Normally, throughout your lifetime, you can say: “We can always do it next year.” But you reach a point, later in life, when you no longer are sure you can do it next year.
I am not certain when Carol Munch and I first got the idea of hiking the John Muir Trail. I saw the John Muir Trail map guide in the Jax emporium in Fort Collins in the winter of 2019 and bought it. Carol and I backpacked together in the summer of 2019 in the Pecos Wilderness in New Mexico and in the Wind River Range in Wyoming. I am sure we started talking about it that summer. For a trip in August 2020, we had to apply for a permit by February 2020. We decided to hike south to north because permitting would likely be easier and because the majority of hikers choose the north to south route.
So Carol applied for the permit and we received the permit reservation in February. In February, we recruited Vaune Pelletier for our group, and I was happy to have her along having backpacked and trekked with her a number of times.
Then in March, the Coronavirus Pandemic struck. I read that Mammoth Lakes did not want visitors. Some of the early season permits were canceled by the authorities, but by summer, things settled and we heard that people were starting to hike on the JMT. The national parks were closed and then reopened. We decided we would go.
We had a great deal of preparation to do including buying supplies and equipment and mailing supplies to one of our resupply locations, John Muir Ranch. We worked to make everything as light as possible, because we would have to carry it all for twenty days. We had to make motel reservations for the trip to California and continued to plan the trip. The preparation was not inexpensive.
Originally, I was going to drive, drop off Carol and Vaune in Lone Pine, leave the car in Yosemite and make a two-day transit trip back to Lone Pine, but with the pandemic, I was not eager to use transit. Fortunately, Brian, Vaune’s boyfriend, volunteered to drive out with us. He helped us leave the car, deliver supplies to resupply points, and drive to the trail head. We were very grateful to Brian for helping out.
Day One – August 11 – 13.3 miles – 1,783 feet ascent – 1,903 feet descent
Vaune, Carol and I started out from the Horseshoe Meadows trailhead on a level hike through the open evergreen forest and then ascended the invigorating climb to Cottonwood Pass. The rocks were light-colored, almost white, as they often were throughout our trip. Muir coined the term “Range of Light” for the Sierras and immediately, we were experiencing this brightness, this open shining place. On top of the pass, we started hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail, which would later join with the John Muir Trail.
We continued climbing from the pass, past Chicken Spring Lake, which was surrounded by a forest of Foxtail Pines. The Foxtails, both the living and dead individuals, were beautiful with trunks twisted and deformed, forming beautiful shapes and grain patterns in the golden wood. The individual trees were scattered in open forests with barren ground and white boulders under the trees.
As we continued, we hiked steadily, following the contours below the high Cirque Peak ridge above us. From this traverse, we had wide open views of the peaks and valleys to the south and west. We stopped for a break at a particularly scenic spot where I shared an apple, the last fresh produce we would have for some time. From this high trail we descended from the Inyo National Forest into Sequoia National Park.
We next walked for several forested miles on a long, dry plateau. This hike was level, hot and monotonous. I had made a mistake. In Colorado, I often only carried one liter of water to save weight, because it was generally easy to find water in the Rockies. On the plateau, the last water we had seen was Chicken Spring Lake and the last running stream had been before Cottonwood Pass. From the plateau, we had a long and steep descent down to Rock Creek. I was quite dry and thirsty by the time we finally reached a running stream deep in the valley.
We camped in the valley of Rock Creek, deep in the forest. We were careful to camp one hundred feet from water and from the trail, which were the general regulations along the route. We later came to understand that the more important consideration was camping on previously used, established campsites some of which might violate the one hundred foot rule.
In camp, we were visited by a very pleasant Park Service Ranger who was on his way to the nearby ranger station. We talked about his work, and I asked about the unusual trees we had seen above. He told us they were Foxtail Pines and that many were quite ancient. Foxtail Pines are, in fact, a rare species found only in limited portions of the Sierras with a sub-variety also found further north. It is not unusual to find Foxtails that are 1,000 years old, and the oldest yet found was 3,400 years old. The ranger told us that we were camped in a Lodgepole Pine forest, which would be common for much of our trip. He was the last ranger we would see up close or talk to for the twenty day hike.
Day Two – August 12 – 12.1 miles – 2,766 feet ascent – 1,749 feet descent
We started hiking at 7:00 am along Rock Creek where a number of groups were camping. Soon we were climbing again back into the Foxtail forest and over Guyot Pass, a relatively low pass for the southern portion of our trip with an altitude of 10,900 feet. We descended from the pass to Guyot Flats, another plateau. After hiking on a flat trail on the plateau, we climbed and then descended on a rugged trail with views of Mount Whitney. We had decided not to start the JMT with an ascent over the Mount Whitney trail crest because Carol had climbed Whitney a couple of times, because there were additional permitting requirements to climb Whitney, and because we knew there would be crowds of people climbing the mountain with us. Whitney is the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states with an elevation of 14,505 feet.
