South Kaibab Trail Head down to Phantom Ranch and back up to Bright Angel Trail Head [Pictures]
Distance: 19 Miles
Elevation Changes: 7,260 - 2,480 - 6,860
After our hike up to Yosemite's Half Dome in October, my wife and I tackled one more hike for the year in November 2007: a trip to the floor of the Grand Canyon and back up. The Grand Canyon was our first stop during our summer road trip, but because we had Sam (our faithful Terrier) along with us we could not descend below the rim. We had talked about hiking down to the floor of the Grand Canyon and back up for some time, and decided that November was as good as a time as any.
Our plan was to:
- Drive from San Diego to the south rim of the Grand Canyon on a Friday,
- Camp in the Mather campground Friday night
- Start our hike from the South Kaibab trail head around 6:30 AM
- Reach Phantom Ranch at the floor of the canyon around 12:00 PM
- Return to the south rim via the Bright Angel Trail around 6:00 PM
- Camp Saturday night in the Mather campground
- Drive back to San Diego on Sunday
We arrived at the Grand Canyon National Park around 5:00 PM, close to sunset. We secured our campsite, pitched our tent, and were in bed by 8:00 PM with the alarm set for 5:00 AM. We ended up making good time after waking up and, after catching the shuttle to the South Kaibab trail head, started hiking a tad before 6:00 AM. It was still dark out and we had to use our headlamps for the first 45 minutes, or so.
The National Park Service strongly discourages hiking from the rim to the canyon floor and back up again in one day, especially during the summer months. Around 250 people per year require rescuing when hiking these trails because of dehydration or overexertion. There is very little shade throughout the trail, few water sources, and in the summer temperatures can easily eclipse 110 degrees. Plus, many people underestimate the difficulty and time needed to hike from the canyon floor up to the rim. A good rule of thumb is to budget twice the time to go down as you expect to go up. The signs posted near the rim trail heads express it eloquently: "Going down is optional; coming up is mandatory."
The temperature for us, however, was never an issue due to the fact that we struck out on this trail in November and most of the afternoon was overcast. The temperature ranged from near freezing at the rim to a shade below 80 degrees at the bottom around noontime. Except for the early morning and high afternoon, the temperature fluctuated between 60 and 70 degrees.
The South Kaibab Trail is much steeper than the Bright Angel Trail, which is how we returned to the canyon rim. The Kaibob trail descends roughly 4,900 ft. in 8 miles, whereas the Bright Angel Trail rises 4,600 feet in 11 miles. This was our motivation behind descending from Kaibab and ascending on Bright Angel. Also, Bright Angel has more plentiful water sources, making it a safer trail during the summer months. Of course, going down is not a walk in the park. It's hard on the knees and back. But it requires far less physical exertion than going up.
Here is a picture of some of the many, many switchbacks on the Kaibab Trail.
We reached the canyon floor around 10:00 AM, ahead of schedule, and crossed the Colorado River via Black Bridge.
The South Kaibab and Bright Angel Trails both terminate at the Bright Angel River delta, which is a lush stretch of land formed by the Bright Angel River, one of the many tributaries of the Colorado River. This delta is home to many trees, deer, and bugs, and offers a stark contrast to the otherwise barren and dusty wasteland that we had experienced up until this point. The delta is home to a rather large camping area; it is also the home of Phantom Ranch, a ranch/resort and a popular destination (and starting point) for mule tours.
After a stop by Phantom Ranch for an ice-cold glass of lemonade, we were ready for our ascent to the south rim via the Bright Angel Trail. We started by returning to the south side of the Colorado River via Silver Bridge. Here is a striking view of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River. This picture was taken looking east from Silver Bridge; Black Bridge is visible in the distance.
After many miles and many thousands of vertical feet, we neared the top. Looking back you can see a portion of the Bright Angel Trail far below.
The best view of the switchbacks of the Bright Angel Trail, however, is shown below. This picture was taken back in May when we visited the Grand Canyon on our road trip, and was taken while hiking along the South Rim with Sam. As with any picture of the Grand Canyon, it's hard to grasp the immensity of scale. To give you a sense of the scale, the thin ribbon of trail below compromises nearly 4.5 miles and 3,000 vertical feet!
We made it back to the South Rim a little after 4:00 PM, tired and sore. We rode the shuttle back to our campsite, took a shower, and ate at one of the restaurants in the park before falling asleep around 9:00 PM. We hit the road the next day around 7:00 AM and drove back to San Diego.
All in all, it was a fun and very tiring trip. I did not enjoy the scenery nearly as much as the High Sierra scenery, but the Grand Canyon is an amazing piece of natural art and is a natural wonder everyone should experience. Standing at the rim and peering out into the vast space that is the canyon is amazing and awe inspiring. Walking down into that void offers a more intimate and detailed sense of the Grand Canyon's enormity and the raw power of nature.
Baroque composer
Johann Pachelbel is probably most known for his
Canon in D. A Canon is a piece of music that starts with an introductory melody and then repeats it ad infinitum with various variations. Pachelbel's Canon has an eight chord melody: D, A, B, F#, G, D, G, A. This melody has appeared as the harmony in a number of pop songs over the years, including Vitamin C's
Graduation and Blue's Traveler's song
Hook. It has also been used in many other classical pieces. And even in
stand up comedy.
Many composers have created their own variations on this timeless theme. My favorite one is George Winston's Variations on the Kanon by Pachelbel. In that piece, Geroge plays the Canon in C Major (instead of D Major), which subtlety changes the tone of the song, but does make it easier to play. I'm also a big fan of the numerous Canon improvisations played by Kyle Landry.
Back in September I stumbled across Lorenzo Gonzalez's web page titled, Teach Yourself Pachelbel's Canon on Piano, which promised easy, step-by-step instructions on learning Pachelbel's Canon (in C Major), complete with short scores and audio and video examples. I took piano lessons back when I was in elementary school for a couple of years before giving up on it. I took it back up, informally, in high school and enjoy playing to this day. I've had very little formal training and even less natural talent, and you'd know that if you saw me playing. But it's a fun hobby and stress reliever.
In any event, after finding Lorenzo's web page, I decided I'd try my best to follow along and practice, practice, practice. And practice I did. I've been trying to play this song at least three times a day since I first found the page, and have been pretty constant. Once you get the left hand part down and can do that without thinking, the piece is a lot of fun because you can experiment with the right hand and try different things and see if it sounds good or not.
In any event, after working through Lorenzo's lessons, after spending countless hours practicing and listening to George Winston's variations and trying to mimic them, and after finding other Pachelbel sheet music arranged by Jim Paterson, I decided to put down the arrangement I've come to like playing on paper. It's not nearly as complex or textured or dynamic as Kyle Landry or George Winston's music, but it's an interpretation I can play and that I like playing. Maybe you'll like playing it, too.
Happy Isles Trail Head to Half Dome Summit and Back [Pictures]
Distance: 16.4 Miles
Elevation Changes: 4,035 - 8,836 - 4,035
Half Dome is perhaps Yosemite National Park's most famous landmark. It is a granite dome that rises a shy under 5,000 feet from the valley floor. Half Dome appears as a complete dome that has been cut in half, but it is technically a whole dome; the half that is "missing" is just a steeper side that was, in part, made even steeper by glacial activity. Here is a picture of Half Dome from Little Yosemite Valley, which is about four miles and 2,000 feet up from floor of the Yosemite Valley. This is a view of the south face, which is less steep than the north face.
Half Dome is a favorite climbing site in Yosemite and has an assortment of routes that range in difficulty and duration - most routes take two to three days and involve camping while en route! Thankfully the summit is accessible to day hikers. A series of poles and steel cables have been installed for about a quarter mile up the least steep slope. You can see the route day hikers take in the picture above. We come in from the right side of the picture, moving left, first up the granite slope on the far right, then down into that notch, and finally up the final slope to the top.
