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| Backpack | 222.00 Miles |
46,000 AEG |
| | Backpack | 222.00 Miles | 8 Days | | |
| 46,000 ft AEG | | 24 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | This was a trip I had been planning for about 6 months. The longest hike I've ever done. My goal was to finish in 7 days but really I had no idea if I'd be able to handle a trip this long and was expecting to drop out after day 3 or 4. I know most people do this trail in 2 or 3 weeks or more but I just can't get that much time off from work nor do I want to be away from home that long. I have to thank HAZ member keepmoving for bringing this trail to my attention about 2 years ago. Since reading his trip report and seeing his pictures, I've dreamed of hiking it. I started the hike from the official start point at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley and hiked it south to Whitney Portal, near Lone Pine, Ca. (I didn't bring a GPS so daily mileages are estimated based on the maps I brought along.)
Day 1, Sunday June 29th, 10 miles:
I left Phoenix late Saturday night and arrived in Mammoth Lakes early Sunday morning on no sleep. I parked my truck at Mammoth RV Park for $25 for 8 days. The reason I parked in Mammoth is because in the event I couldn't finish the entire JMT, I figured Mammoth would be easier to get back to than Whitney Portal or the other towns. In front of McDonalds just .3 miles from the RV park, I hopped on the 8:30a YARTS bus to Yosemite Valley. The ride took over 4 hours but it was a nice coach with comfortable seats and a restroom in the back. Cost was $18, paid in cash to driver. BTW, if you're looking for an extra challenge, try peeing in the back of a bus while it negotiates the switchbacks up Lee Vining Canyon. Good times! I got to the Wilderness Center (Yosemite's version of the backcountry office) to pick up my permit, which started on Monday, and was excited to find out they had one more permit left starting Sunday! This meant I could start hiking right away and didn't have to spend the night in the Valley's backpacker's campground. The ranger said I'd have to camp in Little Yosemite Valley so this would be a short day of just 4.5 miles. I was on trail by 1:30 and took my time getting up to Nevada Falls. Staying on the official JMT meant I would have to miss the Mist Trail and Vernal Falls and take a slightly longer route to Nevada Falls. The lower section of the alternate trail is obviously used frequently by equestrian stock as it's completely covered with feces.
With plenty of daylight left (sunset was at 8:30), I lounged around the Merced River above Nevada Falls along with many other park visitors, enjoying the refreshing water. After a while I went over to Little Yosemite Valley Campground and then to the adjacent section of the Merced to refill my water. Some guy said he saw a bear on the other side of the river and so he went over to LYV CG to gather as many people as possible to bring back and gawk. Well the bear never appeared but seeing all those people made me realize quickly I didn't want to sleep anywhere near here. I took another look at my permit and noticed it said "you must get to LYV before camping". So that's what I did and I took off up the trail. I ended up spending the first night about 5 miles beyond LYV, on a ridge with nice views of Half Dome. There were a few annoying mosquitoes out while I set up my tent. Little did know just how bad the mosquito situation would get in the succeeding days... I was low on water so I skipped dinner. Had cell phone reception and was able to call home.
Day 2, Monday June 30th, 27 miles:
Up at 5:30 and on trail by 6. Ate breakfast (a Larabar) and then brushed my teeth while walking. This would be the reoccurring theme for the week. Passed by Long Meadow and then Cathedral Lakes. Some guy asked me to join him for a trip to Merced Lake. No thanks, I got too much trail to cover. Started seeing a lot more people and then began hearing traffic noise. I must be near Tuolumne Meadows.
I stopped at Tuolumne Meadows Store and Grill. There was quite a crowd of tourists and hikers hanging out. Bought a few Gatorades and 2 cheeseburgers. Burgers were good but I was pretty hungry so that may have clouded my judgment. I took a long break here from the mid-day sun, just doing a lot of people watching. On the way back to the trail, I stopped by the restroom to help conserve my limited supply of toilet paper.
Lyell Fork is a long, flat, wide open creek/meadow-deal. It took a while to get through this area. Supposedly this is a hot spot for bears, but not today. I was heading for Donahue Pass and I could see and hear thunder clouds approaching right over the pass. Hopefully they would pass before I got there. And they mostly did. The clouds gave a welcome break from the searing sun. Made it over 11,073' Donahue Pass without much trouble, I must be acclimating well to the elevation. I camped about a mile past Donahue on a granite slab surrounded by marsh. The mosquitoes became more prevalent this evening. Had cell reception so I was able to check in with my wife. Feels comforting to hear her familiar voice before bed. Had Mountain House Rice & Chicken for dinner.