We descended to Crabtree Meadows, the large, open riparian valley of Crabtree Creek, where we had more views of Whitney. From the meadows, we climbed a short distance to where the Pacific Crest Trail joined the JMT. We were now on the JMT and for most of our trip the two trails followed the same route.
We next climbed over an unnamed pass at about 10,500 feet and descended steeply to Wallace Creek where we planned to camp. However, it was quite warm at the bottom and the large shaded campsites were taken, leaving only campsites open to the hot sun. Because of that, we decided to climb out of the Wallace Creek valley with one more, steep climb. I felt strong on this last climb but after stopping for the great view at the top, began to feel quite dehydrated and exhausted. After looking for a bit, we found a campsite on Wright Creek. There, I was able to refresh and clean myself and clean some clothes with the cold stream water. In the evening, we walked a bit upstream into open meadows where we admired the glowing mountain scenery lit by the setting sun.
Day Three – August 13 – 12.9 miles – 2,787 feet ascent – 3,046 feet descent
In the morning, we climbed through a forest of Foxtail pines mixed with other evergreens and above tree line onto the Bighorn Plateau where the open scenery was endless. We stopped to admire a small, round lake with the jagged mountains of the Great Western Divide reflected in its mirror surface. We continued to climb through the rugged alpine terrain past a number of lakes. We took a break at the bottom of the final climb to Forester Pass. The trail up to the pass was well engineered with long switchbacks. Even so, we had to climb over boulders and crude stone steps to the top of the pass. I arrived first with the other two not far behind. From the top of the pass, we looked at lakes and peaks in either direction. We agreed the final climb had been excellent and enjoyed resting on the top.
At 13,200 feet of elevation, Forester Pass was the highest point on our trip. On the top, we left Sequoia National Park and entered Kings Canyon National Park. We had a beautiful descent on a rocky trail through barren terrain and by scattered lakes with views of the jagged ridges and peaks around us. We eventually descended into the mixed evergreen forest and camped in the lodge pole forest by Center Basin Creek with its small falls and pools.
Day Four – August 14 – 12.3 miles – 2,410 feet ascent – 2,722 feet descent
We started hiking very early at 6:30 am. Vaune went first and I followed in the beautiful early morning light. I descended along Bubbs Creek and found Vaune by a waterfall raging down among enormous boulders. We hiked down through the forest and began a steep 1,000 foot climb. We were scheduled to meet an outfitter bringing in our first resupply on horses at the junction with the Kearsarge Pass Trail above us. At one place, the view back to pyramid-shaped, East Vidette Peak was exquisite. We first reached a level area where other hikers had camped or were resting. This was a junction with the Bullfrog Lake Trail and a stream came down from the Lake a short distance up that trail.
We had time, so Carol and Vaune washed their hair, and I began climbing up to our resupply rendezvous. They soon joined me at the large trail junction where a steady stream of hikers passed by exiting from Charlotte Lake or southbound on the JMT. After more than an hour, Mason, a young, lanky cowboy from West Virginia arrived with our supplies on the horses.
We continued on and were soon climbing again towards Glen Pass. Close to tree line, we made a sharp turn east into a deep basin passing two dark lakes and climbing gradually toward the top through scree-covered terrain. Near the top, we climbed on well-designed but very rocky switchbacks. On top, at 11,926 feet, we had great views to the north of several large lakes and endless jagged peaks.
We made the climb with a number of others hikers in front of us or behind us. We met a man from California with his wife and others, who had hiked the JMT a number of times and climbed many of the high peaks. When we told him where we were from he said: “I know how it is in Colorado. You drive almost to the top of a fourteener and then climb a little bit to the top and then come down and drink beer.” He bragged that he was 68 years old and I told him I was 69, and he reached out to bump fists. Down into the basin on the other side of pass, he talked a bit about the trail food he liked, and then let us go ahead of them saying he was slow. We descended on a steep and rocky trail down the basin past lakes to an area with scattered evergreen and on to large Rae Lakes.
We stopped to admire the lakes and surrounding scenery, including the unusual, shark-tooth shaped Painted Lady peak. The trail crossed between the lakes on a narrow isthmus. Near the north end of the lake, we passed the Fin Dome, prominently rising as a single large tower above the lake. On the trail, Vaune said she wanted to see a bear and would be disappointed if she didn’t.
We next descended to Arrowhead Lake where we set up camp next to bear cabinets. A shirtless neighboring camper, who had been bathing in the lake, came quickly into our camp to point out a momma bear who was passing by with her two cubs. She was brown and the cubs were black. The bears passed quickly through the forest on the other side of the trail. That night, we made sure to put all our supplies in the bear cabinet.
Day 5 – August 15 – 9.1 miles – 2,104 feet ascent – 1,867 descent
From beautiful Arrowhead Lake we descended for miles to a large suspension bridge over Woods Creek. The bridge was down at 8,500 feet, the lowest point we had experienced so far. This trail junction was a beautiful, sunny spot with the large, flowing creek and high mountains above. There were a variety of large evergreen trees around the bridge. We crossed the bridge one at a time, and it bounced and swayed as we crossed.
