How do you describe a 230 mile stretch of wilderness? Some have said that the John Muir Trail is the singularly most scenic trail in the United States. It has been argued by many that the JMT is not only the most scenic, but also one of the most rugged and remote trails, too. Stretching from the top of Mt. Whitney at 14,500 feet, all the way to Yosemite Valley, the John Muir Trail crosses every possible terrain type and eco-system. From blazingly hot deserts to frigid glacier-fed streams and rivers, the JMT has it all. Forests cover the trail in many regions, only to open up to the tree-less moonscapes found above timberline. Lakes turn into marshes, which then become meadows, all of which are filled with a vibrant collection of wild flowers, plants, insects, and wildlife. The weather changes constantly, going from a brilliantly bright sky with white, floating clouds to a dangerous, dark, forbidding twilight scene with threatening winds, rain, and sleet while lightning flashes through the sky. From the airy high altitude vantages, you can feel the thunder rumble over the mountain passes. Climbing high above the valleys, you are treated to other-worldly vistas that only the high altitude alpine climber can truly understand or appreciate. The high country of the Sierra Nevada is a place of infinite beauty, abject danger, and truly wild country. It cannot accurately be described: it must be experienced. With that in mind, here is a small sampling of what I saw, felt, and experienced in July/August of 2008, on a 31 day trek along the John Muir Trail.
It all started on a rainy summer day. My team of 4 people went to Lone Pine California to pick up our hiking permits, only to find out that the road to Mt. Whitney had been closed due to the extremely hard and unusual rain storms that had passed through the night before. Our only option if we wanted to keep to our “schedule” was to enter the wilderness 25 miles to the south of our original starting point or we could wait it for a couple of days to see if the road could be repaired. We opted to “go in.” So, on the morning of July 14, 2008, Jim McCrain, Jerry Beattie, Marnos Klimpel, and Scott Williams started hiking north from Horseshoe Meadows. Three days later, we would finally reach our goal by intersecting the John Muir Trail just to the west of Mt. Whitney, at a place named Crabtree Meadows. The weather still would not permit a safe climb of Whitney, so we just continued north.
Climbing into the thin air of the High Sierra, we would spend the next several weeks living above 10-11,000 feet. In fact, our average elevation for the next several days would be well over 12,000 feet! Some of the passes we would cross stand above 12,500 feet, with a few of them above 13,000 feet. Days of hiking would consist of traveling 8-10 miles, crossing streams, rivers, and meadows, then descending steeply into deep valleys, only to climb abruptly to a high pass. Another sharp descent would take us “safely” down to the days camp site. This process would be repeated every day, for the next month.
possible terrain type and eco-system. From blazingly hot deserts to frigid glacier-fed streams and rivers, the JMT has it all. Forests cover the trail in many regions, only to open up to the tree-less moonscapes found above timberline. Lakes turn into marshes, which then become meadows, all of which are filled with a vibrant collection of wild flowers, plants, insects, and wildlife. The weather changes constantly, going from a brilliantly bright sky with white, floating clouds 
to a dangerous, dark, forbidding twilight scene with threatening winds, rain, and sleet while lightning flashes through the sky. From the airy high altitude vantages, you can feel the thunder rumble over the mountain passes. Climbing high above the valleys, you are treated to other-worldly vistas that only the high altitude alpine climber can truly understand or appreciate. The high country of the Sierra Nevada is a place of infinite beauty, abject danger, and truly wild country. It cannot accurately be described: it must be experienced. With that in mind, here is a small sampling of what I saw, felt, and experienced in July/August of 2008, on a 31 day trek along the John Muir Trail.
in.” So, on the morning of July 14, 2008, Jim McCrain, Jerry Beattie, Marnos Klimpel, and Scott Williams started hiking north from Horseshoe Meadows. Three days later, we would finally reach our goal by intersecting the John Muir Trail just to the west of Mt. Whitney, at a place named Crabtree Meadows. The weather still would not permit a safe climb of Whitney, so we just continued north.
Climbing into the thin air of the High Sierra, we would spend the next several weeks living above 10-11,000 feet. In fact, our average elevation for the next several days would be well over 12,000 feet! Some of the passes we would cross stand above 12,500 feet, with a few of them above 13,000 feet. Days of hiking would consist of traveling 8-10 miles, crossing streams, rivers, and meadows, then descending steeply into deep valleys, only to climb abruptly to a high pass. Another sharp descent would take us “safely” down to the days camp site. This process would be repeated every day, for the next month.