Day 3, Tuesday July 1st, 29 miles:
Woke up to a cool morning, about 40 degrees. On trail by 5:45. Passed by lots of still-sleeping campers, especially near Rush Creek and Island Pass. This is a popular camping area. Most camp right next to the trail. It amazes me how late people get started in the morning, they're all missing the early morning light bouncing of the peaks! Some were still in bed at 9am! Island Pass went by quickly. On to the greatly anticipated Thousand Island Lake! Thousand was awesome but a large and very noise group camped along the shore spoiled it slightly. Ruby Lake became one of my favorites. I like the enclosed, quiet feeling of it. On to another big highlight of the trip: Shadow Creek. I love these high-flow, fast moving, steep creeks!
On the narrow, steep switchbacks leading up to Rosalie Lake, I met head to head with a growling, off leash dog. I picked up a large rock as my only defense. Along comes the owner: "He's friendly." Really? Could have fooled me. I long to be back in a national park where dogs aren't allowed on trails.
Devil's Postpile National Monument was a bit of a slog. Deep sand on the trail, little shade, and a fiery sun beating down on me weren't much fun. Also there was no shortage of horse droppings blanketing the trail. I would call this the low point of the trip. I was happy to find Reds Meadow store still open at 5pm. Got some more Gatorade and then a cheeseburger with fruit salad at the restaurant. After Reds I took a shortcut trail back to the JMT. After a while I expected to see a JMT sign or a merging trail but saw nothing. Up ahead I see a rugged looking forest service worker carrying a shovel and a hand saw. This guy looks like Grizzly Adams' grandfather. Surely he knows if I am on the right trail. "Hello sir, is this the JMT" I asked sheepishly. "I don't know, this is my first day here" he replies. You gotta be kidding me? Further up I ran into a northbound hiker. I ask him the same and he just laughs. Ok, I'll figure it out myself. One thing I do figured out is all the northbound hikers are doing the PCT, all have epic beards (and the women have hairy legs), and only about half are friendly or will give ascending hikers the right of way.
The Pacific Crest Trail runs about 2600 miles from Mexico to Canada. Most hike it northbound in about 5-6 months. And most have already started a couple of months ago. I would pass a PCT hiker just about every hour. Coming in December, look for Reese Witherspoon playing an over-sexed drug addict who embarks on a PCT journey in Wild.
I find camp about half way between Deer Creek and Duck Lake. This is also known as the driest section of trail, with about 6 miles between water sources. I do spot a very slight creek running into a dank pocket of water but the whole place is chocked with poisonous Corn Lilies. Fortunately I have enough water. The ground is steep above and below the trail but I'm able to find a flat spot built up behind a fallen tree to set up my bivy. The mosquitoes welcome me with open arms. For dinner, Mountain House Spaghetti & Meat Sauce mixed with a dry cheddar cheese packet from Annie's mac & cheese. Not bad, might try that again.
Day 4, Wednesday July 2nd, 31 miles:
Another early morning. Lots of people camped next to the creek flowing from Duck Lake. I stop at Virginia Lake to fill up my water and clean up a bit. I try to get all my water from either the larger lakes or from a high flowing creek. I find a hiking shoe on the Virginia Lake bridge. How do you leave behind one shoe? I drop down the long switchbacks into Tully Hole and begin the trek along Fish Creek. Another awesome creek with breathtaking waterfalls! The mosquitoes continue to build up their force. No more extended breaks for me. All breaks must be one minute or less, they demand. Silver Pass (10,900') gets checked off.
The climb up from Mono Creek to Bear Ridge is supposed to be 2,000' but feels 10 times that. These are the longest, most unrelenting switchbacks I have ever experienced. I hope to get a view of Lake Edison from Bear Ridge but the trees prevent it. I also make what would be the last phone call to my wife on top of BR. After this I would have no more cell reception and would communicate with her by Delorme inReach instead.