We were slated to summit Half Dome during our 2007 bid of the John Muir Trail. Our plan was to hike from the Happy Isles trail head (the start of the JMT) to our Day 1 campsite (about 2.5 miles from the Half Dome summit), setup camp, and then meander up to the top of Half Dome and back. However, by the time we reached our campsite we were so pooped. It was hot out and, this being our first day on the trail, we were not in trail shape. Therefore, we passed on going up to Half Dome, and I'm glad we did because the last mile to the summit of Half Dome is steep and difficult and we would have likely been too tired to make the top anyhow.
In any event, having missed out on Half Dome during our JMT attempt, we were itching to summit the famous Yosemite landmark. In mid-October we learned that the cables were scheduled to come down for the season on October 15th, so we thought it might be fun to drive up to Yosemite and knock out Half Dome while we still had the chance this season. We left on Saturday morning and stayed overnight in the tent cabins at Curry Village. While Half Dome is a popular destination for tourists at Yosemite, it is not an easy destination to reach. From the Valley floor it's 8.2 miles and 4,700 feet up to the top. Needless to say, you need to start early in order to make it up to the top and back down before it gets too late. We started our hike at 5:30 AM and were back in the parking lot by 4:30 PM.
Here's another view of Half Dome that clearly shows both its north and south faces. At this point we've come about 7.5 miles and have maneuvered around to the east side of the dome; the north face is on the right, the south face on the left. All that remains is the hardest half mile of the day: the half mile up the granite slope and then the ascent via the steel cables.
When reading or talking to people about Half Dome, everyone mentions the steel cables. And, sure, that part is hard and can be a bit scary, but you never hear mention of the granite staircase that precedes the cables. And you should, because it is long, steep, and hard. In the picture above, the granite staircase is what leads you up about 80% of the way to the top. The stairs feel (and look) like the go up forever.
Then, as you near the top, you get your first glimpse of the cables and the ant-like figures inching up the side of the dome.
As the following picture shows, the climb is up a pretty steep cliff. Thankfully there are wooden planks to stop and rest at every 10-20 vertical feet, or so.
Going up is tiring, but other than that, it's not so bad. The cliff face is about three feet in front of your nose and it's easy to get good footing on the wooden planks. Of course, that confidence can quickly be lost if you turn around and look back down.
After about 30 minutes of trudging up the side of Half Dome, we reached the summit, which is broad and boasts spectacular views of the valley and other High Sierra scenery.
After spending a little over an hour at the top, we climbed back down, hiked back to our car, and drove back home. Mission accomplished! Hiking to the summit of Half Dome made for a long, hard day, but the scenery atop Half Dome is definitely worth the effort. Plus, it was late enough in the season that the weather was perfect - not too hot, not too cold, although it was a tad chilly in the early morning hours).
If you plan on hiking Half Dome in one day, I would recommend starting
early, no later than, say 7:00 AM. This will save you from the hottest
parts of the day and will ensure that you return to civilization before
sunset. On the way up and back from Half Dome you pass a lot of day hikers - the Half Dome trail is a popular route. On our way up we passed or were passed by hikers who clearly knew what they were doing. They were in good shape and were carrying good equipment and water and food supplies. Later in the day, on our way down, there were still plenty of day hikers heading up, but they were clearly less experienced and more out of shape, and I doubt many made it up to Half Dome, let alone made it back to the trail head before dark.
As I blogged about over several previous blog entires (enumerated below), in August of 2007 my in-laws, a family friend, my wife, and I all tackled the John Muir Trail, a ~220 mile trail stretching from the Happy Isles trail head in Yosemite and to the summit of Mt. Whitney, which, at 14,505 ft., is the highest point in the contiguous United States. We tackled the trail from north to south, starting at Yosemite. Unfortunately, we did not complete the entire length of the JMT; we bailed out about half way through the journey due to some severe blister problems.
Our initial plan was to hike the distance in 23 days, with 21 of those days being hiking days and two of them being rest days (one at Reds Meadow, the other at Vermilion Valley Resort. We ended up spending 14 total days in the wilderness, with 13 hiking days and one rest day (at Reds). We departed from the JMT shortly after Muir Trail Ranch (the half-way point), winding up Piute Creek and exiting at the North Lake trail head.
Even though we didn't meet our goal of completing the JMT, I am glad we made an attempt. Hiking the JMT requires a lot of planning and effort up front, from securing the appropriate permits to determining the necessary supplies and mailing or physically dropping them off at resupply points. Any sort of backpacking trip is physically trying since it involves carrying anywhere from 25-50 pounds on your back, and the trails in the Sierra Nevada are not without a degree of difficulty. The JMT starts at a mere 4,000 ft., but quickly elevates to 9,000 feet and then only drops to 8,000 ft. at a few spots (Reds Meadow, Lake Edison / VVR, and Muir Trail Ranch). 95% of the trail is between 9,000 and 12,000 ft., and three stretches in the southern half of the JMT exceed 13,000 ft. There's a lot of up and down each day, and terrain ranging from soft, yielding dirt to steep granite steps that are hard on the knees.
The hardest part of backpacking, though, is not the physical exhaustion, but just being removed from the creature comforts that we take for granted each day. Going to the bathroom means digging a hole and squatting over it. Dinner means dehydrated meals or trail mix or beef jerky. A shower means a quick dip in a mountain stream or lake sans shampoo or soap where the water temperature is in the 50s. What's surprising to those who've not done a lengthy backpacking trip is the amount of damage your hands receive. They are out in the sun and dirt all day long. They dry out, and crack, causing small nicks and cuts to form, and those sores can quickly develop into infections if you don't take care of them. What I've found works best is to wear lightweight glove liners day-round. You'll still get injuries, because there will be times the glove liners are off and you need to do something with your hands, but they help. When a cut forms, put some antiseptic on it and bandage it up; alternatively, you can encase any developing wounds with climber's tape, which will stay in place and protect against further damage for days.
Despite these hardships, backpacking is a lot of fun and definitely an activity I would encourage all to try. It's nice to get out into the true wilderness, where the nearest road or cell phone or computer or microwave is literally 25 miles or more away. Nothing clears the mind like hard, unceasing physical effort. After a day or two in the wilderness, thoughts about work or stresses from the everyday life are no longer a concern. They have been pushed cleanly from your mind, leaving one's consciousness unpolluted and in a meditative-like state. At night, the stars dance in the sky, and in the day the mountains and trees and meadows and lakes and streams provide an unspoiled scenery too few today get to enjoy.
If you'd care to learn more about our 2007 JMT attempt, you can read about the planning and the various days of our joinery at the following posts:
I'll close with some interesting statistics and links.
- Pictures from all 14 days
- Estimated Total Mileage: 140 miles
- Estimated Total Vertical Ascent: 26,600 ft.
- Estimated Total Vertical Descent: 21,300 ft.
- Highest Elevation: 11,423 ft. - Day 14 (Piute Pass)
- Lowest Elevation: 4,040 ft. - Day 1 (Happy Isles trail head)
- My Starting Weight: 165 lbs.
- My Finishing Weight: 158 lbs.
Since our JMT bid we have yet to take on any new backpacking trips, although we'll likely pick back up in Spring of 2008. We have, however, done two interesting day hikes. In October we drove up to Yosemite and hiked from Happy Isles to the top of Half Dome. Then, in November, we drove to the Grand Canyon and hiked down to the floor of the canyon and back. I'll blog about those trips in future posts...
Day 12 examined our jaunt from Marie Lake to Muir Trail Ranch.
Day 13: Muir Trail Ranch to A Bit Past Hutchinson Meadow [Pictures]
Distance: 11 Miles
Elevation Changes: 8,000 - 11,000
Today was our last day on the official John Muir Trail, a trail we had traveled for over 120 total miles, more than 23,000 total feet of vertical ascent, and over 19,500 feet of total vertical descent. Yet we were still two days from civilization, although the remainder of our trip was trail we had traveled last year in our week-long backpacking trip on the Classic High Sierra Loop. The path we were on today and the next would take us from the depths of Muir Trail Ranch
(about 8,000 feet) over Piute Pass, at 11,400 feet, and down to North
Lake, at 9,350 ft. Needless to say, these last two days were going to be hard.
