5-7 Days on the Muir Trail

[Jimmy]

My wife and I are planning a 5-7 day Muir Trail trip and are in the beginning planning stages. Right now, we're interested in your opinions on which segments of the trail to tackle given that amount of time.

Any other tips/suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[mak1277]

I don't have any specific recommendations, but I'll save someone else the trouble of asking....how far do you want/expect to hike per day?

Also...M-I-Z...

 

[Vegan.Hiker]

I'm sure you'll get tons of good info from members here but you should also check out this book if you don't have it. Day and Section Hikes: John Muir Trail by Kathleen Dodge. http://www.amazon.com/Day-Section-Hikes-John-Trail/dp/0897329635

I picked it up because my wife and I are toying with the idea of either thru or section hiking it when she finishes grad school. It's short but I think it would give you good info on which section and which entry/exit points might work for you.

 

[Jammer]

There's a great "semi-loop" (short shuttle) near Sabrina and South Lakes that is great (and popular.) It hits the heart of the trail including Muir Pass and has relatively easy logistics.

The northern end could also work as well (Yosemite to Mammoth) and includes some great scenery -- especially if you jump off the JMT and take portions of the Sierra High Route. The shuttle service here makes life easy.

The southern end is pretty spectacular too (the whole trail is really!) However, because of the permit requirements pertaining to Mt. Whitney (and the crowds) this section may be less optimal. However, if you extend your trip south past Whitney (eg New Army Pass) it could open up some options.

90% of the hikers hike south. I prefer hiking north to have the sun at your back more often. However, this gives you the impression that the trail is more crowded than it really is (as you cross paths with people more frequently.)

Don't underestimate the mosquitoes!

 

[Jimmy]

I don't have any specific recommendations, but I'll save someone else the trouble of asking....how far do you want/expect to hike per day?

Also...M-I-Z...

ZOU!

We figured on averaging 12-15 miles/day, but have not done all of our homework yet. We don't care if Mt. Whitney is not part of the journey, and based on the crowds I've heard about, probably will skip that anyway. The logistics are a big consideration, so we'll definitely look into Jammer's recs.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

We don't care if Mt. Whitney is not part of the journey, and based on the crowds I've heard about, probably will skip that anyway.

Leave well before sunrise and plan to summit around sunrise and you won't encounter many people.

 

[gnwatts]

I have backpacked from Mammoth north (Thousand Island Lake) and south from Mammoth through Duck and Purple Lakes, easily 5-7 days if wanted. Ram Lakes, above Purple, is spectacular.

 

[TannerT]

The JMT is spectacular!!! Truly the whole trail is wonderful and I don't think you'd be disappointed with any section. One of my favorite parts was in King Canyon NP, The Evolution valley. It is gorgeous! Other than the scenery, I loved the KCNP side of thing because the approach is a little longer meaning had the views basically to ourselves.
I agree with @gnwatts and would recommend those areas as well. Purple lake was one of my favorite swims along the JMT.
We wanted to do the whole enchilada but couldn't swing 3+ weeks so we trekked it all in 12 days (with one '0' day in the evolution valley). Totally worth but you might enjoy it more if you did three separate weeks and section hiked it.

I'm jealous, I want to go back!!!!

Salud

 

[toejam]

When backpacking in the Sierra you'll quickly notice that the JMT draws a crowd - lots of people on the trail, at the crossings & lakes, and in the trailside camping spots. Every side trail is refreshingly less populated, and there are countless loop opportunities. So unless you are fixated on hiking the whole JMT to tell everybody you did, there are better options. The North Lake - South Lake loop, mentioned above is one. Something out of Mammoth involving Thousand Island Lake and maybe Isberg Pass is classic. Something from Horseshoe Meadow mentioned above. Rea Lakes loop with a side to Sixty Lakes Basin. Something from Onion Valley going over Kearsarge Pass and looping on the other side. Or Something out of Mineral King, my favorite area. Consider one of those and don't worry about having to shuttle or finding a place for your tent.

 

[Jimmy]

When backpacking in the Sierra you'll quickly notice that the JMT draws a crowd - lots of people on the trail, at the crossings & lakes, and in the trailside camping spots. Every side trail is refreshingly less populated, and there are countless loop opportunities. So unless you are fixated on hiking the whole JMT to tell everybody you did, there are better options. The North Lake - South Lake loop, mentioned above is one. Something out of Mammoth involving Thousand Island Lake and maybe Isberg Pass is classic. Something from Horseshoe Meadow mentioned above. Rea Lakes loop with a side to Sixty Lakes Basin. Something from Onion Valley going over Kearsarge Pass and looping on the other side. Or Something out of Mineral King, my favorite area. Consider one of those and don't worry about having to shuttle or finding a place for your tent.

