevada/Vernal Falls area. Takes another 1 - 1 1/2 days. LOT less people too! Of course, the view down the valley towards Half Dome from Winona/Winona Tunnel(at the iron Pohono TH sign on the now old closed/relocated chipping asphalt east/south entrance road into the valley) and the views across Yosemite valley to El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, and the valley's far escarpment are all gorgeous.
Mount whitney trail on the way up 1 or 2 miles before summit beautifull alpine glow ( sept 30)
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i114/el90291/IMG_2371.jpg
Here's my backpack on Whitney on the Morning of Oct 1st 2010
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i114/el90291/IMG_2372.jpg
This is the vue from my sleeping bag on Mount Whitney
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i114/el90291/IMG_2373.jpg
The pictures above is my "full" back pack I used for the whole JMT inside I had the bear cannister with food left, my sleeping bag , tarp and some clothing .
To nawlunz :
I did struggle the first 3 days and had my doubt on the 4th
the 1st day I only hiked up to past Half Dome ( 9 miles) and it was getting dark, I set up camp.
2nd day I hike up to cathedral lake. (18 miles)
3rd day Tuolumne medow (23 Miles) arrived around 11 am and just stopped for the day and took a break.
Start having my doubt as I was on day 3 and only 23 Miles ( I had planned to do that in 1 day)
but after the 4th/5th day I was on the roll.
I had difficulty adapting to my hiking diet also ( I lost 30 lb but that was ok as I was 40 lb over weight)
with you, I'd love to ask questions I have until I leave next summer....I would imagine you didn't see a lot of folks.
Shelter? Always curious as to what hikers bring...
Shelter : just a tarp, I had beautiful weather except last day. so I did'nt need to set it up as a rain protection
That's a great alpine glow pic of Whitney! Looks like a pic taken by NASA's Mars Land Rover. I got some pics from Mt Haleakala on Maui during sunrise and sunset that look other worldly like that pic
Congrats! Totally jealous! The JMT is on my "to-do" list, for sure. Hopefully, I can pull it off in the next couple years or so.
Helmuth.Fishmonger
10-07-2010, 10:26
I
You need to free your schedule and take your time, it's so beautiful , some place I didn't want to move just stay there for a couples of hours even days but my schedule forced me to keep going.
that's why I have been going back there since 1988 - lost count how many times now...
great trip - no resupply? Why not at VVR at least? They are open this late in the season.
that's why I have been going back there since 1988 - lost count how many times now...
great trip - no resupply? Why not at VVR at least? They are open this late in the season.
My initial plan was to do the JMT in 10 days, also to experiment how long I can backpack.
I had plenty of food and still had at least 4 days + 3 days Emergency of food left at the end.
This was my longest backpacking trip.
If I had to do it again and I think I will next year. I will definitively resupply and make it shorter or hike in section.
Thank you
EL
My initial plan was to do the JMT in 10 days, also to experiment how long I can backpack - el31415
If your intention is to find out how long of a duration you can backpack for why try to thru-hike through the gorgeous eye candy of the Sierras/JMT in only 10 days?
Congrats! Totally jealous! The JMT is on my "to-do" list, for sure. Hopefully, I can pull it off in the next couple years or so.
You should free your schedule and go for it.
I have been postponing my JMT for many years, planning reading...
What pushed me to do it this year. was the visit of my nephew; he came to visit me from overseas and real didn't like Los Angeles, than I showed him some park around Los Angeles and told him about my project of hiking the JMT, the next day he left for Yosemite , king's and sequoia park.
Upon his return he had just hiked for 3-4 days in king's and sequoia park.
I was speechless, so 3 weeks later I was on the JMT.(Totally out of shape and a lot of apprehension)
always respect and be fearful of the wilderness special the mountain,
My initial plan was to do the JMT in 10 days, also to experiment how long I can backpack - el31415
If your intention is to find out how long of a duration you can backpack for why try to thru-hike through the gorgeous eye candy of the Sierras/JMT in only 10 days?
I had no clue how beautiful this is.I was expecting just another nice hike
How wrong was I. So many places and lakes where I wanted to spend couple of days just hanging around....
I wish I knew how gorgeous the JMT is and had more time.
Thanks el31415. I've enjoyed and have been inspired by your sharing. Welcome to The Tribe.
To “will cef “
" if my memory serve me well"
Will update and correct as memory/recall
This is where I spent the night on my JMT
Using the map at http://www.onthetrail.org/jmtmaps.html
-------------------------------------------
1 - Past Half Dome ( 9 miles)
MAP 17 1 miles past the Half Dome Trail
( Plenty of camp site around the creek )
2 - Around Cathedral lakes. (18 miles)
MAP 16 1or2 miles after Cathedral Peak
(No camping allowed around Cathedral Lake)
3 - Tuolumne medow (23 Miles)
MAP 16 Backpacker site at Tuolumne
( will advise you to keep hiking and camp somewhere pass the Tuolumne Meadows )
4 - Donohue pass (36 Miles)
MAP 14 ( 1 or 2 miles before the pass)
( was very windy look for a well protected spot )
5 - Thousand Island Lake (43 Miles)
MAP 13 Thousand Island Lake
(restricted camping can not camp at the mouth of the lake)
6 - Got lost and ended around Red's Meadow (57 Miles) ( don't ask how I got lost)
MAP 12
( if you have time or make time check Devils postpile and get a Hot shower at reds Meadow)
7 - Purple Lake (70 Miles)
MAP 11
8 - couples of miles before the fork going to Vermillon resort ( 84 Miles)
MAP 10 Pocket Meadow
9 - Sally Keyes Lake (102 Miles)
MAP 09
10 - Evolution Meadow ( 115 Miles)
MAP 08 ( camped right after the creek crossing )
11 - Helen Lake ( 128 Miles)
MAP 07 ( camped pass Helen Lake )
12 -
13 - Twin Lakes (162 miles)
MAP 05 – 04 couple of miles after Twin Lakes
14 - Just after Lake South America Trail ( 191 Miles)
MAP 02
15 - Whitney (211 Miles)
Did you have any issues with spending the night on the top? did you stealth camp? tent? tarp? is that frowned upon? This sounds like fun.