From the bridge, we had a long climb to Pinchot Pass. At this low elevation, it was very warm and there was very little shade as we climbed. After a time, I began to feel weak and realized I was having heat exhaustion, which I had experienced before in the deserts of the Colorado Plateau. I felt weak and nauseous and had to stop to rest every so often. Vaune suggested soaking my hat and buff in a nice little stream which helped some, but I was still becoming weaker. Eventually, I could see that the trail would enter a forest ahead, and when I got into it, I finally collapsed into the shade.
Vaune climbed ahead to find me some cold water. While above, she met a group that was coming down and told them what was going on. When they arrived where I was, a woman came over and asked me a number of medical questions and eventually gave me a couple of salt tablets. It turned out she was a recently graduated physician’s assistant. After she left, I continued to rest, drink water, and eat a little. Soon, I was able to climb another mile to lovely Twin Lakes where we found a nice campsite, still three miles from Pinchot Pass. After setting up camp, I got in the lake to refresh myself and rinse off. For a time there was a ptarmigan wandering around camp.
In camp, I got out my first aid reference card to read about heat exhaustion. It said that the best way to avoid it was with thorough hydration. From then on during the trip, I made hydration my special project.
Day 6 – August 16 – 11.9 miles – 2,906 feet ascent – 2,030 feet descent
We enjoyed the lake in the early morning light and the beautiful reflections of Mount Cedric Wright on its surface. We left our campsite and climbed through ragged alpine terrain. We soon climbed to the top of Pinchot Pass above 12,000 feet elevation. From the top, we could look back south over lakes to endless mountains and north, forward to jagged peaks and more lakes including large Marjorie Lake. We descended by a smaller lake underneath striking red peaks. Further on, we reached Lake Marjorie and the first small evergreens since before Pinchot Pass. As we descended from the lake, the view of the bright Sierra Range opened up dramatically. On a stepped descent into the Lodgepole Pine forests, we reached the South Fork of the Kings River. From that point, we had a 2,000 foot climb to Mather Pass.
I took a picture of Rock Fringe flowers, lovely purple flowers growing from under a large rock. We saw a few different species of flowers throughout the trip but nothing like the variety and abundance of wildflowers I had seen in Colorado on July backpacks. It was later in the season and very dry in the Sierras, which may have contributed to the lack of flower abundance. We did see some lovely yellow Monkeyflowers next to a stream on our first day. The Brewer’s Lupine were very common, and later in the trip we saw a number of varieties of small Gentians.
We gradually hiked by the river and eventually climbed above the trees and into a barren landscape formed by ancient glaciers. Separated from the others, I stopped to fill up with water in a small stream in an open, grassy meadow and then began climbing up a moraine ridge into Upper Basin. We camped on a high point in the basin, above 11,000 feet elevation, on a graveled spot next to a small lake not far below Mather Pass. From this spot, we had grand views of the mountains in all directions.
We each had our own tents to sleep in and all were green Nemo ultralight tents. Regulations specified that we should avoid camping on vegetated areas, so we lined them up on the small gravel area available and took pictures of them saying we could send them to Nemo to use in their advertisements.
I had worked hard to hydrate the previous night and during the hike and felt much better than the day before, even though at times it was still quite warm. For one thing, I drank water whenever I awoke during the night. Still, at camp, I was exhausted from the hard work climbing through one of the most beautiful places on earth.
After we set up camp, it became windy and began to thunder and rain, so we spent some time in our tents, where I took a nap. Eventually, the rain stopped and the wind died down, so we came out and ate dinner. As the sun started to set, the light on the mountains and clouds shined with a changing variety of glowing colors. Vaune attempted an evening climb to the pass, and Carol became concerned as it grew darker. Vaune soon returned having failed to reach the top of the pass. It turned out to be one of the most beautiful evenings we had on the trip.
Day 7 – August 17 – 14.9 miles – 981 feet ascent – 4,164 feet descent
First thing in the morning, we climbed the final switchbacks to the top of Mather Pass at 12,100 feet above sea level. The pass was named after Stephen Mather, the first director of the National Park Service. From the top, we looked north to Palisade Lakes and a number of high peaks above it, including Middle Palisade with an elevation of 14,040. We hiked a long descent from the pass, passing by Palisade Lakes. Hiking down the Palisade Creek, we came to a place where the creek dropped steeply down some 1,500 feet into the canyon below, and we began to hike down the steep route, with a series of steep switchbacks and steps, called the Golden Staircase. As we descended, I felt some pain behind my knees and blood behind my left knee where my convertible shorts were rubbing off the skin. Since the spot behind your knee is one of the most difficult to reach on your body, Carol helped me put bandages on and I switched to a light pair of shorts I had, which I wore for the rest of the trip. At the bottom of the staircase, the trail along Palisade Creek became level.
After a number of miles, we began climbing up the Middle Fork Kings River in Le Conte Canyon, and after two miles, camped above Grouse Meadow next to the stream. The campsite was warm and peaceful, and we had time to clean up and do laundry.