I reach Bear Creek and find myself at ground zero of the mosquito territory. I need water but get absolutely swarmed with those bastards. It's painful but necessary. I learn exactly how long each bite will itch for. I meet up with a German? PCT hiker. He has an interesting bug shelter and is dressed from head to toe in nylon. Must be steamy by the creek. We are completely covered with mozzies as we talk for just a few minutes. I have on my wind breaker for protection even though it's a warm and humid evening. They bite right through my double layers. Camp is found on a granite slab about 500' feet from the creek. I set up in record time. Mountain House Pasta Primavera for dinner. Meh. Egads! The mosquitoes find a way in between where the two zipper pulls meet! I send these kamikaze pilots to an early grave and then seal up the zipper with duct tape. After laying on my mattress for about a half hour, I noticed I was now feeling the granite slab under me. Damn! My mattress has a hole! Not able to find it while inside the bivy and not wanting to go outside and fight the mosquitoes to find a softer campsite, I suffer through a near sleepless night.
Day 5, Thursday July 3rd, 27 miles:
Wasn't able to get much sleep so the mosquitoes and I packed up early and hit the trail. Almost immediately we have to make a wet crossing of Bear Creek. Fortunately the creek is only ankle-deep but that cold water sure wakes me up quick. Later, I stopped at Marie Lakes and dunked my mattress into the water to find the leak. Found it and made a mental note of the location so I could tape it up later tonight. Hopefully tonight I'll get some much needed sleep. Selden Pass was a breeze at 10,880'.
I ran into a Sierra NF ranger on the way down to Muir Trail Ranch. We had a nice conversation, mostly about the mosquitoes. He then checked my permit. This would be the only time a ranger asked to see my permit during the entire trip. Muir Trail Ranch is a private ranch located just off the JMT near mile 108 (north to south). They offer resupply services for hikers and riders. They also have cabins and mules for rent. They have a very small store with a few supplies but no food. MTR is one of four popular resupply points for JMT hikers. The others being: Tuolumne Meadows, Reds Meadow, and Vermillion Valley Ranch. MTR is last one you'll pass if you're one of the 90% of JMT hikers that are hiking north to south.
I got to MTR and picked up my resupply bucket that I had sent to them 3 weeks prior. The cost for them to pick up the bucket from the nearest post office and hold it for me was $65. Add to that the USPS postage and this gets expensive. I hadn't been eating much and had so much food left over that I probably could have skipped the resupply. I did need some more freeze-dried dinners though. And it was nice to change into some fresh, clean socks. I ended up shipping most of the food back home. Cost was $27 to ship in a priority mail box. I would have just donated the extra food but I had some other items I didn't need and wanted to ship home. The value of the food was probably about $27 so it ended up being a wash. Don't ask me why MTR requires you to ship stuff to them in a 5-gallon bucket yet you can ship stuff out from there in a cardboard box. Anyways, others donate their extra food and it's put into buckets that anyone can take from. It's usually Pacific Crest Trail hikers that raid the buckets. The buckets contain everything from prepackaged food to home-made food, clothing, batteries, fuel, gear, etc... When I was there a couple was receiving 2 buckets of food (mostly REI-type stuff, Mountain House, Probars, etc...) but they were ending their trip early so they donating everything. There were some very happy PCT hikers that day! They broke out their stoves and immediately started cooking!
After leaving MTR, the temps seamed to soar. Not like AZ of course but the intense sun made it seam brutal. I passed over the San Joaquin River via a bridge and entered Kings Canyon National Park. The SJ was really awesome! Huge water flow and so many amazing waterfalls. Saw a NPS ranger and we exchanges hellos. Fast forward to Evolution Creek, this would be the second of two water crossing on this trip (and the deepest) requiring me to get wet. There is a sign at the crossing stating that if the creek is too high to cross, one can take an alternate trail about a half mile up creek and cross at a meadow. Not knowing whether it was higher than normal or not, I opted to check out the meadow. It was almost exactly the same. I just kept my sneakers and socks on and forded the knee deep water. My sneakers remained wet for the remainder of the day and my feet became itchy and uncomfortable. Looking back, I should have removed my footwear as the creek bottom was mostly soft sand.
I follow along Evolution Creek for quite a ways, passing the ranger cabin at McClure Meadow. I may have found some wild onions alongside the trail. I'm not brave enough to try them. By evening I am making the steep climb up to Evolution Lake where I'll spend the night. My campsites get higher and higher as this one is at 10,800'. The mosquitoes give me a slight break, sending just a few 3rd stringers out to say hi. MH Rice & Chicken with dry mixed vegetables for dinner, one of my favorites.