The first part of the first day was the most exhausting because here the trail follows a sheer ridge line up Piute Creek, with a lot of steep up and down over rocky terrain. The following picture depicts this rocky path. You can see the Piute Creek below, and the rocky, steep ridge we are on. The trail follows along this ridge for about 4.5 miles, some points several hundred feet above the river, and at other times at the river's edge.
Although the trail was tough, it marked a return to the scenery I enjoy best - open skies, surrounded by mountains and rocks.
Today's portion eased up a bit once we reached Hutchinson Meadow. Hutchinson Meadow is a stretch of forest and streams along this trail that are a popular camping site. During normal conditions, the meadow is a haven for mosquitoes. Last year when we hiked through this area the cloud of bugs was so thick that we donned mosquito nets and long sleeves and long pants to reduce the number of bug bites. This year being so dry, however, there wasn't a bug to be seen. Many of the streams that criss-cross the meadow were only crossable with water shoes last year. This year, though, they were either completely dried up, or shallow enough to just walk through leaving our boots on. Here is a view of one such stream in Hutchinson Meadow this year. Note that there's just a trickle of water in the stream bed.
And here's the same stream from last year's trip.
From Hutchinson Meadow, the ascent to Piute Pass is long, but gradual. We knocked out a few more miles, rising above the tree line, before calling it a day.
Day 14: A Bit Past Hutchinson Meadow to North Lake [Pictures]
Distance: 8 Miles
Elevation Changes: 11,000 - 11,400 - 9,350
The last day is usually the easiest. Yes, your body is tired and your feet sore, but your brain knows that soon (soon!) you will be standing in a hot shower, getting cleaned up and ready to go eat high-calorie food at a restaurant. This enables your brain to dampen the soreness and provides sufficient motivation to push at a fast clip than usual.
We woke up and got out of camp around 6:15 AM and made it to Piute Pass by 8:30 AM. After a short break for breakfast, we started our four mile, 2,000 ft. descent to the North Lake trail head. This trail winds down past Piute Lake, the Loch Leven, along the Piute Crags, and down to North Lake. All but the last mile are above the tree line and offer nice views of steep mountainsides and pristine lakes.
As we continued on our way, it became clearer and clearer that we were nearing civilization. We saw a number of day hikers and those doing one or two-nighters. People with dogs, people carrying chairs, people who had clearly shaved and showered recently, who didn't smell. And most of these people we met were blown away when we told them we had started from Yosemite. That we had been thus far walked 138 miles and had just two miles left to our final destination.
We made it down to the North Lake trail head a little after noon, and immediately found a hiker who was heading out of North Lake and was kind enough to drop us off at South Lake to pick up the car. By early afternoon we were all back in Bishop, checked into a hotel, and scrubbing the dirt and grime and sweat that had accumulated over the past 14 days.
UPDATE: Read the hike wrapup.
Day 11 examined our travels from Quail Meadow to Marie Lake.
Day 12: Marie Lake to Muir Trail Ranch [Pictures]
Distance: 8.8 Miles
Elevation Changes: 10,550 - 10,900 - 8,000
Like the Day 10's hike over Silver Pass and down to Quail Meadow, today's hike started with a short uphill to Seldon Pass, and then a long descent to Muir Trail Ranch (MTR). From MTR, we planned on heading up the JMT through Evolution Valley (Day 13), over Muir Pass (Day 14), and to LeConte Canyon (Day 15), at which point my in-laws and the family friend would depart over Bishop Pass and head down to South Lake, where our car was waiting. The plan was for my wife and I to continue another seven days to the summit of Mt. Whitney, the terminus of the John Muir Trail.
That was the plan, at least.
Over the past several days, my wife's blisters had become exceedingly worse, to the point where there were prominent blisters on virtually every toe and on the sides and bottoms of both feet. She was spending more than an hour each night re-bandaging her blisters and was clearly pained with each step of the way, especially in the morning when starting out, or whenever we'd resume from a break. We had talked previously about whether it would make sense to throw in the towel. The trail from MTR to Mt. Whitney is the toughest portion of the JMT, with three passes exceeding 13,000 feet and many days involving a 2,500+ ft. ascent in the morning followed by a 2,500+ ft. descent in the afternoon. The average elevation exceeds 10,000 feet, whereas our average elevation thus far was probably closer to 9,000 ft. And the last third of the trail is the most distant from civilization, requiring two or three full days to of hiking to get to the nearest road. And if that wasn't enough, according to our schedule the last seven days called for an average of near 12 miles per day. Granted, we had knocked out more than 12 miles on Day 6 and Day 8 and lived to tell about it, but the past few days we had put in around 9 miles today and were feeling utterly exhausted.
So we needed to make a decision - bail out of the trail after MTR or try to push on to Whitney? And if we decided to bail out, where would we do that? From MTR it's 4.5 miles west to Florence Lake, which has a resort and road access, but that's on the east side of the Sierra Nevadas and nearly a full day of driving from our car (even though our car was about 25 miles away, as the crow flies). Another option would be to push on to South Lake, as originally planned. Alternatively, we could shortcut to North Lake. North Lake is a lake about 15 miles from South Lake, but the two are connected by road and both are popular hiking and fishing spots, meaning there's often people coming and going in the summer months. While the two lakes are not far by car, they are about six or seven days apart hiking due to a few mountain chains that are in the way. (In fact, we spent a week hiking from North Lake to South Lake in the summer of 2006.) From MTR, one can stay on the JMT for two to three days and then spend another day hiking to South Lake, or they can hike in a slightly different direction for two days and reach North Lake.
Needless to day, we had some big decisions facing us as we started off on our trek this day. As we started, my wife and I discussed our options and decided it would be smart to bail out. This was a hard decision for my wife to come by. She is a very hard working, determined person who likes to finish what she sets her mind to. She spent countless hours over the past year planning and preparing for this trek. But she came to the right decision. How enjoyable can hiking be when you're in constant pain? And at what cost does one incur to finish the JMT? And what if her blisters became so bad that she couldn't continue once we were in the deepest parts of the wilderness, days from the nearest resupply point?
Long story short, we decided to call off our JMT bid and to exit at the North Lake trail head. That didn't impact today's schedule - we still were going over Seldon Pass and down to MTR - but it meant that tomorrow we would depart from the JMT and hike the 20 miles from MTR, over Piute Pass, and down to North Lake.
We had been debating this decision for the past several days, so once the decision was made a weight was lifted from our shoulders. Instead of having another 100 miles to go, we had less than 30. The end was in sight, which raised our spirits. It also meant we could start reflecting on the experience thus far rather than worrying and thinking about what was ahead.
This decision was made as we packed up our campsite and trekked up to Seldon Pass. This stretch, and the first few miles down the other side, provided the best scenery for the day - mountain peaks, lakes, and blue skies. Here is a picture of us approaching Seldon Pass. That's Marie Lake in the background.
A couple of miles south of Seldon Pass is Sally Keyes Lake, where we stopped for breakfast.
After Sally Keyes Lake, the trail starts its steep descent, first through a thick forest and then down the side of a ridge. The views from both stretches were rather nondescript. By late afternoon we reached the bottom of the valley and made our way to Muir Trail Ranch (MTR), which is about a mile off the trail. MTR is a ranch that provides pack animal services and has accommodations and ranch-related activities for guests. Guests usually arrive on horseback from Florence Lake, which is 4.5 miles west of MTR. MTR also serves as a very common resupply point for JMT hikers. MTR is the half-way point of the JMT. For hikers going south to north, it is the first resupply point that is accessible with only a short detour off the trail. For north to south hikers, it is the last easily accessible resupply point.
