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 pick up our resupply package.
While we waited, we feasted on tasty breakfast burritos at the café. The post office doesn’t open until 9am, and then we had to divvy up the foodstuffs, squeeze everything into our bear canisters and reload our packs. As we were repacking, we met some fellow JMT thru-hikers also picking up their resupply. I’ve found that camaraderie amongst backcountry hikers is effortless.  As John Muir said, “One touch of Nature makes the whole world kin.” You feel that kinship among just about everyone you meet on the trail. I think Muir was on to something.

Cumulative Distance: 40.75 miles
Total Ascent: 1,475 ft
Cumulative Ascent: 12,570 ft
Harrison Map Sheet 12
GPX file
The trail up Lyell Canyon was heavenly. Well, the first nine miles or so.
First off, the trail is soft, smooth and straight. It’s as close to level as you’ll see on the JMT. And it parallels the sublime waters of the Lyell Fork creek. The waters of Lyell Fork were so clear and so stunning, it was difficult to keep out of the water. So we jumped in!Â
At our lunch break, Joan and I (Jeffrey and Hari were up ahead, as routine) found a secluded boulder outcrop next to a wide, deep section of the creek. We kicked our boots off and stretched out on the boulders like lizards in the sun. When it got a little too warm, we jumped into the invigorating water, washing away the trail grime and sweat. It was heaven on earth.
We lazily lounged about for two hours, enjoying the perfect setting, and then decided we’d better hit the trail again if we were going to make camp before nightfall.


Our elevation gain for the day was modest by JMT standards (about 1,475 ft). But most of it was in the last mile. The trail is made up of granite steps better suited to horses than humans. This makes sense because both the JMT and the PCT were designed specifically to support horses, explaining in part the giant-sized steps we climbed to our camp for the night.
We made camp at Upper Lyell Canyon, just before the wooden bridge. There are a number of great camp sites here, and they are spread out far enough that although we had seen other hikers there, we weren’t aware of their presence when we were at our camp site.
Lyell Fork runs rapid here, so filtering water required extra caution. We didn’t want to fall in or lose any equipment.
And at an elevation of 9,670 ft, we were nearing the tree line. Tomorrow we’d be heading over snow-covered Donohue Pass and saying good-bye to Yosemite.
Tuolumne Meadows to Upper Lyell Canyon
This map details our journey on Day 4 of the JMT, from Tuolumne Meadows to Upper Lyell Canyon. You’ll notice that the trail follows a nice, gentle slope for the first nine miles, then ends with a strenuous climb. Phew!
JMT Day 4 Photo Gallery
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Tomorrow, we hike over Donohue and Island Pass and down to Thousand Island Lake.Â
Originally hiked on July 30, 2010.Â
Man… this post really makes me miss summertime.
I am hoping to hike the JMT next year for my 60th birthday. I’ve started doing the research and this website is fantastic!!! Thank you for doing this for all of us.
The picture of the trout, which part of the trail was that?
Nasim, you can find trout like that in many places along Lyell Canyon. The trail parallels the creek the entire way, so you will see many, many trout.