John Muir Trail Day 13 – Mt. Whitey Summit from Crabtree Meadows Past Guitar Lake

From the trail on the the west face of Mt. Whitney

Day: 13 | Distance: 18.4 mi | Final Summit: Mt Whitney (14,495′)

As I woke up at 4:00 am, I knew today was going to be an incredible day. Don and I plan to summit Mt Whitney before noon to avoid getting caught in a thunderstorm. We had a good breakfast and hot coffee to fuel our bodies. We’re both feeli…

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John Muir Trail Day 12 – Vidette Meadows Over Forester Pass to Crabtree Meadows.

hiking down from Forester Pass with stormy skies

Day: 12 | Distance: 20.8 mi | Mountain Pass: 10/10 – Forester Pass (13,200’)

As I woke up at Vidette Meadows on the twelfth day of our JMT backpacking trip, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation. Don and I were gearing up to conquer the famous Forester Pass, a signi…

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John Muir Trail Day 11 – Lake Marjorie over Pinchot Pass and Glen Pass to Vidette Meadows.

hiking near Rae Lakes

Day: 11 | Distance: 22.9 mi | Mountain Pass: 8/10 – Pinchot Pass (12,100’), 9/10 – Glen Pass (11,980’)

Lake Marjorie to Pinchot Pass

As I start my trek early in the morning, Lake Marjorie is a beautiful sight, reflecting the sunlit mountains around me like glass. Today, I’ll be cro…

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John Muir Trail Day 10 – Grouse Meadow over Mather Pass to Lake Marjorie.

hiking down from Mather Pass

Day: 10 | Distance: 20.1 mi | Mountain pass: 7/11 – Mather Pass (12,080′)

Waking up at Grouse Meadow, I couldn’t help but appreciate the serene beauty of my surroundings. The calmness of the morning provided a great opportunity to work on my morning routine. However, Don was alre…

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John Muir Trail Day 9 – Colby Meadow over Muir Pass to Grouse Meadow.

hiking by Wanda Lake near Muir Pass

Day: 9 | Distance: 17.9 mi | Mountain Pass: 6/10 – Muir Pass (11,955′)

Early to bed, early to rise gives you those glorious grand mountain highs.

Starting from Colby Meadow, we hit the trail early in the morning for Muir Hut on Muir Pass, and the scenery quickly captured our attention. The …

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John Muir Trail Day 8 – Marie Lake to Muir Trail Ranch and Colby Meadow.

a mirrored lake on Seldon Pass

Day: 8 | Distance: 20.8 mi | Mountains Pass: 5/10 – Seldon Pass (10,870′)

There are few things in life that can compare to waking up next to a pristine, reflective lake in the heart of the Sierra Nevada Mountains on a crisp, cool morning. Marie Lake is astoundingly beautiful this morning. The pure, unt…

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John Muir Trail Day 5 – Past Donahue Pass to Reds Meadow.

John Muir Trail Hike

Day:5 | Distance: 19.5 mi | Mountain pass 3/10: Island Pass (10,221′)

As sunlight broke on my tent, I was surprised to find that my air mattress had popped during the night. It was a frustrating way to start the day, but I quickly got over it when I saw the sunrise. Things like this are bound to happe…

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John Muir Trail Day 4 – Tuolumne Meadows over Donahue Pass.

John Muir Trail Hike

Day: 4 | Distance: 16.4 mi | Mountain Pass 2/10: Donahue Pass (11,703′)

I woke up before dawn, ready for the day’s adventure. The goal for today was to hike over Donahue Pass, which stands at a towering height of 11,073 feet, and find camp a few miles later. I was excited about the journey bu…

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