When I got in my tent to go to bed, I found that my air mattress was deflated. It must have had a leak. When I told the others, Carol took over to fix the mattress. I had fixed a mattress at home, using the bath tub to find the leak but this job was more difficult out in the wild. Carol prepared a soapy solution and covered the mattress, and Vaune looked for the leak while I blew into it to keep up the air pressure. Eventually, we found a small slit in the underside. I had no idea how such a puncture could have occurred since I was careful to keep the mattress in the tent and could find no sharp edges inside.
I had a repair kit, so I cut a patch and with Carol’s help applied glue and the patch. I was amazed at Carol’s skill and in general, I have found few others with such comprehensive backcountry skills. In addition to everything else, she had the GPS and was our navigator.
The mattress repair instructions said to let the glue dry for twenty-four hours. I had a backup, a very light, frame-style mattress. I slept on that with my sitting pad and the back pad from my pack. It was much less comfortable than the mattress but I managed to sleep. The repaired mattress was fine for the rest of the trip.
Day 8 – August 18 – 15.9 miles – 3,858 feet ascent – 1,862 feet descent
We called our difficult, long days “big days.” This was the biggest day of the trip with a long climb to Muir Pass. Along the trail, there were beautiful waterfalls and up high there were exquisite lakes set in the rocky alpine terrain. Starting up through Le Conte Canyon we had great views of high peaks, shining in the early morning light. We had to climb steeply and at one point reached the top of a falls and entered an alpine basin through a notch in the rocks where the water flowed. Above that we found Helen Lake situated in barren, moonscape terrain with peaks surrounding it. Helen was one of my favorites because of the deep blue color of its waters.
Here at the lake, a mule train passed us with three cowboy outfitters on horseback and nine mules carrying supplies for a supported trek. I asked them where they were going and they answered “Red Meadows.” We stopped for lunch and enjoyed this beautiful place.
After lunch, we continued climbing through the boulders to Muir Pass. On the top, there was a stone hut built for hikers to use in emergencies. It was a very exposed spot so the most likely emergency would be high mountain weather. There were two signs at the hut dedicating the spot to John Muir. According to one of the plaques, the hut was constructed in 1930 by the Sierra Club in cooperation with the Sierra National Forest and dedicated to the memory of John Muir. We had listened to part of an audible biography of Muir on our trip to California, and I was quite moved by the spot.
From the top, there were great views to the north down into Evolution Basin. There was another group of hikers on top and they helped take pictures of our group with the view in the background. It was overcast at this point with a comfortable temperature.
Hiking down from the pass, I had trouble keeping up with the downhill pace of Carol and Vaune. Carol sometimes had trouble keeping up with Vaune and me on the uphill portions, but downhill was more difficult for me, and Carol descended at an amazing rate. Nevertheless, the descent was somewhat gradual.
We were far above the tree line. There were a few grassy areas but mostly the basin was covered with rocks. The trail passed for some time immediately next to Wanda Lake, which had its own, mesmerizing blue water. Lakes Helen and Wanda were named after John Muir’s daughters. Descending further, we began to hear thunder. I caught up with Vaune and soon it began to rain and hail. We caught up with Carol at Sapphire Lake where we intended to camp and yelled to her that we wanted to descend further to a more sheltered place. It was now raining hard with intense thunder and lightning. So we hurried on down to Evolution Lake and had a long walk around it in the rain. A large group of other hikers were there trying to shelter and seemed to decide to move on just as we passed. So, for a while, we were hiking in a crowd. The map showed that there would be campsites at the other, north end of the lake. We spent time looking for a campsite that wasn’t taken and when we found one, the sun came out and it became quite warm.
Even though we arrived at camp late, we had time to enjoy the views of Evolution Lake in the evening. The storm made us extend our hike to almost 16 miles. It is too bad we had to hurry through Evolution Basin in the storm, but it was quite an adventure. It was a big day and certainly one of our best.
Day 9 – August 19 – 11.7 miles – 51 feet ascent – 2,811 feet descent
After the long, strenuous excitement of the day before, this was an easier day with twelve miles downhill or flat. On this day, we began to see a smoky haze. Descending, we had our only significant, ford of the trip and had to change our shoes for the knee-deep crossing of Evolution Creek. The water was cold but refreshing. We arrived at our peaceful campsite in a deep canyon just after lunch. So, we had plenty of time to clean up and relax. Midafternoon, I found myself sitting on a large boulder as the South Fork of the San Joaquin River gurgled by. In this general area, we left Kings Canyon National Park and entered the John Muir Wilderness Area in the Sierra National Forest.
Day 10 – August 20 – 12.3 miles – 3,737 feet ascent – 975 feet descent
From our campsite, we hiked steadily to Muir Trail Ranch, a back country resort. For backpackers, they have a well-defined routine. We had mailed them our supplies for the next four days, and we picked them up when we arrived at MTR. They don’t sell food of any kind to backpackers but do sell minor hiking gear. All this occurs, within a collection of small shacks. They do have electrical outlets so hikers can recharge their electronics. We resupplied and I charged my battery pack and phone. I bought some blister pads for some minor blisters on my right foot.
