Peter.....
The pictures are from my day hike from the junction of the JMT and Center Basin Basin Trail to Junction Pass and back down. The picture from Forester Pass looking East was only as a reference point to show a different angle of the pass/route. I had camped at the junction of JMT and Center Basin trail. The day hike took about around 6.5 hours.
On 2 different occasions, I have hiked over Junction Pass down to the Shepherd Pass trail and then up over Shepherd Pass.
On the first occasion, after Shepherd Pass, I then proceeded up and over Rockwell Pass, dropping down to Wright Lakes. I then tried to locate a route to Wallace lake. That failed but I was still able to locate the Wallace Lake trail and headed down to the JMT at the Wallace Creek crossing. At a later date, I hiked to Wallace and camped, visiting Wales Lake, etc.
The second time, I left my campsite at the lake (see pic) and went over Shepherd Pass, ending at Tyndall Creek the same day. It was a long day but enjoyable.
There is no sign indicating the start of the Center Basin Trail. The actual point where it leaves the JMT is mildly visible. The actual point is next to the use trail that leaves the JMT and drops down to the campsite where the bear box is located. When you come to that point, just look to your left....there might be a few rocks there to indicate the start of the trail.
On many occasions, I just hike straight up from the Center Basin campsite, and meet one of several switchbacks just above the JMT.
I have a 1934 hard copy of the "Guide to the John Muir Trail" by Starr and he list the mileage from Center Basin to Forester Pass as 3.5 miles. From Forester to Tyndall, it's 5 miles for a total of 8.5 miles.
The book alludes to the distance from Junction Pass to Center Basin as 3 miles. I couldn't find the distance from Junction Pass to Upper Pothole, but estimate it as 2 miles or so. I believe that from Upper pothole to Shepherd Pass is 1.5 miles. And the distance from Shepherd Pass to Tyndall Creek is 5 miles. Totaling around 12 miles in by passing Forester. Hopefully, someone with more access to mileage will chime in.
paul
