• COVID-19 Park and Trail Closures
  • Learn about the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge
  • Shop
  •  

SoCal Hiker

  • Find a Hiking Trail
    • All Areas
    • Arizona
    • Colorado
    • Los Angeles
    • Orange County
    • Oregon
    • San Francisco Bay
    • Washington
  • Trail Guides
  • Six-Pack of Peaks
    • Colorado Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Bergen Peak
      • Rocky Mountain
      • Birthday Peak
      • Horseshoe Mountain
      • Grays Peak
    • New England Six-Pack of Peaks
    • NorCal Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Mount Umunhum
      • Mount Saint Helena
      • Mount Tamalpais
      • Mount Diablo
      • Mount Sizer
      • Rose Peak
    • Oregon Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Tumalo Mountain
      • Black Butte
      • Black Crater
      • Maiden Peak
      • Mount Bachelor
      • South Sister
    • SoCal Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Mt. Wilson
      • Cucamonga Peak
      • Mt. San Antonio (Mt Baldy)
      • San Bernardino Peak
      • San Jacinto Peak
      • San Gorgonio
  • Backpacking
    • High Sierra Trail
    • John Muir Trail
      • Overview of the John Muir Trail
      • Training
      • Day-by-Day Itinerary
      • Resupply Addresses
      • JMT Discussion Forum
    • Lost Coast Trail
    • North/South Lake Loop
    • Rae Lakes Loop
    • Red Peak Pass Loop
    • Theodore Solomons Trail
    • Trans-Catalina Trail
    • Wonderland Trail
  • Gear
  • Forums
    • Latest Topics
    • Ask a Question
    • Campfire
    • Trails
    • Trail Reports
    • Gear Wisdom
    • Classifieds
  • Login

Thru-Hiking the JMT: Le Conte Canyon to Palisade Creek

August 10, 2013 By Jeff H

Craggy Spires

Day 15 on the John Muir Trail…

It gets cold at high elevations. We were camped just below Muir Pass, and well above 11,000 feet. We lingered in the warmth of our tent, emerging when sunlight illuminated the tops of the peaks to our west. Our campsite was entirely exposed, and yet completely private. We were in plain view of the JMT, but nobody was up on Muir Pass this early in the morning.

img
John Muir Trail Day 15
Distance: 11.8 miles
Cumulative Distance: 145.8 miles
Total Ascent: 1,232 ft
Cumulative Ascent: 37,858 ft
Harrison Map Sheet 5
We filtered water, enjoyed a hot beverage and breakfast, and took in the amazing views. Jeffrey and Hari had gone ahead , actually camping beyond Helen Lake. Hari was entering grad school and was feeling pressure to finish the JMT a day or two earlier, if he could. After yesterday, we weren’t sure if we would see them again, but being two self-sufficient groups, we were prepared for that.

The Unnamed Lake we camped at

Our itinerary for today involved a long downhill stretch into stunning Le Conte Canyon, followed by a short uphill section along Palisade Creek. We were grateful that there were no passes to climb today.

We broke camp and headed down the JMT.

Rocky Terrain Below Helen Lake

The trail at times took us across wide sections of snow. The steep incline was intimidating, especially when you think about sliding down into a freezing cold creek or lake at the bottom. Fortunately the sun was warm, and the trail easy to pick up. Our trekking poles gave us additional confidence on the more slippery sections.

Joan Playing in the Snow

Glissading down the snow sounds like fun, except when it leads to this.

Snow-fed Creek

The bowl that we hiked down collected the run off from the melting snow fields, which in turn sought out the lowest point in the valley. We were watching the Kings River forming before our eyes.

“The snow is melting into music.” – John Muir

Muir’s words capture the essence of the experience.

The Birth of a River

We would follow this creek down into Le Conte Canyon and see it transform from a little creek to a raging river.

We paused at this unnamed lake for a late morning snack, being mindful of the lesson we learned yesterday about eating at regular intervals.

Snack Break by an Unnamed Lake

Heading down into Le Conte Canyon, there were a series of switchbacks with stunning views like this, with a pack train heading up the trail towards us.