Day 6, Friday July 4th, 31 miles:
Knocked out 2 big passes today. Muir Pass (11,955') and Mather Pass (12,080'). Feeling more confident that I may finish this by Sunday or Monday! I was excited to get up to Muir Pass so I could check out the stone hut on top but when I arrive I find a group camped inside. They're all smoking weed, as if they weren't high enough. As I drop down into Le Conte Canyon, I discover the infamous shark rock! Smile, you son of a bitch! I take an extended break at North Fork Kings River to do some laundry. Mather Pass is a long climb up from Palisade Creek and I topped out with just about an hour of daylight left. I hoof it down the tundra to seek out a suitable camp, still above tree line but not so high I can't breathe. Another Granite slab, the best surface to avoid condensation in the morning. MH Mexican Rice & Chicken with added mixed vegetables for dinner. Very good! My new favorite?
Day 7, Saturday July 5th, 32 miles:
I visit Pinchot Pass (12,100') early in the day and run into some southbound JMT hikers. We are a rarity in these parts. After Pinchot, I drop down into Woods Creek as the temperature climbs. The creeks are still too cold to jump fully in so I took a "bandana" shower today and rinsed my clothes out in a creek. Feeling fresh now! At the intersection of Woods and South Baxter Creeks, I meet the whacky suspension bridge. This thing is fun! It looks stable at first but as you cross, the bridge bounces up and down and sways side to side. On top of that, some of the slats are missing or loose so you have to watch every step. The trail along Baxter becomes a slog as all I can think about is fresh fruit and not what I am carrying in my bear canister.
Fortunately the trail levels out for a while and I get some welcome overcast clouds. The walk through Arrowhead and Rae lakes is pleasant but soon ends when the steep climb up to Glen Pass (11,978') rears its ugly head. After Glen I drop back down to Bubbs Creek at 9515'. Up and down is the theme of this hike. I pass through Vidette Meadows which is a popular area for campers, and thus bears. I don't want to camp here so I try to pick up the pace as best I can.
I continue climbing up along Bubbs Creek and past tree line. It's 15 minutes after sunset and I need to find a spot soon but the trail is the only flat land around. I round a corner and luckily find a huge, unoccupied camp. It has multiple level spots for me to choose from and is just a short walk to a feeder creek for Bubbs. This will do. I quickly set up camp as darkness sets in and then wash my feet and legs in the freezing creek as the mozzies get a quick snack. This will be my highest camp at 11,200'. MH Mac & Cheese for dinner. Ok but at least it gives me 950 calories.
Day 8, Sunday July 6th, 35 miles:
I got up early today and was moving by 5:40. I need to get Forester Pass and Whitney done today so I can go home! This has been a long trip!
At 12,000' I'm still breathing easy. My lungs sip o2 like a Prius sips gas. I feel invincible. I top Forester and am at the highest elevation I've ever been, 13,180'. Forester Pass comes and goes but I notice lots of clouds moving in from all directions. Will this be my first rain day? How will my cheap plastic poncho hold up? I high-tail it across the tundra below Forester and rain starts sprinkling. The cool air feels good and I'm moving faster than any of the previous days. Good thing too because this will be my highest mileage day if I want to finish.
I drop down into Wallace Creek at 10,400'. This is going to be a major effort to get up to Whitney at 14,495'. As I get closer to Guitar Lake, the weather starts getting worse. The wind is picking up considerably and the rain is spitting harder. I pass several guys who will be terminating their summit bid at Guitar for fear of lightning on Whitney. Many are setting up camp, and it's only 1pm. The clouds over Whitney are dark and ominous. But a blue spot appears over what may be Trail Crest. I continue on cautiously. I meet another group who is coming down from Trail Crest. They inform me that the rangers have instructed everyone to get off the mountain due to lightning danger. The fear builds but so does the blue spot. I continue on. By now I'm determined to just get over Trail Crest so I can descend down into Whitney Portal. Whitney will have to be done another time. I'm disappointed but determined to finish today. As I reach Trail Crest (13,650') on this usually busy but now deserted trail, the clouds indeed were clearing over me but were building again over Whitney. I made the right decision to avoid the summit. I cruised down the many switchbacks from Trail Crest and passed through a bustling Trail Camp. I suppose many were waiting for the weather to break or maybe just acclimating for a summit bid tomorrow. The trail down to Lone Pine Lake is steep and rocky and my knees and feet have had all they could take. This needs to end soon! I swear this is the worst trail I've ever been on (it's not)!
