This is our planned itinerary for the John Muir Trail. You’ll note that the first day is a helluva hike, but a big part of the elevation gain comes without carrying a pack. We’re planning to stash our packs and ascend Half Dome as long as we’re there.
| Day | Itinerary | Mileage | Ascent | Descent | Cumulative Miles | Cumulative Ascent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7/27 | Happy Isles to Half Dome Junction | 12.3 | 5000 | 1850 | 12.3 | 5000 | Side trip to bag Half Dome |
| 7/28 | Half Dome Junction to Sunrise Camp | 7.6 | 2600 | 400 | 19.9 | 7600 | |
| 7/29 | Sunrise to Tuolumne Meadows | 11.4 | 400 | 1200 | 31.3 | 8000 | Over Cathedral Pass (9,700'). First resupply point. |
| 7/30 | Tuolumne Meadows to Upper Lyell Canyon | 9.5 | 1200 | 100 | 40.8 | 9200 | |
| 7/31 | Upper Lyell Canyon to Thousand Island Lake | 9.7 | 2200 | 1950 | 50.5 | 11400 | Over Donohue Pass |
| 8/1 | Thousand Island Lake to Devil's Postpile | 16.2 | 1800 | 4100 | 66.7 | 13200 | Shower, wash and resupply at Red's Meadow |
| 8/2 | Devil's Postpile to Deer Creek | 9 | 1700 | 150 | 75.7 | 14900 | |
| 8/3 | Deer Creek to Tully Hole | 12.3 | 2050 | 2050 | 88 | 16950 | |
| 8/4 | Tully Hole to Edison Lake | 11.8 | 1850 | 3150 | 99.8 | 18800 | Ferry to Vermillion Valley Resort. |
| 8/5 | REST DAY | 0 | 0 | 0 | 99.8 | 18800 | Shower, wash and resupply. |
| 8/6 | Edison Lake to Rosemarie Meadow | 12.3 | 3350 | 1050 | 112.1 | 22150 | |
| 8/7 | Rosemarie Meadow to Muir Trail Ranch | 9.5 | 1050 | 3350 | 121.6 | 23200 | |
| 8/8 | Muir Trail Ranch to McClure Meadow | 10.6 | 2200 | 200 | 132.2 | 25400 | |
| 8/9 | McClure Meadow to NE of Helen Lake | 12.2 | 2450 | 1300 | 144.4 | 27850 | Over Muir Pass (11,955') |
| 8/10 | NE of Helen Lake to Deer Meadow | 11.3 | 1000 | 2900 | 155.7 | 28850 | |
| 8/11 | Deer Meadow to Kings River | 12 | 3300 | 2000 | 167.7 | 32150 | Over Mather Pass (12,100') |
| 8/12 | Kings River to Woods Creek | 11.6 | 2050 | 3700 | 179.3 | 34200 | Over Pinchot Pass (12,130') |
| 8/13 | Woods Creek to Vidette Meadow | 13.2 | 3650 | 2600 | 192.5 | 37850 | Over Glen Pass (11,978') |
| 8/14 | Vidette Meadow to Tyndall Creek | 12 | 3800 | 2500 | 204.5 | 41650 | Over Forester Pass (13,180') |
| 8/15 | Tyndall Creek to Guitar Lake | 12.1 | 1800 | 1200 | 216.6 | 43450 | |
| 8/16 | Guitar Lake to Trail Camp | 10 | 3200 | 2600 | 226.6 | 46650 | Mt. Whitney (14,496') |
| 8/17 | Trail Camp to Whitney Portal | 6.8 | 50 | 3700 | 233.4 | 46700 |
The average daily mileage is 11.67 miles. Our average ascent per day will be 2,335 feet, and the largest single day elevation gain will be 5,000 feet.
Still working out some of the fine details, and comments are welcome!
I did the JMT in 2009 and had a very similar itinerary. You can check it out at http://kevin-yang.com/travel/john-muir-trail-journal . You’ll have a great time this summer!
Thanks for the comment, Kevin! I took a look at your journal, and will return to read more. I’m going to be doing the same thing… taking notes and posting a journal after we return. Hopefully someone else can find some value from it.
Incidentally, how did you run across SoCal Hiker? I haven’t officially launched the site yet! I’ve still got a lot of content to flesh out before I do that.
I’ve always wanted to do this. I’ve had the book since I was a teen. Someday.
