John Muir
Trail:
The last section
was finished in 1938 and runs for 212 miles north south from
Yosemite Valley to Mt. Whitney summit in Sequoia-Kings Canyon
National Park. Most people also add the miles down to the
trailhead at Whitney Portal for a total of 221.
This is one of the more spectacular segments of the Pacific
Crest Trail, and has many access points from the east and west
sides – making for good loop trips of 3 to 15 days. High granite
wilderness with stark blue lakes in glacier carved basins.
There are many potential loop trips and a backpacking shuttle
service can pick you up or drop you if you are doing JMT
segments.
John Muir Trail area
Permits:
Required since the routes are
thru National Parks or wilderness areas. Get the permit at the
point of entry. East side permits are U.S. Forest Service. The
Mt. Whitney end is thru the Forest Service by lottery, but there
are nearby passes where you can get to the JMT and permits are
usually available in advance or at the trailhead. Try to get
them online as there is a daily quota at all trailheads.
Forest Service Permits. Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park Service
Permits. Yosemite National Park Permits.
Starting from Yosemite on your online reservation request, entry
trailhead will be Happy Isles-->Sunrise/Merced Lake (pass
through) and exit trailhead
will be Whitney Portal. If online reservations are full for your day and route, do not be discouraged. 40% of permits are reserved for walk ups either for same day or one day before. Go midweek, get in line at the wilderness
permit office early, and have a day or two flexibility. If the Happy Isles->Sunrise/Merced
Lake (pass through) is still full, ask for alternatives such as one leaving from Tuolumne Meadows or Glacier Point.
If you are a southbound JMT hiker leaving from Tuolumne Meadows,
your entry trailhead will be Lyell Canyon Trailhead.
Resupply - Food Drops:
The John Muir Trail
is the longest stretch of the Pacific Crest trail with no towns
or highway crossings, so food drops are a problem, particularly
if you are not doing the 20+ miles per day of a PCT thru-hiker. I went
from Yosemite south, so had a drop at
Reds Meadows' Resort,
one 4 days later at
Vermillion Resort,
and then had a friend with llamas do one in LeConte Canyon.
Muir Trail
Ranch is a couple of days south of Vermillion Resort and
does hiker resupply. VVR is more hiker friendly. Cingular cell
service works at VVR. They also have internet via satellite. I've
heard rumors that a Pack Station at Bishop Pass will pack food
in, and place it in a 50 gallon barrel at LeConte Ranger
Station. Vermillion Resort is one of the highlights of the trip.
They make a special effort to welcome both PCTers and JMTers -
first beer and first night are free. Great pie. Muir Trail Ranch is a day or two south of Vermillion Resort and holds food drops, but caters to its guests, not hikers. If you don't want to carry a full load of food up from the valley floor, have a resupply at Tuolumne Meadows, two days away.
A 2005 backpacking forum message said the packer
from Onion Valley resupplied them at Charlotte Lake, over
Kearsarge Pass. One packer and one horse, no extra mule cost
$225.00. They have a sealed, buried 55 gal drum at Charlotte
Lake Ranger Station, so you don't have to meet them. I've seen such a drum at Le Conte Ranger Station, but don't know rules for its use.
For horse or mule resupply from the east side of the Sierras
check the pack station list at:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/packstations.shtml
John Muir Trail thru-hiker statistics:
I checked with Yosemite Assn, which issues the southbound
permits. As of 29 July 04 they had issued 244 permits for the
year and estimated a total of 600 for the season. 300 PCT
thru-hikers start northbound, and about 180 of them get to
Canada, so I estimate that at least 200 do the JMT.
Trail Conditions:
To check on snow and high water conditions in the Sequoia-Kings Canyon part of the JMT, look at www.nps.gov/seki/trailcdt.htm . Yosemite has a similar site but the information is not as good or as current:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/wilderness/trailconditions.htm . The US Forest Service has information on east side trailheads http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/conditions/index.shtml . If you are hiking when most of the trail is covered with snow, navigation is a problem. Have good map and compass or gps skills.
