Day 7 on the John Muir Trail… We were tired from our 13 mile hike yesterday, and this would be an easy day. We would feast at the Mulehouse Cafe at Red’s Meadow, pick up our second resupply package, have a surprise visit from some old friends, and hike only half our normal average — […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Thousand Island Lake to Reds Meadow
Day 6 on the John Muir Trail… I woke up before sunrise to take  photos. Thousand Island Lake was still, reflecting Banner Peak like a mirror. The sun cast a brilliant yellow glow as it struck the mountains, and we welcomed the warm rays. At 9,850 feet, Thousand Island Lake is just below the tree […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Lyell Canyon to Thousand Island Lake
Day Five on the John Muir Trail… Yesterday’s hike up Lyell Canyon was relatively easy. Today, we would hit several big milestones. First, we would hike over our first serious pass. At 11,056 ft, Donohue Pass was still covered with snow, and the altitude was as high as we had been on the JMT so […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Tuolumne to Upper Lyell Canyon
Day Four on the John Muir Trail I was looking forward to this day. The mileage was a little easier, and the first nine miles were up the almost imperceptible incline of Lyell Canyon. Getting in later than expected on Day Three meant hanging around until the Tuolumne Meadows Post Office opened so we could […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Tuolumne Meadows Resupply
Day 3 on the John Muir Trail and we were starting a long way from where we originally planned to camp. Our unauthorized off-trail camp dubbed The Middle of Somewhere was beautiful and quiet, but we had 3.5 miles to hike just to get to Sunrise High Sierra Camp, where we should’ve been starting. If […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Little Yosemite Valley to Sunrise Camp
It’s day two on the John Muir Trail. We woke up feeling creaky but confident. Hiking up Half Dome on day one tested our mettle. Today, we planned to hike 10.4 miles to the Sunrise High Sierra Camp. We ate our super-charged oatmeal breakfast and broke camp. As we were getting ready to leave, we saw a […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley, Plus Half Dome
The night is fading as we awaken, excited to finally start hiking the John Muir Trail. I slept like a log at the backpacker’s campground, but Jeffrey and Hari heard people chasing a bear away from the car campground. We eat a quick breakfast, break camp, don our backpacks and walk along the road to […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Lone Pine to Yosemite Valley
This day, three years ago… We woke up early and at 6am, were the first customers at the Alabama Hills Cafe. There’s something great about guilt-free eating, knowing that you’ll be running a caloric deficit for three weeks and, why yes you can have the pancakes and an omelet. What the heck! We gorged ourselves to the […]