Helmuth.Fishmonger
12-14-2010, 12:36
Did you have any issues with spending the night on the top? did you stealth camp? tent? tarp? is that frowned upon? This sounds like fun.
don't know about him, but there's absolutely no problem to camp up there. Done it a few times. Room for several tents near the summit, and some sites are arguably 100 feet off trail, so completely legit for anyone with a wilderness permit. Not that anyone will be up there at night to check your tent location anyway. And stealth? Probaby more a matter of "first come first camp" as I never camped up there alone.
Hikers also arrive throughout the night. We once got there at 3am under a full moon and had to set up camp after all the good spots were taken. That night all we did is roll our mats out where there was a flat spot and crawled into the sleeping bags for the 3 hours before sunrise. Weather at night is usually more stable than starting around 11am during the stormy season in summer.
We never climbed Whitney during normal morning to noon hours, because unless the weather is totally stable, you don't want to be up there for hours during the peak lightning risk hours anyway, plus, you'd have to haul more water for the extra hours you're hanging out up there. Get there late in the day or after dark, expect to have no room for setting up a tent. The sunrise is somewhat disappointing with the low humidity in the east over Nevada - some mornings it's like a light switch gets turned on, but it all depends on the overall weather situation.
Spectacular is not the word it's unbelievable , hard to describe, and no pictures of movie can bring the feeling of being there.
No question. 2D media scarecely even approximate the 3D in person experience of so grand a place. I hope to get out on the Muir Trail in the next couple of years. Started to look at your pics - very nice! Congratulations! I imagine the view from atop Whitney must be incredible!
A view near the Whitney Hut. Might have to move a few rocks to pitch your shelter and you had better be ready for winter weather.
To “will cef “
" if my memory serve me well"
Will update and correct as memory/recall
This is where I spent the night on my JMT
Using the map at http://www.onthetrail.org/jmtmaps.html
-------------------------------------------
1 - Past Half Dome ( 9 miles)
MAP 17 1 miles past the Half Dome Trail
( Plenty of camp site around the creek )
2 - Around Cathedral lakes. (18 miles)
MAP 16 1or2 miles after Cathedral Peak
(No camping allowed around Cathedral Lake)
3 - Tuolumne medow (23 Miles)
MAP 16 Backpacker site at Tuolumne
( will advise you to keep hiking and camp somewhere pass the Tuolumne Meadows )
4 - Donohue pass (36 Miles)
MAP 14 ( 1 or 2 miles before the pass)
( was very windy look for a well protected spot )
5 - Thousand Island Lake (43 Miles)
MAP 13 Thousand Island Lake
(restricted camping can not camp at the mouth of the lake)
6 - Got lost and ended around Red's Meadow (57 Miles) ( don't ask how I got lost)
MAP 12
( if you have time or make time check Devils postpile and get a Hot shower at reds Meadow)
7 - Purple Lake (70 Miles)
MAP 11
8 - couples of miles before the fork going to Vermillon resort ( 84 Miles)
MAP 10 Pocket Meadow
9 - Sally Keyes Lake (102 Miles)
MAP 09
10 - Evolution Meadow ( 115 Miles)
MAP 08 ( camped right after the creek crossing )
11 - Helen Lake ( 128 Miles)
MAP 07 ( camped pass Helen Lake )
12 -
13 - Twin Lakes (162 miles)
MAP 05 – 04 couple of miles after Twin Lakes
14 - Just after Lake South America Trail ( 191 Miles)
MAP 02
15 - Whitney (211 Miles)
Thanks for the itinerary!! You really made great time!
Did you have any issues with spending the night on the top? did you stealth camp? tent? tarp? is that frowned upon? This sounds like fun.
Not at all there is a bunch of places where previous hiker piled rock to form a kind of "wind barrier wall" camp
Check the weather before choosing to spend the night at the top.
When I wake up it was all covered in snow and foggy.
and it get pretty cold at the top water bottle get frozen.
if you can catch the sunset and sunrise go for it.
Did you have any issues with spending the night on the top? did you stealth camp? tent? tarp? is that frowned upon? This sounds like fun.
I used a tarp.
also you should check about the "legality" to spend a night at the top.
Here's a picture from my 2006 Whitney summit
At sunset you can see the shadow of Whitney spreading for miles well past the valley ..
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1380/1044314030_51ec46ec67.jpg
.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1072/1044312336_4c97f083ef.jpg
Did you have any issues with spending the night on the top? did you stealth camp? tent? tarp? is that frowned upon? This sounds like fun.
No question. 2D media scarecely even approximate the 3D in person experience of so grand a place. I hope to get out on the Muir Trail in the next couple of years. Started to look at your pics - very nice! Congratulations! I imagine the view from atop Whitney must be incredible!
Yes the view atop whitney are beautifull ( but not this time, it was foggy),
Here's photo album from 2006 summit
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91386600@N00/sets/72157601290744313/