Spectacular fall color in Southern California? It exists! Just a short distance from Big Bear we found the southernmost aspen grove in California. The quaking aspen (populus tremoloids) are readily identified by the disc-like leaves about the size of a silver dollar. The slightest breeze sets these leaves in motion, leading to that “quaking” effect. It’s […]
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 […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Wright Creek to Guitar Lake
Day 21 on the John Muir Trail… Last night we camped in the shadow of Mt. Whitney. We woke up excited, knowing that we were so close to our goal. We had been hiking on the John Muir Trail for three weeks. We had come a long way from that first day in Yosemite. We […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Over Forester Pass to Wright Creek
Day 20 on the John Muir Trail… At 13,200 feet above sea level, Forester Pass may not be the highest point on the John Muir Trail (that would be Mt. Whitney) but it is the high point of the Pacific Crest Trail. As we’ve hiked further and further south on the JMT, our average altitude has […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Upper Rae Lake, Glen Pass to Vidette Meadow
Day 19 on the John Muir Trail… We awoke early, determined to get a jump on Glen Pass (11, 970ft.). Last night we camped at 10,600ft. just above Upper Rae Lake and were looking forward to reaching the pass early before it got too warm. I need to qualify what I mean by an “early start.” […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Woods Creek to the Rae Lakes
Day 18 on the John Muir Trail… Yesterday we discussed our plans for today’s hike. We had originally planned to hike over Glen Pass to Vidette Meadow, but decided to modify the itinerary to have an easier day and leave us just below Glen Pass. Even with the modification, we would meet our original exit date […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Over Pinchot Pass to Woods Creek
Day 17 on the John Muir Trail… We awoke just before sunrise, with frozen beads of condensation clinging to outside of our tent. It was chilly. Boil water! Make coffee! Stat! Most of this trip, we were spending all day in shorts and short sleeves. I put on my knit cap at night to keep […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: The Golden Staircase and Mather Pass to Kings River
Day 16 on the John Muir Trail… Today we climb the Golden Staircase, past the Palisade Lakes and up over Mather Pass (12,100ft). We will climb 4,682 feet and descend 2,486 feet, logging 12.6 miles in the process. In other words, this will be a big day in every respect. We started up the valley paralleling Palisade […]