While MTR is a great place to mail and then pickup your resupply packages, that's pretty much all it's good for. They don't offer any services to non-guests - no trash service, no bathrooms, no food. There is ice cold spring water you can drink, and they have a very simple store with common hiking items, but that's it. However, many hikers send far too much stuff to MTR, and end up leaving a lot of items. Or, they may be carrying too much stuff and drop off excess in an attempt to shed weight. So it's a great place to replace some of your "regular" food with something new.
Speaking of sending too much stuff to MTR, we had shipped 10 days of supplies since we were expecting to continue all the way to Whitney, but now with our exit a mere two days away, we had grossly oversupplied ourselves. We had actually mailed two resupply cannisters to MTR. We ended up mailing one of them back and then took what we needed from the second one and then donated the rest. The following picture shows a couple of JMT hikers pecking through their excess supplies and the available donations.
After getting our supplies in order, we left MTR and headed back to the JMT trail, where we set up camp for the night.
On Day 13 we departed the JMT and started on our premature exit to North Lake. It took us two-days to go the 20 miles from MTR to North Lake. I'll cover these last two days in a future post. Until then...
UPDATE [2007-11-17]: Read about Days 13 and 14.
Day 10 examined our travels from Squaw Lake to Quail Meadow.
Day 11: Quail Meadow to Marie Lake [Pictures]
Distance: 12.5 Miles
Elevation Changes: 7,870 - 9,920 - 8,960 - 10,550
Today's hike started with a 2.5 mile, 2,100 foot climb up Bear Ridge. The trail starts with a gradual ascent through some of the lushest forest regions on the JMT, with many birch trees and lots of cool shade. This was definitely the coolest and wettest portion of the JMT trail we had seen to date. Unfortunately, many of the birch trees have been defaced by hikers who have carved their names into the trunks. There is literally several dozen birch trees along a short stretch that all have very large engravings.
The gradual ascent gives way to a series of long and unrelenting switchbacks. This stretch of trail is under the cover of trees, which helps with the temperature, but obscures the view. Eventually, we crest Bear Ridge and stop for a snack around 9:00 AM. The trail then follows the ridge line for a bit longer before descending nearly 1,000 feet into a valley.
The descent was not easy. It was under the sun during late morning and much of it was on hard rocks, which can be hard on the knees. Thankfully we were rewarded with nice views of the surrounding mountains.
After reaching the floor of the valley, the remainder of the day was a fairly gradual incline of 1,600 feet to 10,550 ft.
Tomorrow's goal was another near 11,000 ft. pass (Seldon Pass) and then a sharp descent to 7,600 ft. to Muir Trail Ranch, a popular resupply point on the JMT. Initially, we had planned on hiking only to Rosemarie Meadow, which is 2.9 miles before Seldon Pass and sits below 10,000 feet. However, upon reaching Rosemarie Meadow we felt energized enough to push on to Marie Lake, another 1.5 miles closer to the pass and 600 feet high (at 10,550). In retrospect, I'm glad we pushed on, as it made Day 12 a tad easier, but I think we all overestimated our energy, as the final climb to Marie Lake from Rosemarie Meadow was very tiring.
When hiking over high elevation passes in the High Sierras, it is important to be over the pass by early afternoon at the latest. The High Sierras frequently get rain and lightning storms in the early afternoon (although we did not experience a single drop of rain our entire JMT trip). Clouds usually start forming around noon, and by 1:00 or 2:00 or 3:00 there's rain and lightning. By late afternoon, everything has (usually) cleared out. These storms can appear quickly and if you attempt to tackle a pass during the early afternoon you may get caught in a potentially dangerous situation. Consequently, in our planning we always tried to end our hikes near a pass so that we could knock them out in the early morning. Not only did this alleviate lightning concerns, but it also made the hike easier, as in the morning it's cooler and you have more energy.
Upon reaching Rosemarie Lake, we pitched our tents, ate dinner, and crashed hard. The scenery was beautiful, but we were all too tired to enjoy it for long. Seldon Pass was visible from our campsite (although it is not shown in the picture below).
Tomorrow's hike took us from Marie Lake, over Seldon Pass, and down, down, down to Muir Trail Ranch. I'll cover that leg of our journey in a future post. Until then!
UPDATE [2007-11-15]: Read about Day 12.
Day 9 examined our trek from the Duck Lake junction to Squaw Lake.
Day 10: Squaw Lake to Quail Meadows [Pictures]Distance: 8.3 Miles
Elevation Changes: 10,200 - 10,895 - 7,870
Today's hike was easier than most, seeing as the sole ascent was a mere 700 feet and would occur first thing in the morning. We "slept in" today, delaying our exit from camp until about 7:00 AM. Prior to starting the JMT, we had planned on ending today's leg at Vermillion Valley Resort (VVR). In fact, we were schedule to take a rest day here, much like we did at Reds Meadow on Day 7. VVR is a popular rest spot and resupply point along the JMT. It has a restaurant and cabins for rent (as well as locations for tents).
What makes VVR unique is the mode by which JMT hikers reach it. VVR is at the west end of Edison Lake, while the JMT runs about a mile east of the east end of the lake. While there is a trail from the JMT circumnavigating Edison Lake, the lake is several miles long. Consequently, the VVR staff operates a ferry from the east end of the lake to the west end, which runs twice a day at 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM.
While we had initially planned on stopping at VVR and enjoying a rest day there, we decided to skip VVR in its entirety for a couple of reasons. First, we were hiking with my in-laws and a family friend, and the family friend needed to be off trail by a certain date that was fast approaching. Second, due to the dry conditions the lake was not as deep as usual, meaning that the ferry could not arrive at its usual location. Usually JMT hikers have to hike one mile off trail to reach the ferry pickup, but now that was extended to two miles. So, for the above reasons, we decided to instead lay up at Quail Meadow, a campsite at the junction of the JMT and the trail to the VVR ferry pickup point.
The first stretch of the day's hike - from Squaw Lake up to Silver Pass - was rather easy and uneventful and offered some great scenery. The picture below shows the view looking westward from our ascent to Silver Pass. The mountains in the distance are the backsides of Mt. Ritter and Mt. Banner, which we passed in front of back in Day 5.
After climbing to Silver Pass, the remainder of the day was a 3,000 foot descent to Quail Meadow. Here is a picture of yours truly atop Silver Pass, surveying the upcoming descent.
The descent to Quail Meadow is more challenging that we initially expected. Granted, going downhill is far easier than going uphill, but a steep downhill can be challenging in its own way. And this was a steep downhill in many places. What makes it challenging is that it is hard to go down a rather steep incline at a controlled speed when you are tired and you are carrying 45 pounds on your back. Thankfully, the majority of the descent provided exceptional mountain scenery, and the vistas helped erase some of the physical pain.
We reached Quail Meadow in the early afternoon and considered pushing on. However, the next leg of the trail is up Bear Ridge, which climbs close to 2,000 feet in a few short miles. Tired from today's incessant descent, we decided to call it a night and utilized the extra time to bathe and do laundry. We also ran into some other JMT hikers who we had leapfrogged a number of times in the past 10 days, including one hiker who used to live in San Diego and was a regular at Cowles Mountain (more of a small hill than a mountain, really; my wife hikes up and down Cowles once or twice a month). In any event, these guys were headed to VVR.
My wife asked if it would be uncouth to ask them to take our trash and dispose of it at VVR. I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask, so I did, and they kindly accepted; the gentleman from San Diego was, in fact, so kind as to share with me a snifter of the top shelf whiskey he had brought along. That is one thing that I really enjoy about backpackers - almost every single backpacker is outgoing and kind and willing to help. If you're resting and say hi to just about any person in the back country (who is obviously there on a long haul), chances are they'll stop and strike up a conversation, sharing with you their trail experiences so far, interesting things they saw or experienced on trail, and a bit about their lives off trail. Compare that attitude to the attitude you usually find amongst day hikers. With day hikers, half of them won't even make eye contact, but the other half will smile and say hi and stop and chat (I like to think this latter half of day hikers are also backpackers).