We had mailed the supplies to the ranch some time before so we were not sure what we had in the resupply and were surprised by the new food. We agreed it was like Christmas.
From MTR, we took a very steep cut off trail back to the JMT and ascended steeply towards Selden Pass. We passed a number of beautiful lakes, including Heart Lake. Before lunch, I felt very strong, but later, I began to weaken and felt exhausted for the final climb. At the pass, there were beautiful views of Marie Lake below. We descended to the lake and camped at a beautiful spot. We could see beautiful pyramidal peaks, such as Mount Hooper and Seven Gables, although the mountains were increasingly covered by a smoky haze. People at JMR told us the smoke was from a fire in Sonoma County far to the west. After setting up camp, I dove into the lake with my underwear and t-shirt on. The water was cold but refreshing.
Early in our trip, Vaune started an event every evening where she would take a picture of us with fingers held up for the number of days. Up through day ten, I held up the fingers. So, day ten was the last day I could signify the number of days without help from Carol. Vaune was very entertaining in that way.
Carol had lived in San Francisco and hiked previously in the Sierras, but neither Vaune nor I had ever done so. I told her if anyone asked her if she had hiked in the Sierras, she could definitely now answer yes. She replied, “If anyone asks, I’m going to say sit down. Now starting with day one…”
Vaune was always very pleasant and fun. She was also the strongest hiker.
Day 11 – August 21 – 15.7 miles – 1,965 feet ascent – 3,729 feet descent
Today, was only slightly less smoky than the day before. In the early morning, we had a long, quiet hike down through the forest to Bear Creek. From the creek, we climbed one thousand feet to the top of forested Bear Ridge. After a flat section on top, we descended steeply down the other side on numerous switchbacks. I felt strong on the climb and for some time was ahead of the others. This time, I worked hard to keep up on the long descent, and by the time we reached the bottom at Mono Creek, I was exhausted. With my history of injuries in each ankle and arthritis in my right knee, I find it hard to go fast downhill on steep or rugged terrain and prefer to take my time.
After lunch at Mono Creek, we climbed steeply in the sun through open terrain. On the climb, the heat bothered me a great deal. We had learned to keep our hats and buffs wet when it was hot and that helped some. At Pocket Meadows, we found a nice campsite next to a stream which flowed and fell over large slabs of granite. It was a fine place to refresh and clean up. It had been another big day.
Day 12 – August 22 – 11.7 miles – 3,389 feet ascent – 1,862 feet descent
This day, we climbed early past Silver Pass Lake to Silver Pass at 10,740 feet. From the top we had a view of Chief Lake which we passed on our descent. There was still smoky haze but it seemed to be lessening each day. We descended into the forest to Fish Creek and then climbed gradually to Tully Hole, a green, valley meadow surrounded by steep mountain walls. We climbed one of the valley walls steeply on many switchbacks. It was hot and dry and the others got far ahead of me. There was nowhere to find water to refresh. At the top of climb there was a very dry, forested plateau. Eventually, I descended to Virginia Lake, an enormous, very beautiful lake. I didn’t see the others so I stopped by the lake and dunked my hat in the water. I thought I heard a voice calling me and soon saw Vaune in the distance along the shoreline. We had a beautiful campsite just above the lake and had plenty of time to clean up and refresh in the lake under the warm sun. The lake was deep and dropped off quickly from the shore. However, there was a stone ledge under water at the shoreline which allowed me to submerge myself in the cold water. In the evening, I took pictures of the lake and the shining mountains above it to the north. We agreed that this was one of our favorite campsites.
Day 13 – August 23 – 12.9 miles – 1,074 feet ascent – 2,778 feet descent
We enjoyed Virginia Lake in the early morning light before starting the climb and the descent to Purple Lake. From there, we climbed some and then traversed high on the side of the canyon with Fish Creek over 2,000 feet below. The views were grand but hazy with smoke. There was a five mile segment of this with no water until we descended to Deer Creek. From there, we hiked through Upper Crater Meadow and between the two Red Cones, which are 10,000 year old volcanic cones, quite prominent in the landscape. We camped in a canyon between the cones. It was very warm and we enjoyed the forest shade and the cold water in the stream at our camp.
Day 14 – August 24 – 3.4 miles – 8 feet ascent – 949 feet descent
Excited about our day off, we were up quite early for our short, easy hike to Red Meadows. Leaving camp, we entered the Ansel Adams Wilderness Area. We quickly descended through the forest and through the large burn area of the Rainbow Fire which happened in 1992. Red Meadows is another primitive backcountry resort with any number of amenities for backpackers. We arrived in time for our second breakfast from the café. Due to the pandemic no one was allowed in the café. Instead, we ordered through one shielded window and then in a short time got our food from another and ate on a picnic table. I had enormous pancakes with scrambled eggs and sausage. After thirteen days of freeze dried meals and granola it was the best breakfast ever. Even so, I could not finish the enormous portions prepared for long distance backpackers.
