Dodge Kathleen - Day & section hikes: John Muir Trail

Map Key

D AY H IKES

S ECTION H IKES

DISCLAIMER

This book is meant only as a guide to the John Muir Trail area and does not guarantee hiker safety in any wayyou hike at your own risk. Neither Menasha Ridge Press nor Kathleen Dodge is liable for property loss or damage, personal injury, or death that result in any way from accessing or hiking the trails described in the following pages. Please be aware that hikers have been injured in the John Muir Trail area. Be especially cautious when walking on or near boulders, steep inclines, and drop-offs, and do not attempt to explore terrain that may be beyond your abilities. To help ensure an uneventful hike, please read carefully the introduction to this book, and perhaps get further safety information and guidance from other sources. Familiarize yourself thoroughly with the areas you intend to visit before venturing out. Ask questions, and prepare for the unforeseen. Familiarize yourself with current weather reports, maps of the area you intend to visit, and any relevant park regulations.

Copyright 2007 by Kathleen Dodge

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

Published by Menasha Ridge Press

Distributed by Publishers Group West

First edition, first printing

Cover and text design by Ian Szymkowiak, Palace Press International, Inc.

Cover photo by John Elk III/Alamy

Maps by Steve Jones, Travis Bryant, and Kathleen Dodge

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Dodge, Kathleen.

Day & section hikes: John Muir Trail/Sheri McGregor.1st ed.

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-0-89732-963-7 (alk. paper)

ISBN-10: 0-89732-963-5 (alk. paper)

1. HikingCaliforniaJohn Muir TrailGuidebooks. 2. BackpackingCaliforniaJohn Muir TrailGuidebooks. 3. John Muir Trail (Calif.)Guidebooks. I. Title. II. Title: Day and section hikes.

GV199.42.C2D63 2007

796.5109794dc22

2006100496

Menasha Ridge Press

P.O. Box 43673

Birmingham, AL 35243

www.menasharidge.com

Dedication

This book is for my loving and supportive parents. For my dad, who first took me backpacking and inspired my lifelong passion for the outdoors. And to my mom, who packed us frozen Cokes for the car and relished hearing stories of our adventures. Its also for Eric, who allows me the freedom to roam but inspires me to return.

And it would be remiss to not dedicate this book largely to John Muir himself, whose vision, passion, and conservation efforts made these hikes possible.

Acknowledgments

This book never would have been written if Autumn Oden and Marisa Gierlich hadnt been crazy enough to join me on my first John Muir Trail odyssey. Their laughter, patience with my dubious backcountry culinary skills, and unflagging good humor were the backbone of our unforgettable foray. Joining us and providing new food, new jokes, and the occasional new socks was the unparalleled support crew of Kristina Malsberger, Tim Lohnes, Jill Eskes, Paul Burgin, Troy Schaum, and Eric Ople. These hardy souls brought the meaning of friendship to a whole new level. Chocolate cake and red wine under a full moon at 10,000 feet is a birthday never to be forgotten.

This year, Id like to thank the following souls who joined me for backcountry research: Melanie Leavitt, Chris Baty, Tim Lohnes, and Eric Doherty for being part of the Yosemite send-off crew; Victoria Schlesinger for taking her New York Cityhoned journalistic skills to the trail and not complaining when the mosquitoes were bigger than the crackers I forgot; Cindy Kopper for keeping the Reds Meadow nights lively; Kelly Perce for braving the road to Vermilion Valley (twice!) and loaning the lifesaving sleeping bag; Ann Cleaveland for grinning for nearly 8 miles uphill despite blisters that would make a mountaineer cry; Jenn Fox and Josh Mangum for ferreting out the best in local produce from fresh currants to toasted pine nuts; Linda Cassell for her high-altitude euphoria that carried us up Whitney even when we ran out of fuel and had dry oatmeal for breakfast. Id also like to thank Brent Searcy for mapping assistance and the many helpful hikers who gave us rides, shared their beer, and joined us under the stars.

Id also like to thank the fine folks at Menasha Ridge, particularly Russell Helms, for helping me craft this baby and for believing in the John Muir Trail.

Lastly, Id like to recognize and acknowledge the many rangers of the Inyo and Sierra national forests. These dedicated men and women are always a delight to meet on the trail and offer a wealth of knowledge. They should be commended for doing their part to help others learn to respect the great outdoors.

Kathleen Dodge

Preface

In The Mountains of California, John Muir (18381914) writes, It seemed to me the Sierra should be called not the Nevada, or Snowy Range, but the Range of Light. And after ten years spent in the heart of it, rejoicing and wondering, bathing in its glorious floods of light, seeing the sunbursts of morning among the icy peaks, the noonday radiance on the trees and rocks and snow, the flush of the alpenglow it still seems to me above all others the Range of Light, the most divinely beautiful of all the mountain chains I have ever seen.

Indeed, many would call the Sierra Nevada range one of the finest, most magnificent sights in the world. It seems fitting that the John Muir Trail, which meanders through the very heart of this land that enraptured the man, honors this eccentric and passionate conservationist. Were it not for John Muirs perseverance and dedication to the environment, Yosemite National Park would likely not exist in the pristine state that we find it. Legend holds that John Muir used to climb into the trees during storms to fully embrace the experience. An original tree hugger of sorts.

It was Theodore Solomons (18701947), however, who conceived of this classic high route from Yosemite Valley to the top of Mount Whitney (14,495 feet). An early member of the Sierra Club, and the surveyor responsible for naming many of the regions peaks, Solomons reportedly came up with the idea while herding his uncles sheep at the age of 14. He has since been dubbed the Father of the John Muir Trail. And in 1915 the Sierra Club broke ground on the trail dedicated to their founder. It took 23 yearsand a lot of blood, sweat, and dynamitefor the route to be completed. Its only when you witness firsthand the way the trail snakes over a seemingly impassable chain of unending granite peaks that you can truly appreciate the endeavor. Fittingly, the trails christening came upon the 100-year anniversary of John Muirs birth. While born in Scotland and not setting foot in Yosemite until he was 30 years old, Muir was a vastly successful crusader in saving Californias wild lands.

The pull of the Range of Light remains strong: These days more than 800 hikers are drawn each year to complete the John Muir Trail. They come for different reasons, from different places, and with different expectations, but they all come away affected by their journey. Stretching out over more than 200 glorious miles between Yosemite and Mount Whitney, the trail climbs over ten high-altitude passes (over half of which are above 11,000 feet) and includes an ascent of the highest point in the lower 48 states. By all accounts, the trail is a big, beefy wilderness experience worthy of the accolades heaped upon it. Unlike some long trails, the John Muir Trail is a true wilderness experience: One neednt cross roads, see cars, or take a hot shower for the entire stretch. Resupplies must be mailed or packed in to remote locations, and there isnt cell phone coverage for miles and miles. For much of the way, the JMT and Pacific Crest Trail (a 2,650-mile route from Canada to Mexico, originally blazed in 1930) mirror each other, and this stretch is considered the most spectacular of the PCTs long journey.