In any event, after bathing and laundering, we ate dinner and went to bed early, anticipating our tough climb over Bear Ridge tomorrow. I'll detail the trip up Bear Ridge in a future posting. Until then...
UPDATE [2007-11-13]: Read about Day 11.
Day 8 looked at our journey from Reds Meadow to the Duck Lake junction.
Day 9: Duck Lake Junction to Squaw Lake [Pictures]
Distance: 9.5 Miles
Elevation Changes: 10,480 - 9,080 - 10,200
Day 9 started bright and early and with a steep ascent out of our campsite up to the next ridge. We continued along for over two miles, descending gradually to Purple Lake. The scenery today was leaps and bounds over yesterday's. The ridges traversed from the Duck Lake junction to Purple Lake, and from Purple Lake to Lake Virginia, provided ample mountain scenery that we had been unable to enjoy in several days.
While the scenery was eye-catching, it was still of the low alpine variety where there are still plenty of trees and grassy fields, and the mountain peaks are lower and more gentle. Personally, I prefer the desolate fields of granite, the jagged mountain tops, and the quite hum and cool touch of the wind at such elevations. In short, I longed to return to mountain scenery reminiscent of the first half of Day 5. Although the lower alpine scenery is still rather amazing, as the picture above illustrates so vividly.
We stopped for breakfast upon reaching Purple Lake and were there in time for the fish enjoying their breakfast as well. Seeing the schools of tasty looking trout meandering around the surface of the lake, periodically popping up to grab a fly, made me wish all the more that I had a fishing pole. That and the fact that my body had quickly acclimated to high-calorie, greasy food from Reds Meadow, and was now back on a diet of nuts, beef jerky, and dehydrated foodstuff.
After breakfast we continued on our way. From Purple Lake, the trail climb up about 400 feet to another ridge and then follows that for nearly two miles to Lake Virginia, a popular fishing destination for weekenders starting from Reds Meadow. I don't know if Lake Virginia boasts better fishing than Purple Lake, but I imagine that fishermen prefer it over Purple Lake in part because it is more accessible to campsites. Purple Lake is surrounded by fast rising mountainsides and thick forest. Lake Virginia, on the other hand, has many flat rocks and meadows around the water's edge.
Following Lake Virginia, the JMT rises briefly then levels out for about a mile before dropping rapidly into Tully Hole. The trail literally winds down the side of a mountain, taking hikers from over 10,300 feet to below 9,600 feet in a series of switchbacks. The picture below shows the view of Tully Hole from the trail shortly before it begins its dizzying descent.
By the time we reached the floor of Tully Hole our feet and shins were burning - it's amazingly how much hard work is required to go downhill! Still, it beats going uphill. The optimal backpacking topology and conditions is a very slight decline where the trail is composed of a giving dirt, not one that's too dusty, but neither one that's too hard. With such conditions, you just lean a bit forward and let gravity do the rest. For hikers coming from Mt. Whitney to Yosemite, there are a couple of these types of days - from Duck Lake junction to Reds Meadow, and along Lyell Canyon. While there are segments of these optimal stretches for southbound hikers like ourselves, they are far too infrequent.
The worst type of trail topology and conditions is on hard granite going virtually straight up, as such conditions zap the energy and life force out of your body with each step. The trail from Whitney Portal to the summit of Mt. Whitney is a prime example (or so I'm told).
In any event, once we reached Tully Hole we followed the river pictured above downstream for about a mile and then crossed it, found a spot in the shade, and enjoyed lunch and a well-deserved break. At this point we were near 9,000 ft. Looking forward, our next obstacle was Silver Pass at 10,900 feet. We decided to make as much progress as we could, and started our climb.
After a little over two miles we reached Squaw Lake and decided to call it a day (you can see me utterly pooped in the picture below). At 10,300 ft, Squaw Lake was a short climb to the pass and was only 1.2 miles away. Throughout this trip we had always performed our best in the morning hours, so we were confident that we could make it up to the pass and over in record time. And from after Silver Pass, it was all downhill to our Day 10 campsite.
Jisun and I found a secluded spot at Squaw Lake and took a bath as best we could. The water was cold, but we got used to it after a while. The lake's bottom was not very appealing, so we ended up standing on rocks in about two feet of ice cold water and washed ourselves the best we could. It felt good to get some grime and sweat off.
By this time in the trip Jisun's blisters were really becoming an issue. I first noticed how greatly they were impacting here back at Reds Meadow, and the one rest day was, unfortunately, not a long enough rest for the blisters to heal. By this point she was clearly in more pain and was in the most discomfort when starting a hike for the day or after a rest. Her naked feet were a sight to behold - large, protruding blisters emanating from virtually every toe and from the bottoms and sides of her feet. In a word, gross. I was very lucky and did not have a single blister, although my feet were surely sore through much of the days' hikes.
Tomorrow's hike took us over Silver Pass and then dropped us down to Lake Edison. The highest point - Silver Pass - stands at 10,800 ft., while tomorrow's terminus was below 8,000 ft.! Did I say that going downhill is not easy? I'll highlight this portion of the trip in a future entry. Until then...
UPDATE [2007-11-12]: Read about Day 10.
Day 6 and 7 examined our trek from Garnet Lake to Reds Meadow and our stay over there.
Day 8: Reds Meadow Resort to Duck Lake Junction [Pictures]
Distance: 13 Miles
Elevation Changes: 7,580 - 10,480
After a calorie-laden day with no backpacking at all, we were well rested and ready for the next leg of our journey. Rather than start out bright and early, we decided to first enjoy one last civilized meal at the restaurant and slurped up some greasy eggs, bacon, hash browns, and orange juice. Yum!
At 7,580 feet, Reds Meadow is one of the lowest points on the entire JMT. Not surprisingly, the trip out of Reds is a pretty constant uphill. Due to its low elevation, the terrain around Reds Meadow - and most of today's hike - was through tall trees that hid any sort of mountain scenery, making today one of the least scenic ones of the entire voyage. In addition to the lack of scenery, there are few water sources along this portion of the trail. From Reds Meadow it's about 5.5 miles to the first water source. And after that, it's another 6 miles to the next water source, making this one of the driest stretches of the entire JMT.
About a half mile out of Reds there is a stretch of forest that was set ablaze by lightning back in 1992. The forest is still in the process of regrowing, providing some views of the mountains in the distance.
This morning's hike was a bit hindered by some sort of cross country training. There were probably a couple hundred high school students running on this trail toward Reds Meadow. I assume they started at Reds Meadow bright and early, had ran to some way point, and then doubled back, seeing as the nearest road is about 30 miles further along on the JMT, and then another 5 miles off a side trail, and that road is a one-way gravel road at that! In any event, the runners were a little annoying because the trail was not wide enough for two people coming both ways at the same time. Invariably, one of us had to stop, and we usually pulled aside for the runners. But that wasn't too bad; the real annoyance was the dust that these runners kicked up. In short, we were inhaling dust the first mile and change of our hike this day.
We made good progress in the morning, but began slowing down in the afternoon as we tired from the hot and continuous uphill trail. Eventually we broke through the forest cover and were rewarded with some classic Sierra Nevada mountain and valley views. From the picture below you can see our route for the next two days. It's hard to describe without being able to point at the picture, but the JMT winds along the ridges on the left until close to the horizon and then drops down into a deep valley known as Tulley hole. It then traverses a river for a mile and change, and then comes back up the mountains in the distance and over Silver Pass (elevation 10,895).
Around 4:00 PM we reach the Duck Lake Junction, one of the places we had considered setting up camp. Our ideal destination was Purple Lake, another two miles beyond the junction, but one that entailed a steep climb and then a sharp descent. By this point we were pretty pooped and since this junction was the last water source until Purple Lake, we decided to pitch camp here and call it a night.