We had driven into the resort, down a steep road, before the hike to deliver supplies which were waiting for us in the camp store. The store had a fair variety of supplies and food. First, priority for me was a large, cold coca cola which I had been fantasizing about on the trail. During that day, I drank any number of sodas, juices, beers, and bottled water. Despite, the breakfast, during the day, I snacked on chips, ice cream bars and other treats.
Carol made most of her food for the trail herself and seemed to enjoy the trail food. However, Vaune and I had spent a great deal of time buying specialized backpacking snacks, dense with calories. By this time, we were tired of “density,” which we joked about for several days. In the store, Vaune bought a large bag of snacks including cookies and candy. I bought some cookies and cheese.
We had reserved two motel rooms for the night but they would not be ready until later in the afternoon. We set ourselves up at a couple of picnic tables, spreading our gear out to work on our packs. There were many backpackers and others at the resort but there was plenty of room for everyone to enjoy themselves. Most of the backpackers we met at Red Meadows were hiking north to south, while we were south to north. So, we were getting near the end while they were just starting. After breakfast, Carol and Vaune did a short hike to Rainbow Falls. I told them I would only be hiking to the café, the store, and the laundry. There was a laundry and I washed everyone’s clothes while they were hiking. I put on the hiking pants that had previously injured me. They had t-shirts in the store, but I could not find the one I wanted. I was extremely grateful when the young clerk found an extra-large shirt that said “John Muir Trail.” Wearing the pants and t shirt, I was able to wash all my other clothes, including my very dirty hat. At the laundry there were outlets to recharge our devices.
The others were back for lunch and I had a very large turkey sandwich with fries and a slice of peach pie. We picked up our supplies and sorted food to put in our food canisters. Eventually, we saw people cleaning the rooms in our “motel,” which was a small, rustic building with two rooms, and soon we were able to shower and relax in our rooms. I drank a beer and listened to music on my iPhone.
Soon, it was dinner time. I had a double cheese burger with sides of potato salad and cole slaw. The portions were enormous and again I couldn’t finished everything. For desert, I had a very nice chocolate milkshake. That night we all slept soundly in our beds.
Day 15 – August 25– 14.1 miles – 3,671 feet ascent – 1,660 feet descent
After another big breakfast which I couldn’t finish, we began hiking out of Red Meadows, feeling strong and renewed. I left the offending pair of hiking pants in the motel room. We started by hiking through Devils Postpile National Monument. The highlights of the monument are evenly hexagonal columns formed after an eruption some 100,000 years ago. At the top, we stood on the hexagonal floor formed by the columns. From there, we began a long climb, first to Gladys Lake, where Vaune and I had a break, and then by Rosalie Lake. Carol was somewhere behind us most of the day.
We next hiked down a long descent on switchbacks through the forest to Shadow Lake. Vaune and I climbed down to the shoreline to admire the lake with the three dramatic Minaret peaks above dotted with scattered snowfields. With its dark blue water, I thought the lake was one of the most beautiful places on the planet. There was still some haze, but it was clearer than the days before with a bright blue sky.
From there we climbed steadily under the jagged peaks. At the top of the climb we climbed over a small unnamed pass. We then descended to enormous Garnett Lake. Because of our late start at Red Meadows, we arrived at our campsite later than usual, and it was a very cool evening. At bedtime, I realized that I no longer had my iPhone. There was nothing to miss about that but the music, which was a loss.
Day 16- August 26 – 13.9 miles – 2,330 feet ascent – 2,915 feet descent
Early in the morning, when we began hiking out of our camp, Garnet Lake was dazzling. Actually, this was the most beautiful place on the planet. Towering Banner Peak was reflected in the mirror surface of the lake, and I took many pictures from increasing elevations as we climbed from the lake. On this day, we were under a clear, bright blue sky. As we climbed, we passed beautiful Ruby and Emerald Lakes. As we hiked Banner Peak and Mount Ritter rose high above us. John Muir called Mount Ritter, “the king of the middle portion of the High Sierra,” and his well-read story of climbing Ritter is a fine story of mountaineering adventure.
Soon, we began to have views of 1000 Island Lake, an enormous lake with many small, vegetated islands. The lake water was perfectly still and the reflections of the mountains were literally breathtaking. The views from the lake level captured the complete reflections of Banner and Mount Ritter. Ansel Adams took famous pictures of this lake within his namesake wilderness area. This may have been the most beautiful spot of our trip. I revised my opinion again – this was the most beautiful place on the planet.
We passed the junction where the Pacific Crest Trail rejoined the JMT and again began to climb. I took more pictures of the lake as I climbed. We climbed on toward Island Pass by more, small beautiful lakes on a high plateau. The pass at 10,221 feet was an easy climb, and we were somewhat disappointed by it because we didn’t even realize we had gone over it until we stopped for a break and checked the GPS.