Early Season Fording Techniques:
If you are a PCTer, you will have a number of fast deep
crossings requiring extreme caution. Evolution Creek is
the deepest, sometimes chest high at the normal crossing point,
but not very fast. Others are not as deep but fast and
dangerous. Cross in early morning - may be 12 inches lower than
late afternoon. Tyndall Creek, Bear Creek, south fork of Kings
River, Rush Creek, Kerrick Canyon (northern Yosemite) are some of the others.
Consensus from PCT-L forum is to use hiking poles or sticks to
get 4 points of contact, keep body facing the opposite shore,
angle upstream to keep the force of water from collapsing your
knees, wear synthetic fast drying clothes, take off long pants,
unfasten waist belt. If shoes and boots are already wet leave
them on. Walk between rocks, not on them. If wearing trail
runners leave them on - some people take socks off. During dry
weather if you have to cross in your boots, remove socks and
boot liners, wipe out boots after crossing and reinsert liners.
You will walk dry quickly. You need
something to protect your feet (I have gone barefoot in
midsummer and it is painful. I have carried lightweight kayak shoes
for camp and river crossing - better than bare feet. I don't want the weight penalty of Tevas). With normal sierra weather
you will dry as you walk fairly soon. If chilly, put on
fleece after crossing.
Early season hint: Temperature Change with Elevation:
If you
carry a thermometer, it is sometimes useful to estimate expected
temperatures at higher elevations. There is a normal temperature
drop of 3.6° F for each 1000 feet increase in elevation. i.e. if
you are at 10,000 feet, the temperature is 40° F and it is
raining, expect snow at 13,000 feet.
Transportation and Backpacking Shuttle Service:
www.yarts.com is the regional Yosemite transportation service. It includes service to and from Merced to Yosemite, as well as from Yosemite to Mammoth and points in between.
here are shuttle services
that would drop you at one trailhead and pick you up at another.
We usually leave the vehicle at the trip end point and the
shuttle takes us from there back to the start point. Haven't used one ourselves recently so don't have a personal recommendation.
Recommended by others:
http://www.mammothlakestransportation.com/
http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/pcs/info/shuttles.asp - in
this Sierra Club link there is a reference to Skip - someone
recently used and liked his service.
Wilder House B&B in Independence no longer runs a shuttle service
http://www.wilderhouse.com
This service offers shuttles along the Eastern Sierra from
Yosemite to Kennedy Meadows (south)
http://www.mtwhitneyshuttle.com/
If you need public transportation to get to the Eastern Sierra
or Yosemite, here is an excellent link, including some bus
schedules:
http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~rbell/JMTTransport.html.gz
Another good source of shuttle info, shower locations, etc that is kept current: http://climber.org/data/index.html
A new shuttle service into Sequoia Kings Canyon from Visalia:
http://www.sequoiashuttle.com/
John Muir Trail
Maps:
Use the Tom Harrison JMT map pack to
have good maps and keep the weight down at
www.tomharrisonmaps.com
. Peter Dascalos has put together a nice backpacking site
including a set of JMT maps created from Topo - viewable online,
and if you have highspeed internet, downloadable. They are sized for print
on 8.5 by 11.
www.dascalos.net/Outdoors/ODC/jmt.html . If you browse his site, you can also find maps and
photos for sections A, B and C of the PCT.
The following elevation profile site does the entire Pacific
Crest Trail, section by section, including an excellent JMT
profile: interactive - you select by section - very
nice:
http://www.bearcant.org/elevation.php
Brian from the Yahoo John Muir Trail forum has posted a good
profile pdf:
http://www.centralcoastvwclub.com/jmt_profile_pdf_21day.pdf
GPS Coordinates for Reds Meadow to Whitney Portal:
Kevin Aston has put a useful spreadsheet on his site, with elevations, mileages and distances http://www.kevinaston.com/JMTSpreadsheet.html
Bears:
You can encounter them anywhere on the JMT, but are most likely to see them where they have found food before: At the trailhead or a day or two out from it, examples: Kearsarge Pass or Little Yosemite. Anywhere there is a bear box. Bear canisters for food are required on parts of the JMT. For your sake and the bear's sake, we strongly urge you to use them. See gear page for details. You can rent them in Yosemite when you pick up your permit. Repackage your food so you can store more in the canister. Bear box locations cluster campers with resulting dust, dirt, noise. We try to avoid them. Locations in Sequoia-Kings Canyon: www.nps.gov/seki/bear_box.htm . In Yosemite bear boxes are only at Little Yosemite campground and the High Sierra Camps. Canisters are required in most other areas. For details see: http://www.nps.gov/yose/bears/ For Ansel Adams Wilderness and other east side Forest Service managed areas see link in Where to Camp below.