I stopped by the small restaurant and store at Whitney Portal and got a cheeseburger and fries. Not the best I ever had but luckily I was hungry. Rested for a bit and then started out for the long 9 mile walk down to the town of Lone Pine, hoping I wouldn't have to walk long before someone would pick me up. Well I guess I had that scary no-shower-in-eight-days look about me because it took about 5 miles and many passing cars before I got a ride. A nice couple who happened to live in Lone Pine picked me up. Just in time too, my feet were so sore. I would need to get on the Eastern Sierra Transit bus heading north to Mammoth to pick up my truck but the next bus was the following morning at 6:15am. I got a room at Portal Motel in the center of town and took the most satisfying and needed shower of my life! Think the shower scene from Silkwood.
Overall it was a good trip with awesome scenery and an endless number of lakes, creeks and water falls. I just wish I could have completed the final trek to Whitney. Also the mosquitoes and intense mid-day sun sucked out a lot of the enjoyment. It was also way more physically and mentally difficult than I was expecting. Mid-week, when I was less than half-way, just knowing I would be hiking from sun up to sun down for the next 4 or 5 days was very mentally draining. I'm glad I stuck it out though.
Distance is based on the Tom Harrison maps stating 220.4 miles from Happy Isles to Whitney Portal. My distance excludes the 3.8 mile round trip to Whitney Summit from Trail Crest and includes about 5 miles on Whitney Portal Road until I got a ride. Elevation gain is based on various internet sources stating anywhere from 46k to 48k AEG, hiking north to south. I'll split the difference and call it 47k, minus 900' for not going all the way up to Whitney from Trail Crest at 13,600'. I didn't keep track of my water usage but it was probably something like 3-4 liters per day. I took over 950 pictures throughout the week so I'll see if I can narrow them down to 15 or so.
As for signage, most of the trail junctions have signs posted but not all of them say JMT. The national parks seem to be better at labeling JMT signs than the national forests. I don't think a GPS is necessary but I would definitely recommend a set of maps. I don't think the JMT is an official trail so it gets sporadic signage.
Wildlife was somewhat rare during my trek. I usually saw about 2-3 deer per day and a few marmots per day at higher elevations. Lots of chipmunks and just one lizard and one prairie dog. I saw no bear scat or bear prints at all. I'm not so sure bears are as common here as the land managers lead you to believe.
When I got home I was happy to see I only lost about 6 lbs. I thought I would lose more due to only eating 1800 calories per day.
Gear
Shelter: I used a Nemo GoGo Elite (24.5oz) which is a hybrid tent/bivy. This wouldn't have been bad if not for the mosquitoes. Having to dress, eat, pack and do everything else inside when I didn't have enough room to sit was difficult to say the least. This was the first trip (and probably the last) I've used it on.
Sleeping bag: I brought my Western Mountaineering Highlite (16.5oz) bag which I've had for a few years. It's rated down to 35 degrees. This worked out well as it only got down to 40 and some nights I had to keep it unzipped.
Pad: I picked up a REI Flash pad (16.8oz) right before the trip and didn't get to test it beforehand. Luckily it worked out well, well until it got a hole. It's comfortable, kept me insulated from the ground, and is easy to inflate and deflate. I don't know if I can complain about its durability as something sharp in my pack may have abraded it, causing the hole.
Pack: Osprey Exos 38. This was the perfect size pack for my gear. It's reasonably comfortable with a 25 lbs load and my back stayed well ventilated with the trampoline back panel. The load stayed on my hips as long as I kept the hipbelt tight, which needed to be adjusted quite often. That's my only complaint is that the straps don't hold their tension for long.
Food protection: Last year I bought a Bare Boxer (26.3oz) bear canister. This is the smallest and lightest on Yosemite's approved list. I was able to stuff about 4 days' worth of food in it as long as I brought calorically-dense food.
Footwear: Upon recommendation by Johnlp, I picked a pair of Brooks Cascadia 8. They felt great for the first 3 days and then I started getting blisters. Probably inevitable no matter what shoe. Still the best trail shoe I've tried so far. Thanks, John! |
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