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.
Cumulative Distance: 145.8 miles
Total Ascent: 1,232 ft
Cumulative Ascent: 37,858 ft
Harrison Map Sheet 5
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.
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.
Glissading down the snow sounds like fun, except when it leads to this.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Getting 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!Â
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
JMT Day 15 Photo Gallery
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Tomorrow, we would climb the Golden Staircase and Mather Pass.
Originally hiked on August 10, 2010.
Any thoughts on the Palisade Creek campsite you stayed at? Debating whether to stay here or push on to Lower Palisade Lake…
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.
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.
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!