Pack Train

At the 6.5 mile mark we came upon Little Pete Meadow. We had descended nearly 3,000 feet, and the trail smoothed out to a gently sloping valley. This meadow had some beautiful campsites, and we would have loved to stop for the night, but we still had another six miles to hike to stay on schedule. We made a note to return to Le Conte Canyon on another trip to explore this area more slowly.

Little Pete Meadow

We stopped at the Le Conte Ranger Station and picked up a note from Hari and Jeffrey. The were doing fine, maintaining their twenty-something pace that meant we probably wouldn’t see them tonight.

Le Conte Ranger Station

Sure enough, a few miles further down the trail we ran across Brian. He was the solo JMT thru-hiker that we shared a campsite with two nights ago, and he had shared the trail with Jeffrey and Hari for most of the day. Brian had found a campsite near beautiful Grouse Meadows and planned to try a little fishing. He confirmed that the other half of our group was doing fine, and were planning to camp near the base of the Golden Staircase.

img
Feeling the Pressure
JMT-JeffGetting on the John Muir Trail meant unplugging from our daily lives. But back at Vermilion Valley Resort, I checked my email. Back home, my car was already packed and ready for me to move to grad school in Utah the very day we returned. Unfortunately, a friend had borrowed the car, and it broke down.

I knew I had to report to school on time, and now had to solve another problem — what to do with my car and all my belongings. I was feeling pressure to finish the trail as early as I could, so I could deal with my moving dilemma. So Jeffrey and I hiked on ahead, partly because we could, but mainly to allow extra time to deal with my car situation. It was another example of being flexible on the trail… and maybe not checking email! 

Grouse Meadows

We continued our hike down Le Conte Canyon. The walls narrowed, the terrain became more rugged, and the King River cascaded noisily over the rocks.

We reached our junction with the trail to Mather Pass and followed it up beside Palisade Creek — our first real ascent of the day. We climbed uphill for about a mile and a quarter, and stopped for the night at an established campsite. We used the rain fly with the tent tonight. The clouds we had seen earlier today looked unpredictable, and getting rain-soaked at night was not in our plan.

Trail Map: Le Conte Canyon to Palisade Creek

© OpenStreetMap contributors
Download file: JMT-Day-15.gpx

JMT Day 15 Photo Gallery

Click on any photo to view a larger version. You can also leave comments on any photo.











Subscribe to our Newsletter

Don’t miss a single day in our JMT series! Subscribe now and get email updates for each post on SoCal Hiker.

Got a question about the JMT? Something you’d like more info on? Post a question in the JMT forum!

Tomorrow, we would climb the Golden Staircase and Mather Pass.

Originally hiked on August 10, 2010.

Filed Under: JMT Resources, Trail Guides Tagged With: Helen Lake, Hiking The John Muir Trail, JMT, John Muir Trail, Kings Canyon, Kings Canyon National Park, National Park

Like what you found here at SoCal Hiker? This site is a labor of love. Share your support for the site and help us development of new trail guides and expanded coverage -- make your next outdoor equipment purchase through our advertisers.

You can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Jeff H

About Jeff H

I'm an avid hiker and backpacker. My wife Joan and I are on the trails every weekend. I started SoCal Hiker to share my passion for outdoor adventure.

Comments

  1. Greg says

    June 27, 2014 at 2:17 pm

    Any thoughts on the Palisade Creek campsite you stayed at? Debating whether to stay here or push on to Lower Palisade Lake…

  2. Jeff HJeff Hester says

    July 1, 2014 at 12:04 pm

    Greg, the campsite was fine though mainly woodsy (vs view oriented). If you have the time and energy to continue up the Golden Staircase, definitely go for it! The Palisade Lakes are beautiful and the scenery much more impressive.

  3. Cindy Smith says

    August 4, 2015 at 7:19 am

    What we’re use using for a camera, batteries, cards. You are taking lots of photos and I am wondering how you are managing the digital aspect. Thanks so much.