Water:
On the JMT you will find water several times a day. In August it will be dry on the the big passes, particularly on the south side so carry enough water for five or six hot miles. We use roughly three miles per liter per person when going up and get 4 or 5 miles per liter going down. Either pump or treat your water (see our gear page). If you want to get over a pass early, you may want to dry camp high on the ascent. Carry extra water to do this, even if you plan to have a cold breakfast.
Where to Camp:
Stay away from the bear box areas unless you have a craving to be around more people. If your requirements are an eight by ten flat spot, you will find spots frequently. Check out your map for water and start thinking about possibilities mid afternoon if you want to have water 100 feet away. There are a few spots along the JMT where no camping is allowed, so vegetation can recover. In Yosemite you need to be four miles away from a trailhead. This means Tuolumne Meadows as well as where you start in Yosemite Valley. Near Reds Meadows, no camping within 1/4 mile of outlet of Thousand Islands Lake, Garnet Lake, stay 300 feet from Shadow Lake - see http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/sitespecific.shtml for full details including trails where bear canister is required. Just north of Rae Lakes there is a small lake with no camping.
Just Mount Whitney:
If you want climb Mt. Whitney from the east side, and return,
you are talking about a 22 mile round trip, 6000 feet elevation
gain, with about 12 hours one way up. If you are a rock
climber, there is a mountaineers route (not a trail) that is 3.4
miles to the top, still with the 6000 ft elevation gain, part of
it a class 3 climb. Don't try it unless you are an
experienced mountaineer with excellent map reading skills and
have thoroughly researched the route. Guides are available
if you contact the Bishop ranger station or Mt. Whitney store.
If you are thinking about either route, buy the Mount Whitney:
Mountain Lore From The Whitney Store by Thompson and Newbold.
From our link below, or Amazon or from the Whitney store website
www.whitneyportalstore.com
The Whitney portal store is much more than just a place to buy a
hamburger. It is at the east side trailhead to Mt.
Whitney. The owner, Doug Thompson is an expert on Mt.
Whitney, and has personally rescued many exhausted hikers. The
store is the first place contacted when anyone is in trouble.
Current unsupported JMT hiking record: (resupply allowed)
Current supported JMT hiking record:
2007
Sue Johnston
age 41 in
3 days 15 hours 32minutes August
http://runsuerun.blogspot.com/
http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=40869#Post40869
2004 Kevin Sawchuck in 93 hours and 5 minutes
2003 Brian Robinson..........4 days......7hrs...2 minutes
2003 Peter Barkwin ...........3 days...22 hrs...4 minutes
http://friends.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/2006-September/001490.html
Guided Trips in JMT vicinity
Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides offers trips from guided
backpacks, to climbing expeditions, to women's only trips, to
day hikes up Half Dome. We have no personal experience with
them, but their site lists mentions in many major outdoors
publications as well as National Geographic Adventure, Sunset
and Frommers 2008.
http://www.symg.com/
Llama Packing Services:
Greg Harford of Potato Ranch Llama Packers rents llamas to JMT
hikers. I haven't rented from them, but did go on a short trip
with Greg, and was impressed with his llamas and methods. You
can read my trip in my July 2007
newsletter. Check out Greg's website at
www.llamapackers.com .
Classic Guide Books to JMT
area: Any PCT guide will include at least a
brief guide to the JMT.