From the pass we descended to Rush Creek and began climbing to Donohue Pass. Below the pass, we entered a large open area above tree line where the trail became increasingly steep and rugged. The trail was very rough for a JMT trail with many boulders and steps to climb over. Vaune was climbing faster, ahead of me and Carol was climbing somewhere behind. By the time I reached the top, I was tired and my legs were worn out.
The top of the pass, at 11,073 feet, was very broad and rugged and very dramatic. Its moonscape terrain was covered with boulders. On the top, we entered Yosemite National Park. We were somewhat disappointed that the only signifier of the entry was a sign with park regulations. We thought there should be something a bit more celebratory.
At the top, someone going south told us the story of how a bear had destroyed the tent of a solo woman at the bottom of the descent we were about to make. The woman was not harmed but her trip was done.
We descended on a steep, very rugged trail, and I got behind the others as usual. For me, this descent was nearly as exhausting as the climb had been. When I got within shouting range of them, I told the others I needed a break and needed to drink water. They shouted something back which I couldn’t hear and kept going.
There was another hiker in light colored clothes who we had passed and who had passed us a few times. He passed me as I was taking a break and we exchanged some words. When I started again, I came to a spot where there was a falls and some campsites. I stopped and looked down at the campsites. I could see two sites, one had campers and a woman was standing in the other site. She didn’t look like either Carol or Vaune and was wearing the short-shorts typical of the younger, women hikers we were used to. So I figured Carol and Vaune had found these campsites to be taken and had moved on to other campsites in the valley below.
So I hiked on down into Lyell Valley, a large flat area which we would hike through the following day. In the valley the trail was much better and easier, and I was able to cover distance much more comfortably. The first campsite I found was empty but I saw that the water source, Lyell Fork, was in a marshy area. We had passed up marshy areas in the past because of the potential for mosquitoes, so I figured that the other two had kept going.
I did not really know how far I had hiked, but after a mile or so, I ran into the man in the light-colored clothes. I asked him if he had seen the ladies I was hiking with and he gave me a funny look. He said he had last seen them looking for a campsite back at the falls. He said, “You know, when I saw them, I thought to myself that that other guy was going to hike right past them because they didn’t leave anything on the trail to let him know where they were.”
This deflated any energy I had left. At that point, I really should have turned around and hiked back to Carol and Vaune. However, I was exhausted and had no interest in hiking negative JMT mileage at this point. I cursed under my breath and told him, “Well, I am not going to go back and will stop at the next campsite. I will wait for them in the morning by the trail.” I asked him to let them know if he saw them.
So I hiked on looking for a place to camp. Soon, I ran into another hiker who was heading in the other direction. When I told him what had happened, he told me he was planning to camp in the area of the falls. I asked him if he saw the others to tell them I was a camping a ways down the trail and that I would meet them in the morning by the side of the trail.
I found an existing campsite that only had room for one tent. I decided to look for another with more room in case Vaune and Carol were following me. I soon found a nice campsite visible from the trail in the forest where the stream ran over large rocks and where there was plenty of room. Soon, I heard Vaune calling and they joined me in camp. I know they had spent time looking for me before they got word that I was down the trail. I know it had been hard on them. Still, it had been a great, very big day.
Day 17 – August 27 – 9.0 miles – 157 feet ascent – 435 feet descent
After landing from the descent from Donohue Pass, we found all the trails in Yosemite to be well built, well maintained and generally comfortable. This morning we slept late. Normally, I was the first to start the process of getting up and packing up at around 5:00 am. This morning, I didn’t start getting up until 6:00 am. This was our coldest morning. When we got out of our tents, there was scattered frost on the ground and ice on top of our bear canisters.
The permit regulations required us to keep our food in bear canisters. So each of us carried a bear canister weighing 1.2 kilograms (2 pounds 9 ounces). This added to the weight we carried. Also, the tops locked and were difficult to open, especially when it was cold and the plastic was stiff and the fingers frozen. I swore I would never carry a bear canister again. I used some of Carol’s leftover olive oil to lubricate the top. Still, I didn’t always lock the screw top.
We hiked out on the flat, comfortable trail and soon found ourselves in pleasant sunshine. It was a clear morning, mildly warm with a touch of mountain coolness. Lyell Canyon is a grassy meadow extending for miles with Lyell Fork running down the middle and evergreen forest on either side. The hiking was not dramatic but very pleasant and peaceful.
When we stopped for a break on some large slabs, Vaune wanted to take a picture of us forming the letters “JMT” with our bodies. We talked her into doing it with rocks on the slab instead. I started it and Carol finished it and we all took pictures of the results.
We hiked for nine miles, and by lunchtime, we reached Tuolomne Meadows. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, the visitor’s center, camp store, and grill were all closed. The only thing open was the small part of the enormous campground dedicated for the use of backpackers. We set up camp there enjoying the luxuries of a picnic table, bear-safe trash containers, bear-proof storage cabinets, and potable water. The restrooms had sinks with running water, and I bathed thoroughly with my wash cloth in the sink, and washed a pair of underwear so I would have clean skivvies for the rest of the trip. It might be hard to understand how enjoyable these luxuries are unless you have spent weeks in the backcountry.