Today's hike was long and tiring, and whatever energy reserves we had accumulated from our rest day at Reds Meadow were now spent. After pitching our tents, we eat, do some laundry, and are fast asleep by 8:00. Tomorrow's hike took us past two scenic lakes (Purple Lake and Lake Virginia), down into the impressive Tulley Hole, and up to Squaw Lake at the base of Silver Pass. I'll cover this leg of the journey in a future post. Until then...
UPDATE [2007-11-07]: Read about Day 9.
The San Diego wildfires have received national media attention as they have burned hundreds of thousands of acres and thousands of structures over the past few days. The fires have primarily impacted the rural and exurban areas with the more densely populated suburban and urban areas left unaffected. The rural areas are prime locations for devastating forest fires as there are large expanses of open space filled with nothing but dry, highly combustible shrubs, grasses, and bushes. Of course, these open areas really aren't truly open anymore. As Southern California has continued to grow over the last several decades, homes have started to encroach into these areas, making these fires more costly and dangerous.
We live in an part of San Diego known as Pacific Beach, which is an urban coastal neighborhood, so we are safe from the fires. In fact, over the last few days there's been a gentle eastward breeze coming off the ocean, resulting in (fairly) blue skies, very little ash, and only a faint smell of smoke. If you dropped someone in here who was unaware of the fires, they'd likely assume that there was a fire somewhere (due to the smell of smoke), but that it was an isolated wildfire off in the mountains somewhere. While PB and neighboring coastal communities have been spared with this light breeze, areas further north along the coast and further inland are blanketed with ash, smoke, and greenhouse-like temperatures from the blanket of smoke trapping in heat.
I've been following the fire news online, primarily, and the best coverage so far in my opinion goes to KPBS's website. They not only provide information through their own website, but also use Twitter, Flickr, and Google Maps. The latest headlines - updated every few minutes - are available on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kpbsnews. They've setup a group at Flickr to share fire photos, and are making great use of Google Maps with this map showing burn areas, evacuation areas, shelters, and other vital information. The only KPBS coverage shortcoming was that their radio station went offline earlier this morning because their transmission tower was in a mandatory evacuation zone. A local music station (94.9 FM) kindly "signed off" and let KPBS broadcast on their station throughout the day.
I'll close with this video of San Diego News 8's Larry Himmel, reporting on his destroyed home. Bummer.
Day 5 examined our trek from Upper Lyell Canyon to Garnet Lake.
Day 6: Garnet Lake to Reds Meadow Resort [Pictures]
Distance: 13.6 Miles
Elevation Changes: 9,650 - 8,800 - 9,600 - 7,580
Today is scheduled to be a loooong day. We need to hike from our cliff-side campground near Garnet Lake to Reds Meadow, nearly 14 miles away. And while most of the trek is downhill, there are a few steep inclines: a short one to start the morning; another one after Shadow Lake; and then another, shorter one, later in the day. Here's a picture of Garnet Lake and Mt. Banner from the base of our campsite, with the morning sun illuminating the mountain tops. The mountain in the background here is the same one in the picture of 1,000 Island Lake from the Day 5 entry.
To maximize our chances for success, we woke up very early and we on the trail by 6:00 AM. We started ahead of the in-laws and made our way up the steep mountain side up to a pass, where we waited for the rest of our party. Upon their arrival, we made our way down the other side of the pass. The remainder of the morning was a descent to Shadow Lake, at 8,800 ft. On the way down to Shadow Lake we were rewarded with many great glimpses of the Minarets, a series of spiky granite pinnacles that are well-known to mountain climbing enthusiasts.
We reached Shadow Lake around 9:00 AM and stopped for breakfast at the side of the lake. There are a few good rest spots about 10 yards off of the trail that are flat, in the shade, and are buffeted by the lake. We rested, knowing that the most challenging ascent was just a few hundred yards away. After departing Shadow Lake, the trail climbs 800 ft. over 2.5 miles, but most of that incline is in the first mile or so. It's a series of switchbacks up the side of the mountain.
It's easy to get discouraged when facing a long series of switchbacks. It's hard, slow, painful progress. But what's far worse than the physical challenge is the knowledge that switchbacks like the one near Shadow Lake are some of the easiest sets of switchbacks on the entire JMT. The second half of the JMT, which winds through Kings Canyon National Park, has several days that involve, say, a 2,500 ft. ascent in the morning and a 3,000 ft. descent in the afternoon, which, as you can imagine, is dominated by switchbacks. What's more, the average elevation in Kings Canyon is over 10,000 ft.
After the switchbacks there's a tarn that you circumvent (shown below), followed by another incline, although this final incline is far less severe and much shorter than the Shadow Lake climb.
After that climb, there's one more tarn, and then a semi-gradual 2,000 ft. descent to Reds Meadow, our stopping place for the day. The scenery during this descent is rather disappointing as the trail is below tree cover the entire way, and the infrequent mountain vistas are rather ho-hum. The descent leads to the Devil's Postpile National Monument, which is a stretch of reserved land that contains the Devil's Postpile. The postpile is a series of basalt lava columns that were caused by volcanic activities and then exposed via glacial movement. The JMT doesn't pass through the monument, but many people who stop at Reds make a side trip if they haven't been there before.
Our plans were to stay at Reds Meadow for two nights, making Day 7 a rest day. We arrived at Reds Meadow Resort at about 3:00 in the afternoon and, like all JMT hikers, make our first stop the general store, where we get some soda and ice cream. Yum. We inquire about vacancies at the resort, but there are none, so we walk the quarter mile to the campground, secure a site for two nights, pitch our tent, and then walk back to the restaurant (which is right across from the general store) and have a warm, greasy dinner of patty melts and hamburgers.
Red Meadows Resort serves as a resupply point. They allow JMT hikers to mail their supplies in advance (for a fee), and you can pick them up whence you arrive. Jisun was smart enough to not only include essential supplies, but also to send some treats like candy, soap, and shampoo. Why soap and shampoo? In addition to the general store and restaurant, Reds Meadow has a series of natural hot showers. The campsite sits near a natural hot springs. Back in the early part of the 20th century they built a bath house with eight (or so) different stalls and bathtubs, and piped water directly from the spring. We all each enjoyed a shower before retiring for the night. I didn't mind the shower, but they are not built for comfort and are certainly not up to the standards of sanity we routinely enjoy at home. First off, the structure was build probably 80 years ago and I don't think it's been updated since. There is no electricity in the structure, so no lights. If you want to bathe after dark, bring a flashlight or headlamp. There's no temperature or pressure control, either. Sometimes the water comes out at a trickle, at other times it's a steady stream. Sometimes it's scalding hot, other times it just hot, but not to the point of inducing pain. I didn't much mind the conditions. I was happy to stand under warm (hot!) water and use shampoo and soap to get the grime and dirt out from my hair and skin.
With our bodies clean and our bellies full, and the knowledge that tomorrow we would enjoy more general store and restaurant food, we slept wonderfully and didn't rise until 7:00 AM the next morn.
Day 7: Reds Meadow Resort and Devil's Postpile National Monument [Pictures]
Distance: None!!
Elevation Changes: None!!
Rest days are a great way to rest and revive. It's amazing how much just 24 hours of rest will boost your energy levels, spirit, and morale. I started off this morning by taking another hot shower and it was a much more positive experience than last night. The campground attendant had just finished cleaning the showers and the water pressure and temperature were perfect. Shortly after my shower, we all headed over to the restaurant for some breakfast - a heap of eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, and the like, washed down with milk and coffee and orange juice. Following breakfast, we used the public laundry machines to wash our clothe and socks, and then the in-laws took the shuttle to Mammoth, a ski resort town about 15 miles east of the campground. In Mammoth they bought assorted hiking supplies that we either had forgotten or had damaged. I had them pick up some new water shoes for me (Cros, which worked out wonderfully) as well as a new pair of glove liners as mine had dime-sized holes on each finger.
