• 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: Woods Creek to the Rae Lakes

August 13, 2013 By Jeff H

Rae Lakes and the Painted Lady

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 to Whitney Portal.

img
John Muir Trail Day 18
Distance: 8.5 miles
Cumulative Distance: 178 miles
Total Ascent: 2,434 ft
Cumulative Ascent: 47,168 ft
Harrison Map Sheets 3 and 2
The first two miles the JMT followed the cascading creek down the valley to the wonderful Woods Creek suspension bridge. This is a marvel of engineering made even more remarkable by the fact that it’s located miles from civilization. Signs at the bridge instruct hikers to cross one at a time, and of all the footbridges we cross on the JMT, this one stands out.

Woods Creek Suspension Bridge on the JMT

On the other side, we paused for our first break, well aware that the remainder of our hike we would climb over 2,400 feet.

It was a warm, dry day, and the forest thinned as we climbed.  At the 5.8 mile mark, we stopped at Dollar Lake (10,200ft.). There were some beautiful shady spots, so we stopped and actually cooked a dinner for lunch — a first for us.

Dollar Lake

After a leisurely lakeside meal, we headed back up the JMT towards the Rae Lakes. This chain of three lakes are renown for their beauty, and the Rae Lakes Loop is a popular backpacking route in Kings Canyon National Park.

In the spirit of John Muir, we sauntered along the east shore of the lakes, stopping at the ranger station to check for word on Hari and Jeffrey. They outlined their plans for the remaining days, and were actually picking up additional miles with the goal of exiting at Whitney Portal one or even two days early. We added our plans, so the rangers would be aware, and continued on.

Rae Lakes

We paused to say hello to Steady, a north-bound Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiker from Australia. He and his wife — Slow — had no prior backpacking experience. They had seen a documentary about the PCT and decided it looked an an adventure worth doing. They bought two tickets to San Diego, stopped at REI to buy equipment, and were on the trail a few days later. Slow and Steady had covered a big section of the PCT already, and did quite well in spite of their lack of experience. After 3-1/2 months on the trail, they had become experts.

Steady (of Slow and Steady)

As we headed past the second lake, we saw two 8-point bucks grazing nearby, unfazed by our presence.

Stag at Rae Lakes

But the best was yet to come, as the John Muir Trail threads between the second and third Rae Lakes, we had stunning views of the dome named The Painted Lady. Why is it called this? This photo says it all.

IMG_2746

At the far side of the Rae Lakes, we found a campsite for the night.

Day 18 JMT Campsite

In the end, we had logged a mere 8.5 miles. It was an easy day, but we were well positioned to tackle Glen Pass tomorrow.

img
Flexibility
JMT-JeffHaving a plan is essential. Our planning prepared us physically and mentally for the rigors of the JMT. But having flexibility is also essential. We took a hard look at our itinerary and decided it would be worth having a lighter day today. Giving our bodies a chance to rest, and camping close to Glen Pass, we could make up the mileage over the next four days.

Plan, but allow flexibility.

Trail Map: Woods Creek to Rae Lakes

© OpenStreetMap contributors
Download file: JMT-Day-18.gpx

JMT Day 18 Photo Gallery

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

Heading down Woods Creek
Woods Creek
Woods Creek Suspension Bridge
Woods Creek Suspension Bridge on the JMT
SoCal Hiker on Woods Creek Suspension Bridge
Jeff Enjoys a Patch of Shade on the JMT
A JMT Lounge Chair
IMG_2736
Dollar Lake
Gnarly
Rae Lakes
Communications at the Rae Lakes Ranger Station
Buck at Rae Lakes
Stag Party
Stag at Rae Lakes
Steady (of Slow and Steady)
Rae Lakes and the Painted Lady
IMG_2746
Winding Around Rae Lakes
Approaching Rae Lakes
Painted Lady
John Muir Trail Sign
Day 18 JMT Campsite
Twilight at Rae Lakes
Yoda on the JMT

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 head to over Glen Pass to Vidette Meadow.

Originally hiked on August 13, 2010.

Filed Under: JMT Resources, Trail Guides Tagged With: 8-10 miles, Backpacking, Glen Pass, Hiking The John Muir Trail, JMT, John Muir Trail, Kings Canyon, Kings Canyon National Park, Muir Trail, National Park, Rae Lake, Rae Lakes, The John Muir Trail, Thru-hiking, Trail Guide, Vidette Meadow, wilderness, Wood Creek

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. MyLifeofAdventures.com says

    April 15, 2015 at 2:32 pm

    Hey there – have you done the trail counterclockwise to charlotte lake by any chance? Looking to do a quick weekend trip next month before the crowds and it seems like the snow should be cleared, and charlotte lake is the perfect distance.

  2. Jeff HJeff Hester says

    April 15, 2015 at 4:54 pm

    @MyLifeofAdventures – No I haven’t. I’m assuming you’re planning on going from Onion Valley over Kearsarge Pass?

  3. Pete B says

    May 2, 2015 at 8:11 am

    Hello. I’m going to be doing most of JMT (north to south) this coming August. I’m hooking up with some friends at Le Conte, then we are all continuing on south. There is some debate among us on how many days we should allow ourselves to hike from Le Conte to Onion Valley (where we are going to re supply). Lots of great information here…but can you tell me, more or less, how many hours a day were you actually walking. How early did you start, when did you stop. I’m trying to get an idea of “miles per hour” we can count on. We are old guys and not going for any records. Thanks.

  4. Jeff HJeff Hester says

    May 2, 2015 at 10:21 am

    Great question, Pete B! Joan and I typically woke up with the sun, but were not early-starters. We’d make coffee, have our oatmeal and take our time. We’d usually hit the trail by 9am; sometimes earlier, sometimes later. We would take a long, leisurely lunch break which usually included soaking our feet in a refreshing stream. And then we would roll into camp in time to setup our tent and make dinner.

    We covered about 2 miles per hour on average, when we were moving.

    • Pete B says

      May 2, 2015 at 11:39 am

      Thanks so much for your response. That helps in our calculations. I have another query…regarding bear canisters. We will be using 70L backpacks and although the canisters we will be using (BV500) do fit inside the main compartments they use almost all the available space. I know that these canisters can also be attached to the exterior of a pack. In your experience, how did most hikers handle the bear canisters? Stuffed inside their packs? Did you see anyone with their canister attached to the exterior? We are really struggling with this one. ANY insight you can provide will be helpful. Thanks again!!

  5. Jeff HJeff Hester says

    May 2, 2015 at 12:08 pm

    Pete B. — Most of the time, our bear canisters (we each carried one) were inside our packs, but we did experiment with carrying it strapped on the outside. It tended to through the weight distribution out of whack, either hanging too low on the bottom, or up too high on the top.

    Sleeping pad is a better candidate for strapping outside, and maybe the tent (lighter than your bear canister).

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...