Our 2007 John Muir Trail Attempt (Days 6 and 7)
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.