While the in-laws were in Mammoth, Jisun and I walked to Devil's Postpile, which was about a third of a mile over fairly level ground. Jisun had visited Devil's Postpile as a youngster, but this was my first time. The postpile is relatively small - maybe 250 feet across and 150 feet high, small potatoes compared to the mountain scenery over the past six days. But the postpile was uniquely interesting. As the picture below shows, the postpile is made up of a series of basalt lava columns. Many have shattered due to past earthquakes and lie in a pile at the base of the monument. (The lighting for this picture was less than ideal. The picture below was taken a little before noon, and the postpile faces due west. I imagine the best time to take a picture here would be around 3:30 in the afternoon.)
There's a short path that leads to the top of the postpile where you can see the tops of the columns.
After touring Devil's Postpile, we walked back to the campsite and rested some more. I brewed some pine needle tea using the sun. Just fill up a Nalgene with water, fill it to the brim with pine needle trimmings, add sugar, and then set the Nalgene out in the direct sunlight. Three or four hours later, remove the pine needles and drink at your leisure. (I had also made this simple tea earlier on the trip by boiling water and then seeping with pine needles.)
Later than night we enjoyed dinner at the restaurant yet again, as well as some fresh fruit that the in-laws had purchased while in Mammoth. I took another shower that night before heading into bed.
The following day started with another fine breakfast at the restaurant before heading off toward Duck Lake. I'll cover Day 8 in a future post. Until then...
UPDATE [2007-11-01]: Read about Day 8.
Day 4 covered our trip from Tuolumne Meadows to Upper Lyell Canyon.
Day 5: Upper Lyell Canyon to Garnet Lake [Pictures]
Distance: 11.9 Miles
Elevation Changes: 9,600 - 11,056 - 9,580 - 10,200 - 9,650
We initially planned to hike from Upper Lyell Canyon to 1,000 Island Lake today for a total of 9.3 miles. The impetus for a shorter day today was due to the fact that today's hike would prove to be difficult, as it started with a 2.5 mile, 1,500 foot ascent over Donahue Pass, followed by a rapid descent back down to ~9,600 and then up another pass to 10,200 (Island Pass) before descending gradually to 1,000 Island Lake (at 9,800 ft). However, we needed to get to Reds Meadow by the following day, which is almost 16 miles from 1,000 Island Lake! Seeing as we were becoming exhausted hiking 11 miles, the prospect of hiking 16 miles in one day seemed daunting. Consequently, we decided to try to push on to Garnet Lake today, which is about 2.6 miles past 1,000 Island Lake, thereby cutting the miles tomorrow to about 13.5.
Both 1,000 Island Lake and Garnet Lake are tremendously scenic venues - large lakes enveloped within high mountain peaks, with many small islands dotting the lake surface - but both make less than ideal camping spots for the long distance backpacker. For starters, the Forest Service has prohibited camping in much of the area around the lake. At 1,000 Island Lake you need to hike about a half mile off trail to reach the campspots, and the really scenic ones are even further back and uphill! Moreover, the lake is a popular campsite since it is accessible from Reds Meadow Resort. It's a frequently-used campground, and travelers coming north on the trail warned us that there was a lot of refuse and toilet paper blowing around the campsite. Over at Garnet Lake there is only one legal campsite large enough to hold more than one tent, so if your party reaches Garnet Lake and that site is taken, you're hard pressed to find another (legal) site nearby. We were aware of this because my in-laws had hiked from Reds Meadow to 1,000 Island Lake this summer to help prepare for the JMT trip.
Despite the potential pitfall of the lone camping site at Garnet Lake being taken, we decided in the morning to try our best to push on to Garnet Lake.
The hike from Upper Lyell Canyon starts with a serious climb to Donahue Pass, the first 11,000+ pass on the JMT (when traveling from Yosemite), and the only 11,000+ ft. pass in the first half of the trail. (There are four 11,000+ ft. passes in the southern half of the JMT.) Getting above 10,000 feet is where the Sierra Nevada starts to shine. There are giant slabs of granite, steep mountain sides, streams, and boulders. There are far fewer hikers and much less wildlife. Oftentimes the only sound you hear is the crunching of rocks underneath your feet. And, being above the tree line, there's nothing obstructing your view. Just mountain peaks, rock, and snow all around. The following picture shows us rising above the tree line on our way up to Donahue Pass.
As we progressed higher, we were rewarded with stunning vistas of Lyell Canyon and the surrounding mountains. The small green splotch in the middle of this picture is Lyell Canyon, the stretch we hiked through yesterday; the blue line is Lyell River, winding through the canyon. It's amazing how far and high we had come in such a short time.
We reached the top of Donahue Pass at about 8:45 AM and were greeted with another great mountainous view: a cascade of boulders down the mountain side and an impressive view of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain continuing down the horizon. We stopped for about a half hour here, resting and cooking breakfast.
When resting it's important to do it right, to really rest. That means taking your backpack, boots, and socks off. That means setting your socks out on a sun-drenched rock to dry. That means sitting (or lying) down and resting. Taking my shoes and socks off is something that I sometimes have to force myself to do. If it's early in the day, my feet aren't sore or that sweaty. And taking off the shoes is a time consuming process, and you have to put them back on, and while they're off it's not as convenient to get around, and so on. But despite the excuses, I found it invaluable to always force myself to take off the boots and socks.
Of course, removing your boots and socks leaves you bare footed. To account for this, most backpackers bring some sort of "water shoe," which is used when removing one's boots. Common water shoes are Tevas and Crocs. Taking off your boots is useful when resting, at night after you've setup camp, and when crossing streams that are deeper than the height of your boot. Prior to our seven-day Sierra Nevada hike in 2006 I had purchased a pair of water shoes from REI that were a poor choice. They were tight on my feet and uncomfortable, and I learned this during our seven-day excursion. I should have picked out a new pair before our JMT trip, but I foolishly did not. My water shoes were so uncomfortable that I resigned myself to either going around barefoot or leaving my boots on when resting, when in camp, and so on. Since this year was so dry, there was not a concern regarding water crossings. In fact, when we reached Tuolumne Meadows, I actually disposed of my water shoes. (Fortunately, I did end up procuring a great pair of water shoes later on in the trip, but that story will have to wait until Day 7...)
Long story short, part of the reason I didn't like removing my boots and socks was because then I was barefooted, which greatly limited my motion and maneuverability. Yet I still often forced myself to remove my boots and socks and, in the end, was glad that I did. "Letting the dogs out," as some hikers say, is essential to reducing blisters and prolonging how long you can go before your feet get so sore as to force you to stop.
After dining atop Donahue Pass, we started our descent. We traveled for several more hours and back down to the 9,600 foot range before stopping for lunch at the Rush Creek campsite. We then resumed our uphill march to Island Pass. After Island Pass, there's a 1.5 mile, gradual decline to 1,000 Island Lake. 1,000 Island Lake (and Garnet Lake, to a lesser extent) is probably one of the most scenic spots on the northern half of the JMT. It's a large lake with several small islands. At its south end stands the impressive Mt. Banner.
We reached the shores of 1,000 Island Lake at 4:15 and had a small break. We contemplated stopping at 1,000 Island Lake as we were all very pooped, but decided we needed to push on. From 1,000 Island Lake it is another 2.7 miles to Garnet Lake, which includes a small elevation gain of about 100 feet and then a descent of about 250 feet. We arrived at the shores of Garnet Lake a little after 6:00 and, as luck would have it, another party had already taken the single large campsite area. My father-in-law approached them to see if they would be amenable to sharing the site with us, but they were a little icy and seemed to want the spot to themselves. It was probably for the best as they appeared to be weekenders - they had camp chairs, fresh food, and liquor - and likely wanted to stay up past sundown and not get up until 7:00 or 8:00 AM. We, on the other hand, were beat and were ready for bed now and would likely rise at 4:30 or 5:00 AM.