Also, if you need any tips on managing WordPress, let me know!
Thanks Derek! It will be my second time thru-hiking the JMT, the first being 30 years ago (gulp!). If you’re free for three weeks, join us!
And thanks for the offer re: WP tips. This isn’t my first WordPress-powered site, but I may hit you up sometime just to compare notes.
http://vimeo.com/7851505
A guy did nearly the whole trail in seven days. He was a little late in the season and had some weather issues, but it’s worth a look if you want to remind yourself of the look and feel of the trip…
I wish I could join you, but I am aiming to do a short Whitney trip later this year. 3 weeks is simply too long to be away with a 2-year-old at home!
Derek, thanks for the video link! I’m not sure if seven days is impressive or obsessive — maybe both. The photos were beautiful, though. He said he carried 8 lbs of camera equipment! That’s a lot considering the mileage he was covering each day.
And good luck with your Whitney trip. If you’re up there in August, maybe we’ll run into each other!
I am from Manitoba Canada and planning on joining in on someones JMT hike for the part from the Devils Postpile to Vermillion Lake resort. This will be a totally new experience for me. Also I don’t have mountains or even much hills where I am from. How can I best physically get ready and what supplies including footwear should I be looking at. Because I am only doing 4 days, I hope to not spend too much money on supplies. Any help would be appreciated. Audrey
Audrey, you know better than I do what you are capable of. Have you backpacked before? If not, I’d suggest you get out and give it a try. Even a 1- or 2-night backpacking trip will give you some idea of what it’s like, what to carry, how to use the equipment — the basics. The best training would be to hike while carrying a backpack. Even hiking on level ground will be better than nothing. You would be wise to check the local library for some books on the subject, or check out the reasonably priced Allen & Mike’s Really Cool Backpackin’ Book.
As for the hills, the good news is that four days of hiking isn’t too much for anyone in reasonably good physical condition. So even if you’re uncomfortable, you can muddle through it knowing that you’ll be heading back to civilization while your friends will be continuing onward down the JMT. What you may have to contend with is the altitude. Some people are more susceptible to altitude sickness than others. Do you know how you do at higher elevations? In any case, hopefully you’ll arrive in Mammoth (outside Devil’s Postpile) at least one day before you join your friend. This will give your body a chance to acclimate to the altitude.
As for equipment, most of the equipment you need you can borrow or rent for such a short trip. Be sure to try it first. The one thing you’ll probably want to look into is a good pair of hiking shoes or boots, and the socks to match. Footwear is highly subjective. Some people swear by trail runners. I prefer them for day hiking myself. Others prefer the added support of a boot. Check out The Hiking Lady for footwear advice geared toward women.
Good luck and have fun!
Will hopefully see you on the trail. I start on the 26th July.
@Geoff Miller – I’m sure we will cross paths at some point. Look forward to saying hi! Let me know what your schedule is.
Jeff,
I’ll be starting the JMT on the 28th of July,
Hope to see you on the trail.
Bob, I hope so, too! There are now four of us in the group — 3 guys and one gal. It’s only two weeks away!
If you do see us, please say hello!
I’ll also be starting then (hopefully on the 26th, but I have to win a walk up permit) and have allotted similar day strategies. Plan to resupply at Tuolumne, Red’s, MTR, and Cedar Grove. See you on the trail!
We will see you on the JMT, Kira! 12 days and counting…
Great itinerary! I am planning on thru-hiking the JMT summer of 2013 and I wanted to do about 11-12 miles per day. How many hours did it take per day roughly to accomplish the miles? Also did you really go 12 days without resupplying at the end of your trip?
Thanks!
Tyler, thanks for the feedback.
We didn’t follow this itinerary precisely, other than the food drops, start and exits. We flexed a bit, particularly on the last leg. Check out our JMT trip report for a day-by-day breakdown.
Having said that, we did have about 10 days of food from the last resupply at Muir Ranch to Whitney Portal. If you check the maps, there are sections of Kings Canyon where bear canisters are NOT required, and we were able to hang food until we ate are way back to what we could store in the canisters.
As for the hiking, I would say about 9 hours from start to end of a day, including breaks, lunch, etc. We typically took long, leisurely lunches and used the opportunity to freshen up and enjoy our surroundings. Every day was a little different, and of course, your mileage may vary. Have fun on your trip! You’ve got plenty of time to prepare, but it’s great that you’ve already started.