Average Cost of a JMT Thru-hike

[Anumber1]

Hi, I would love to start planning a hike on the JMT, but it would be easier to see how long it will take me to save if I knew how much the average hiker spends during a JMT Thru-hike.

I don't want to try to cheap it out, I want to have a blast/be comfortable.

Thanks a bunch

[Anumber1]

God I love whiteblaze

[Danielsen]

I'm curious as well, but you've gotta admit that WB isn't necessarily the best place to find an answer to this question.

[10-K]

There's another trail besides the AT?

[Helmuth.Fishmonger]

join the muir trail yahoo group and ask your question. You'll get more replies than you care for...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/johnmuirtrail/

my costs are usually pretty high now that I bring my kids out there each summer, but I've done it on a 1980s student budget as well.

basically - you have to account for these things, and what they cost depends mostly on how much time you are willing to spend to make sure you get the best deal. Food for example can be done cheaper than what you'd spend staying at home, or you can spend more if you shop for everything you eat at REI.

• transportation to get there and home
• food and other supplies for on the trail and before/after
• food caching costs (mail and fees for places along the trail)
• lodging (motels, camp grounds, or just crash in some public park like we did in the 80s and get woken up by the sprinkler system)

permits are free, gear adjustments really aren't part of the actual hike costs, but if you don't have what it takes you may have to add those items to your cost calcuations.

[perrito]

Factor in

1. flight cost
2. hotel night?
3. trail food (21 days?)
4. bear can rental
5. ground transportation (from SF?)
6. postage and fees for food drops (MTR, VVR, Reds)
7. any missing gear or upgrades

Join the JMT Yahoo group and scour the messages and stuff there. Indispensable.

And get the Wenk book.

[Phreak]

$700 for my latest JMT hike includes all transportation, shuttles, resupplies, food, etc.

[The Will]

I just finished hiking the JMT last Thursday. My "on trail costs" came to under $250. I'm defining "on trail cost" as the fee for mailing resupplies to Muir Trail Ranch and Red's Meadow Resort, grocery/restaurant food at Red's Meadow Resort and accrued costs at Vermillion Lakes Resort.

Travel expense, food purchases, etc., of course, will vary per individual.

The fine accompanying the citation I got for not carrying bear canisters has yet to be determined.

[Anumber1]

Thanks for your responses.

I've decided to put a thousand dollars into the JMT Fund for next year.
Basically just transportation, food and lodging costs.

I've got health coverage and enough hiking gear for 9 people to hike for the rest of their lives.

[perrito]

I've got health coverage and enough hiking gear for 9 people to hike for the rest of their lives.

Hehehe. How ever do you choose what to take?