In any event, we continued on to the other side of the lake and found a spot up on the steep hillside. It wasn't really an ideal spot (and later that night, after having setup camp, we saw a small sign noting that camping was prohibited in this area), but it made due. After pitching our tents, we were so tired that we all skipped dinner and were all asleep by 8:00 PM.
Today's hike was hard and long and at the end we were utterly exhausted. Tomorrow's trek would actually be about two miles longer than today's, but was easier because it was mostly downhill and ended at Reds Meadow Resort, which had amenities including hot showers, flush toilets, a general store with beer and soda and candy, and a restaurant with hot food! I'll cover Day 6 in a future post. Until then!
UPDATE [2007-10-22]: Read about Days 6 and 7.
Day 3 detailed our journey from Sunrise High Sierra Camp to Tuolumne Meadows.
Day 4: Tuolumne Meadows to Upper Lyell Canyon [Pictures]
Distance: 11 Miles
Elevation Changes: 8,700 - 9,600
We started today well rested having slept in cots with clean clothes on our back and warm, greasy, calorie-rich food in our bellies from yesterday. Moreover, we knew today was going to be an easy day, possible the easiest on the entire trail. The stretch from Tuolumne Meadows to Upper Lyell Canyon is a long, gently uphill trek through some of the most scenic meadows and mountains in the first half of the JMT. Due to our comfort and easy upcoming schedule, we got a bit of a late start, hitting the trail at 6:45 AM.
The hike started with about an hour's hike through a forested area from Tuolumne Meadow to the north end of Lyell Canyon. Lyell Canyon is a long, narrow canyon that stretches about eight miles. It was formed by the Lyell River. The JMT, more or less, follows the banks of the river. There are times when the trail and river separate and are out of view for a short distance, but most of the time the river was 10-30 feet away. It is an especially scenic river: placid in some parts and rapid in others. The following picture is a good representation of Lyell River's more calm sections. Here, too, you can see the shape of the canyon and how the river originates from the rising mountains in the distance.
Lyell River is a popular fishing spot and is readily accessible seeing as it's a few easy miles from Tuolumne Meadows. We saw many trout swimming through the cool waters as we hiked by. However, we didn't see a single person fishing in the river. In fact, we saw fewer people today than in any of the first three days. It was oddly quiet (by Yosemite standards) for some reason.
After about two and a half hours of hiking, we stopped for breakfast alongside the banks of the river. Certain portions of the river have granite banks, offering an ideal spot to sit and cook. Other areas (like in the picture above) are grassy and muddy and are less inviting. We found a great spot for breakfast and enjoyed a hot meal and a short rest.
The Lyell Canyon stretch is easy, but long. It's up a very gradual incline, making it easy walking. However, the path is oftentimes out in the open, directly under the hot sun. And the canyon keeps going and going and going. Eventually, the mountains at the end of the canyon get closer and start looming, signally the end of the gradual incline.
After getting spoiled with a moderate incline throughout the bulk of the day, today's trek ended with a rather steep incline in the last mile and a half, starting our journey into the mountains. The following picture, taken near the crest of today's ascent, offers a good view of the canyon and the winding river below.
We stopped at the Upper Lyell Canyon campground, exhausted. We contemplated pushing on another mile or so, since it was still pretty early at this time (around 3:30 PM) and we had initially hoped to go further, but most everyone was pretty beat and we decided to call it a day. The campground was particularly inviting. It was large enough to house our three tents; the ground was flat and spacious; there was a campfire ring in the center of the campground; and there was a fast flowing river about 25 yards from our tent.
We settled into our tents around 7:30 PM and were out cold by 8:00. While today's hike wasn't especially difficult, we knew we had a hard day in store for us tomorrow, which would start with a two and a half mile climb from our current elevation (9,600 ft.) over Donahue Pass, which stands at over 11,000 ft.
Today's hike was the most scenic of the trip, although because of the dry season, the views we saw were less than stellar. The brown grass, low flowing river, and reduced snow on the distant peaks diminished the scenery, which is unfortunate because this is supposedly one of the most scenic stretches of the north half of the JMT. Despite the dry conditions, the scenery was still enjoyable. Tomorrow's scenery, however, gave us our first real foray into the mountains, and I, personally, prefer mountain scenery over meadow scenery. Not surprisingly, I found tomorrow's scenery even more beautiful than today's.... but the details of Day 5 will have to wait until later!
UPDATE [2007-10-17]: Read about Day 5.
Day 2 detailed our trek from Half Dome to Sunrise High Sierra Camp.
Day 3: Sunrise High Sierra Camp to Tuolumne Meadows [Pictures]
Distance: 8.6 Miles
Elevation Changes: 9,320 - 9,700 - 8,700
As with yesterday's hike, we started today's hike early, waking at 5:00 AM and getting on the trail by 6:20 AM. The Sunrise High Sierra Camp sold a hearty breakfast, which was tempting, but wasn't served until 7:00 AM, so we decided to pass. It was a wise decision because today's hike ended at a developed area, Tuolumne Meadows, where many of the amenities closed in the late afternoon or early evening.
From Sunrise, the trail started with a gradual elevation to Columbia Finger, which was visible from Day 2's hike (it's the far left peak in this picture). Most of the hike to Columbia Finger was through meadows on a gradually increasing trail. There were a few stretches near the Finger which had some steeper switchbacks, but nothing too taxing. After circumnavigating Columbia Finger, we descended to Cathedral Pass, which is a broad stretch of land between a rather nondescript peak on the left and the more stunning Cathedral Peak on the right. Cathedral Peak is named as such because it has several vertical spires along its double-peak that resemble the spires in Gothic churches.
North of the pass are two lakes: first Upper Cathedral Lake, where we stopped for breakfast and a short break, and then, further on, Lower Cathedral Lake. Once past these lakes, the trail descends for the next five miles or so down to Tuolumne Meadows. Usually Tuolumne Meadows is a very scenic spot with bubbling creeks, lush greenery, and wildflowers, but this year is was dry and brown. This area is the most developed site outside of the Yosemite Valley. Tuolumne Meadows includes a visitor center, a post office, a general store, a backpacker store with assorted hiking supplies, and a grill with hamburgers, fries, soda, and ice cream. There's running water and flush toilets in the public bathrooms as well as a developed tent cabin campsite with showers. In wetter seasons, the campsite allows backpackers to use the showers for a nominal charge, but this season the showers were only available to guests.
And if Tuolumne Meadows' amenities aren't sufficient, there's a free shuttle service from Tuolumne Meadows to (and from) Yosemite Valley, which is where we started our trip. So it is possible for one to spend three days hiking from Yosemite Valley to Tuolumne Meadows, and then to then take the shuttle back to Yosemite Valley to do laundry, have dinner, and run any other errands. Once the errands have been completed, they can jump back on the shuttle, return to Tuolumne Meadows, and resume their hike in the morning.
Some hikers start the JMT at Tuolumne Meadows, which has two main advantages: first, since it's not as popular as a starting spot as the Happy Isles trailhead in Yosemite Valley, it's much easier to get a permit; second, starting at Tuolumne Meadows shaves three days (or two, if you're faster) off the total trip length and saves you from the tough climb out of the valley. But starting the JMT at Tuolumne Meadows automatically puts an asterisk next to the accomplishment because you really didn't do the entire JMT. Such asterisks may be overlooked if you have a good excuse: one hiker we met on the trail who started a day after us was scheduled to start at Happy Isles, but there was a fire the day after we left, and they closed the trailhead, so he had to start at Tuolumne Meadows. (And this was the first thing he mentioned when he told anyone he started at Tuolumne. 
)
We reached Tuolumne Meadows around 2:30 PM and headed first to the Visitor's Center to determine where the back