When trying to go UL on the JMT, how does everyone handle the.....
water crossings? How many bring a light pair of crocs, sandals, whatever, to change into...How many simply barge ahead and hike with wet trailrunners?
When I hiked through there on the PCT in June '04, my feet were never dry from all the snow melt everywhere. No need for water shoes then. I've never carried an extra pair of shoes since.
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
I carried camp shoes on both of my JMT hikes but simply went barefoot for creek crossings.
wet trail runners
No prob. Not a single blister.
Thru-hiking in August, there was only one stream crossing where my feet got wet. It was the stream entering (N to S) Evolution Valley. I removed my foot beds and socks, but kept my low cuts on. Of course, it was around mid day and in no time my feet were dry again. My foot beds and socks were soon soaked after I put them back on, so removing them probably was not necessary.
Gear drys very quickly in the Sierras.
I use crocks, too, for camp, but have found them to be excellent footwear for stream crossings. (eg. W. Branch Pleasant River, ME on the AT 600' across)
I do not want to risk toe stubbings or worse with bare feet.
To each his own, but on the JMT I wouldn't bring an extra pair of shoes OR barge ahead to soak my shoes at fords. I would simply take off my footwear, assuming they were still dry, and cross barefooted at the crossings where I know I would most likely or have to ford - at the head of Evolution Valley, Bear Cr, Deer Ck, and maybe Senger Cr. When crossing Evolution Cr go upstream a bit and you'll find shallower water to cross. Where the JMT crosses Evolution Cr horses also cross there goughing out the bottom making it a deeper ford. Depending on the time of the yr you hike the JMT you may even be able to cross some of those waterways on downed trees or by boulder hopping.
in the 80s we did it the proper ultra light way - barefoot.
I just wore my shoes. When I hiked in June I wore trail runners. My feet were always wet anyway from snowmelt. When I hiked in August I wore sandals the whole way anyway.
Some knew me as Piper, others as just Diane.
I hiked the PCT: Mexico to Mt. Shasta, 2008. Santa Barbara to Canada, 2009.
In 2009 I think there were only 3 river crossings left on the whole trail, if I remember right, and one near the Duck Lake trail had a bridge under construction at the time I passed it.
A pair of crocs work fine. Just make sure they fit snug enough. I have croc knock-offs and this year i am going to chop them down to make them even lighter.
I only hiked SOBO as far as Woods Creek Crossing at the swinging bridge so I can't speak for the southernmost 55 miles but in the 165 miles I hiked, only one real "ford" required wading across a wide creek - Evolution Creek. I had my Keens as campshoes so I donned them for the crossing. My hiking partner elected to cross in his bare feet. I captured a photo of him minus the sound effects! Were I to hike the JMT again, I'd bring crocs instead of Keens.
This was in early September so I suppose hiking earlier in the summer could present you with more fords.
I plan to just bring my trusty crocs, I like them for camp and they are good in water crossings. I think it depends also the month you hike. Early starts would be more meting and higher rivers, later, less.
+1 on crocs worked great on trips I've made out there.
Crocs,trailrunners,socks and insoles, or nutthin' at all
I barged right thru in my trail runners. My feet were always wet in the Sierra in 2009 due to the snow melt anyways.
I did hear about other hikers taking the insoles out of their shoes and wearing them in their dirtiest pair of wool socks for stream crossings. I think it was Billygoat himself that told me about that trick.
The idea was they kept their shoes dry, washed their socks, and the insole provided protection from sharp rocks. Aparently wool gives some traction on moss slickened rocks as well.
Anyhow a lot of people I met on the PCT used crocs and seemed happy with them.
Hey Rafiki even made a pair of "croc like" camp shoes out of a foam segment from a z-rest he found in the hiker box! I thought that was pretty creative.
Headed in to town.. You gotta rock the down! -fellow hikers mantra
I should clarify that there were only about three rivercrossings that required me to don my Crocs and wade across. The other stream crossings without bridges were dry enough to be rock hopped.Originally Posted by Kanook
A lot depends on what time of year you go and how much snow falls in the winter. In 2009 I started from Tuolumne on July 20th, and there wasn't a lot of snow left on the passes.
Each crossing is different for different conditions.
Sometimes I just walk through with my trail runners on, sometimes i want to keep them dry and go barefoot.
Up to you on that day.
Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams
Good thread.
My only time thus far that there wasn't a log, rocks, or a mid-brook island to work my way across, I went barefoot. It was chilly. April in the creek in Sages Ravine.
Did not think of wearing my flip flops. They would not have been good though. But Crocs look like they'd be much more sure-footed.
If you are hiking in summer, you're shoes will dry out quickly as you hike. So just plow through, though I like to take my socks off first.
Hiked JMT 2007 beginning Aug 9 and no water crossings. Hiked it again beginning mid July 2009 and there were many crossings. Depends on the year and dates. I wear trail runners that dry quickly and have tender feet so I just take off my socks, leave my shoes on and cross in them.
did you skip a few sections? I can't imagine Evolution Creek to run dry in August.
Trail runners, of the quick-dry type. One of the marvellous things about hiking in CA in the summer is how quickly things dry out.
If not NOW, then WHEN?
ME>GA 2006
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=3277
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