Day 18 – August 28 – 11.2 miles – 2,078 feet ascent – 1,255 feet descent
Leaving the Tuolomne Meadows area we began climbing though the forest. We passed the dramatically large, granite Fairview Dome. We hiked on to Cathedral Pass at 9,570 feet which was a large, flat, grassy meadow with the spires of Cathedral Peak towering behind us. Climbing to this pass in the early morning was pleasant and easy.
From the pass, we climbed a bit more and then descended into Long Meadow, an enormous, flat, grassy meadow. After leaving Tuolomne Meadows, the hike was very dry and all the streams in Long Meadow were dry. We stopped for lunch at the Sunrise High Sierra Camp which was closed, likely because of the Pandemic. I enjoyed the last of my cheese and cookies that I had bought at Red Meadows. Vaune and I had learned that the best snacks for distance backpacking were snacks you might enjoy if you were not on the trail.
We normally would have camped in Long Meadows, but since there was no water, we turned off the JMT on a side trail to Sunrise Lakes, and camped near the largest lake. Our camp was not the best, on gravel, in the open sun. After dinner, Vaune took us on a tour around the lake, and we found very nice vacant campsites on the other side. Vaune laughed when I called our little walk, “the Parade of Homes. “
Day 19 – August 29 – 9.0 miles – 1,205 feet ascent – 3,492 feet descent
Since we had left our route to go to Sunrise Lake for water, we decided to take an alternative route back to the JMT over Cloud’s Rest. I did not even know what Cloud’s Rest was. Carol told us that by taking this route, we would be adding a 900 foot climb. We started by hiking by the Lower Sunrise Lakes that were all very reflective and beautiful in the morning light. We passed a camp of a trail crew. I later learned that a Brian England, the son of some old friends, was at that camp, although I never saw him.
From the lakes, we climbed gradually and then more steeply several miles to the rocky top of Clouds Rest at 9,926 feet. On top there were 360 degree, grand views of Yosemite Valley and the rest of the park, dominated by the view of enormous Half Dome between us and the valley. We took many pictures and some other hikers helped take pictures of the three of us. It was an amazing view, despite some haze from the smoke. The rest of our hike from the top of this mountain to my car, would be downhill.
From the top we descended on switchbacks and then on a nice soft trail. The scenery on the descent was dominated by Half Dome. There was little water on the trail. We descended to the junction with the JMT where we found a small stream and made our last camp in the forest. We celebrated climbing over the last pass by taking a picture of ourselves with my JMT bandana, which my daughter, Joni, had given me and which listed the names of the eleven named passes we had climbed over on the John Muir Trail. We actually climbed 1,200 feet that day but agreed the route was an excellent choice.
Day 20 – August 30 – 7.7 miles – 133 feet ascent – 3,293 feet descent
We could have slept late but instead started hiking early because of our excitement about finishing our long journey. We began our last hike down underneath majestic Half Dome, shining in the early morning light. We descended down to the Merced River and hiked out onto an open area on granite slabs and crossed the river on a bridge at the top of Nevada Falls. From there we followed the old panoramic trail with dramatic views of Half Dome, Mount Broderick, Liberty Cap and of Nevada Falls, dropping 594 feet into the canyon below. We hiked down a number of large switchbacks. As we approached the bottom, the number of tourists on the trail increased dramatically. We soon reached the large bridge over the river at the bottom and began hiking into the developed portion of Yosemite Valley. The guidebook said there was a sign marking the end of the JMT but we never found it. Vaune insisted we have a ceremony at the first trash cans we found emptying all our garbage. The shuttles were not running and we had to work a bit to find the wilderness parking area where my car was parked. After 20 days, my car started immediately and we were ready to go.
Finale
I had hiked 235 miles, climbed 40,000 feet and descended 45,000 feet. I knew in advance that I would have strong days and not so strong days on this trip. At age 69, what else would you expect? At times I would suffer from my absent-minded loss of attention which is not so much about old age since I’ve always had it. Maybe it is not about loss of attention but maybe, instead, about too much focus. I seem to suffer more from heat these days, and I certainly had a few equipment problems. But still, I made it. For twenty days, we hiked an average of close to 12 miles and 2,000 feet elevation gain per day. On our big days we achieved quite a bit more than the average. I had a great deal of support and assistance from my very able partners. The unique beauty of the places along the route provided the motivation.
The three of us agree that it is hard to even know how to talk about the experience. Although it was great to be finished, I was sad to not still be on the trail. Looking back now is like looking back at a mountain range in the distance. It is obviously beautiful, but the memory of details is already fading. On the trail, we were always in the moment. A twenty day string of breathless, striving moments suspended in wild beauty and joy. I am grateful.
Spirits of the Planet 