  4. Jeff HJeff Hester says

    August 4, 2015 at 8:23 am

    Cindy, on this trip I used my Canon SD 780 with an extra battery. I also carried the charger, which I was able to use at VVR to replenish the batteries. My girlfriend had the same camera and also a spare battery.

    Today, I typically just use my iPhone 5s. On trips up to one week, I bring an external battery to recharge the phone. On a longer trip (like the JMT) I would bring my GoalZero solar panel and battery for recharging.

    Hope this helps!

Newsletter

Sign up to get your weekly trail recommendation and the latest updates from SoCal Hiker.

JMT Planning

  • Overview of the JMT
  • JMT Maps, Guidebooks & Software
  • Our JMT Itinerary
  • Resupply Addresses
  • JMT Discussion Forum

Day-by-Day on the JMT

  • Driving to Lone Pine
  • Shuttle from Lone Pine to Yosemite
  • DAY 1: Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley (plus Half Dome)
  • DAY 2: Little Yosemite Valley to Sunrise Camp
  • DAY 3: Tuolumne Meadows Resupply
  • DAY 4: Tuolumne to Upper Lyell Canyon
  • DAY 5: Lyell Canyon to Thousand Island Lake
  • DAY 6: Thousand Island Lake to Reds Meadow
  • DAY 7: Devil’s Postpile to Deer Creek
  • DAY 8: Deer Creek to Tully Hole
  • DAY 9: Tully Hole to VVR
  • DAY 10: Zero DAY at VVR
  • DAY 11: Mono Creek to Rosemarie Meadow
  • DAY 12: Rosemarie Meadow to Muir Trail Ranch
  • DAY 13: Muir Trail Ranch to McClure Meadow
  • DAY 14: Over Muir Pass to Helen Lake
  • DAY 15: Le Conte Canyon to Palisade Creek
  • DAY 16: The Golden Staircase and Mather Pass
  • DAY 17: Over Pinchot Pass to Woods Creek
  • DAY 18: Woods Creek to Rae Lakes
  • DAY 19: Rae Lakes, Glen Pass to Vidette Meadow
  • DAY 20: Forester Pass to Wright Creek
  • DAY 21: Wright Creek to Guitar Lake
  • DAY 22: To Mt Whitney and Whitney Portal

Sponsors

Sponsor SoCalHiker and see your banner here

Buy MILE...MILE & A HALF and watch now!

Latest Posts

  • Hiking Belknap Crater in the Mountain Washington Wilderness October 20, 2022
  • Hiking to the Simpson Reef Overlook on the Oregon Coast Trail August 25, 2022
  • Join Team SoCalHiker at the Climb for Heroes August 23, 2022
  • Hiking the Welch-Dickey Loop in the White Mountain National Forest August 18, 2022
  • Hiking Turtlehead Peak from Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area July 15, 2022

Recent Forum Topics

  • How to deal with accidents while hiking in the winter?
  • Warm Tips for your hiking in winter
  • Some tips for hiking.
  • Keep your body warm in the winter hiking
  • The benefits of hiking, more than you can imagine!

The Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge Series

Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge SeriesThe Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge Series gives you an opportunity to explore your world while supporting a great cause. There are eleven challenges around the country. Hike or run them at your own schedule.

Flex your adventure muscles!

Learn more here.

 

Search

Tags

3-6 miles 6-8 miles 8-10 miles 11+ miles Arizona Backpacking coastal dog-friendly easy family-friendly High Sierra Trail hiking Hiking The John Muir Trail hipster inspiration JMT John Muir John Muir Trail Kings Canyon National Park LA County moderate Mount Rainier National Park Muir Monday National Park Orange County Oregon out of bounds Pacific Crest Trail peak peakbagging quote scenic Sequoia National Park Sierra Nevada Six-Pack of Peaks State Park strenuous Thru-hiking Utah vista Washington waterfall wilderness Wonderland Trail Yosemite

Copyright © 2023 SoCalHiker.net · Metro Theme on Genesis Framework with WPEngine Hosting · Contact SoCal Hiker · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

 

Loading Comments...