“The sun shines not on us but in us.” – John Muir I shot this photo on my first trip to the Anza Borrego Desert State Park. We camped near Dos Cabeza — a great home base for hiking, bouldering or just enjoying the sunrise. I have always loved the mountains and the beach, but […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Guitar Lake to Mt. Whitney
Day 22 on the John Muir Trail… Technically, this day begins at the end of Day 21. We went to bed early last night, sleeping lightly for a few hours and waking to our alarm at 11:30 PM. We ate Clif Bars and packed up our sleeping gear and tent. Donning our headlamps, we made […]
Muir Monday: Going Out is Really Going In
I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.” – John Muir Three years ago today was our 17th day on the John Muir Trail. Joan and I were hiking over Pinchot Pass and towards Woods Creek — famous for […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Muir Trail Ranch to McClure Meadow
Day 13 on the John Muir Trail… We slept not too far away from Muir Trail Ranch, with the headwaters of the San Joaquin providing our soundtrack for the night. Fortunately, our bear bag was unmolested. We broke camp and hiked about a quarter mile back to MTR to enjoy the promised breakfast (it was […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Rosemarie Meadow to Muir Trail Ranch
Day 12 on the John Muir Trail… Today was a relatively easy day. We started just below 10,000 feet, so our climb up Seldon Pass (10,900′) wasn’t too difficult. From here, we headed down, down, down to Muir Trail Ranch for our final resupply. Yes, you read correctly. Muir Trail Ranch would be our final resupply […]
Muir Monday: Going to the Mountains is Going Home
Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity.” – John Muir Ever had a week where you felt tired and nerve-shaken? Or is that the norm? Maybe you need to unplug. Get away. Go to the mountains. Sometimes we think that life […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Devil’s Postpile to Deer Creek
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: 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 […]