This is where we're leaning. I've heard horror stories of the crowds on the JMT, and we'd really like to get away from this. The Mammoth area is very appealing, and we may break up into a couple of different 2-3 day loops, which looks very possible from that area.

 

[balzaccom]

If you want to avoid crowds, Mammoth is not the place for you. I agree with the suggestion that you look for side trails to explore, as they always have fewer people. The one section that everyone on the JMT raves about is through the Thousand Island Lake area--although heading south there may create some problems with the new permitting rules from Yosemite. It's easier to head up through Rush Creek, avoid Donahue Pass, and create a loop there.

But there are other loops, like North Lake to South Lake, or North Lake via Lamarck Col, that would give you some fabulous scenery without so many people.

We've got trip reports on a lot of these areas on our website: backpackthesierra.com

 

[Jimmy]

I think our challenge will be our somewhat limited schedule. We're flying from St. Louis, so we'll eat up a day getting anywhere and back. Probably will have to fly through San Fransisco area and rent a car. We may have to put up with some "crowds", but as City folks, that's a relative term! The Mammoth area looks like it's doable given our schedule, but we'll be there during the week so hopefully won't have a ton of weekend warriors.

As someone living in the Midwest, I really appreciate these forums and the knowledge of those "in the know". I've planned a few great trips using the advice of those here!

 

[Dan_85]

I took 6 days to do Glacier Point (Yosemite) to Red's Meadow in July. Beautiful hike! I'm already determined to go back next year and finish the whole trail. Whilst it wasn't total solitude, and I did meet a fair number of people it never felt crowded or busy to me. Permits out of Yosemite are much harder to get - there was something like a 92% rejection rate for all applications this year - so that may scupper your plans a little.

Have you considered the Rae Lakes Loop from Roads End in Kings Canyon? Or the High Sierra Trail from Crescent Meadow to Mt Whitney? Both great hikes considering your timeframe...

 

[Jimmy]

Have you considered the Rae Lakes Loop from Roads End in Kings Canyon? Or the High Sierra Trail from Crescent Meadow to Mt Whitney? Both great hikes considering your timeframe...

Whoa...Rae Lakes looks incredible. We weren't looking at that, but we can be in San Jose by 10:00 AM on Southwest and probably in King's Canyon by late afternoon. Can spend a good night getting acclimated near the trail head and head out early the next day. This looks like a great option. Love the idea of abundant water at all points. Also, I've become jaded by not getting permits for certain trails/parks (Canyonlands, GC, Yosemite), and it looks like it'll be a breeze getting one for this.

 

[Dan_85]

Whoa...Rae Lakes looks incredible. We weren't looking at that, but we can be in San Jose by 10:00 AM on Southwest and probably in King's Canyon by late afternoon. Can spend a good night getting acclimated near the trail head and head out early the next day. This looks like a great option. Love the idea of abundant water at all points. Also, I've become jaded by not getting permits for certain trails/parks (Canyonlands, GC, Yosemite), and it looks like it'll be a breeze getting one for this.

You can pick them up from the ranger station at Roads End as far as i'm aware. Should only be a potential problem if you're in a larger group. I've hiked part of the loop but not the whole thing, it's an awesome area!

Oh, the drive from Grant Grove at the park entrance to Roads End is one of the most spectacular i've done as well.

 

[Jimmy]

Will only be my wife and I, so permits shouldn't be a problem. I think Rae's Lake Loop is going to be our destination.

 

[toejam]

I hiked the whole JMT Aug 1-20 (just so I could say I did). Loved it all except Yosemite. There were a lot of people at Rae Lakes, but not huge crowds of day hikers like Mt. Whitney & Yosemite. It was beautiful, but do yourself a favor and try to camp off the JMT - you could have a dozen people show up at dusk and pitch tents next to yours. Glen Pass is a grind - I thought it was easily the hardest pass on the JMT.

 

[JoshuaDyal]

Will only be my wife and I, so permits shouldn't be a problem. I think Rae's Lake Loop is going to be our destination.

If you can swing a copy (my local public library has one) check the route out in Peter Potterfield's book too: 25 Classic Hikes of North America. The Rae's Lakes Loop is included there.