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The original guide is
Starr's Guide to the John Muir Trail and the High
Sierra Region, written by Walter Starr Jr. in 1933
and published by the Sierra Club. It is still available
in revised form. Nicknamed Peter, the author vanished
during a trip to the Minarets in 1933, his body was
found after an intense search, and his book was
published posthumously. See Missing in the Minarets
further down this list for a good story. |
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The Wilderness Press
publishes a number of excellent guides to this region
including, Elizabeth Wenk and Kathy Morey's Guide
to the John Muir Trail, photos, maps and route descriptions.
4th edition just out in 2007 now includes GPS waypoints. |
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Their
series for shorter trips is based on the USGS map
quadrangles and is pocket size. Each book includes the
map and the descriptions of routes within that map. |
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They also put out
Sierra South which covers the John Muir Trail area,
by Kathy Morey and Mike White, The 8th edition is an
excellent guide, organized by access highways, and
includes route elevation profiles |
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as well as Sierra
North by Kathy Morey & Mike White, which covers the Sierra from Yosemite north.
Both of these are a good addition to your hiking
bookshelf. |
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Mount Whitney: Mountain Lore From The
Whitney Store by Thompson and Newbold. This is the
definitive reference for anyone climbing Whitney,
particularly from the east side. If you are going
to climb Whitney, read this book. It could save
your life. |
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A Hike for Mike by Jeff Alt. This journal of a couple's John Muir Trail walk is also a plea for depression awareness. Good armchair reading.
See
www.hikeformike.com for more about their campaign
and hike. |
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The Last Season by Eric Blehm -
This non-fiction mystery on the disappearance of a
back-country ranger in Sequoia-Kings Canyon NP gives an
insight into the daily lives of those with the unique
experience of living and working in a National Park. |
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Missing in the
Minarets - The Search for Walter A. Starr, Jr.
by William Alsup. This is the story of the disappearance
and search for Peter Starr, author of Starr's Guide
above. Good reading and a good mystery, it gives a
glimpse into a different era in the Sierras. |
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Laurence Gonzales's
Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies and Why.
This should be mandatory reading for anyone doing moderate
risk activities, let alone thru-hikers, backpackers,
mountain climbers, etc. It certainly made me rethink the
things we do when backpacking. It makes fascinating
reading, but to summarize what I got out of it: Be sure
that what you are thinking of as many years of
experience, is not really many years of being very
lucky. |
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And a DVD |
Bob Kenan was a backcountry ranger in
Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park for 30 years. He has
put together a DVD of his experiences, including
interviews with other backcountry rangers, and some 50
interviews with backpackers and PCT thru-hikers. I
haven't seen it, but sounds good. Order from his site at
http://www.messagefromthemountains.net |
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Laws Field Guide to the Sierra
Nevada by John Muir Laws was published this year
by one of my favorite publishers, Heydey Books in
Berkeley, CA, in conjunction with the Cal Academy of
Science. |
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Sierra Birds: A Hikers Guide
also by John Muir Laws, and praised by Amazon
reviewers, though I have not seen it. |
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Sierra Nevada Wildflowers
by Elizabeth Horn. Descriptions and color photos of many
of the wild flowers you will see on the JMT. |
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Fixing Your Feet
- Jon Vonhof is the last word on foot care. He treats
feet on ultra marathons and will give you more than you
ever wanted to know on treating blisters and foot
problems. |
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Gifts from the Mountain, Simple
Truths for Life's Complexities by Eileen
McDargh. Watercolors and wisdom drawn from
backpacking inspiration. Not just JMT. Hard to classify, but I highly
recommend it. |
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Classic Hikes of the World by
Peter Potterfield - . A gorgeous book full of
tempting hikes if the JMT experience has infected you.
One of the featured hikes is the JMT. |
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Off topic, but if you fish the JMT,
check this out: Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of
California by Samuel McGinnis, illustrated by Doris
Alcorn - my ex. The illustrations are world class - a
life's work. |
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Last Child in the Woods: Saving
Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by
Richard Louv. Not on JMT, but a strong case for getting
children out into the wilderness. |
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