Mt Whitney Zone Forums Trip Reports JMT Pre-Trip Report

He crossed Muir Pass around noon today. That is where the round Muir Pass Hut is found -- has a cone-shaped granite roof. He could be having thunderstorms up there today, so the hut would have provided welcome shelter.


Some geek on Muir Pass hut, from 2008

Definitely no snow on Muir Pass like that this August 7.

Guess Salty does not have a sat phone link to beam us some live pictures.

My picture was from 6/24/08. Much earlier in the summer, and I think it was a normal snow winter.

I imagine Salty is experiencing all the fury of the Sierra tonight. He's camped at a marked "campsite" on older topo maps, just a quarter mile west of Big Pete Meadow.

I sure hope he has decent rain gear and a good tent. This afternoon, we had 108 F here in Fresno, and then a storm dumped what might be half an inch of rain. (Price of raisins will sure go up now, since much of the crop was lying out on trays in the fields.) Lots of thunder and lightning. The storm center tracked northward through the middle of the Central Valley. Up in the Sierra, radar showed lots of rainfall, too.

Here's the Doppler Radar map showing the Sierra from The Weather Channel. Rainfall seems to have stopped as I write this.

Saltydog stopped before 2 PM yesterday, on the trail above Palisade Lake. The Sierra had a huge set of thunderheads hovering yesterday, so I am thinking he stopped to pitch camp and try to stay dry.

Here's his Spot map from this morning:


Today, and for the next 4 days, the weather for the area is sunny. So maybe he'll be able to cruise along for a while.

I am remembering when I crossed the pass where he is now: It was earlier (June), and the S side had icy spots covering the trail. So we had to shortcut the switchbacks, and just go straight downslope to avoid the icy places. We headed off the JMT half a mile or so, and I got up early the next morning and bagged Split Mountain. Fun times!

We never met him on our trip - passed him somewhere on our alternate route in the north, and then power hiked south to get through before the weather came in. When I saw the big cirrus clouds at Forester Pass, I knew we weren't going back north as originally planned. We lucked out with the weather window and had probably the best weather I've had in 25 years of hiking up there. Cool, breezy, dry, no bugs. All those who were up there since Sunday when we hiked out got to experience what those cirrus clouds were telling me.

Not a great location to pitch a tent there on Mather, but better than right on the pass (where there is one small site just north of the crest)

It is curious how the most inhospitable waste can be made homely by the addition of a few tents.
Frank Smythe, Kamet Conquered, in
Frank Smythe. The Six Alpine/Himalayan Climbing Books, page 422

pretty sparse there on north side of Mather, but what a glorious scene to behold on the other side - the Upper Basin, one of my favorite areas. Lots of flat area to camp - hope he got there ok.

Salty's SPOT shows he cleared Pinchot Pass this morning, and now he's on a long 5-mile descent, dropping 3600' elevation, to the Woods Creek bridge.

Pinchot is at 12,100', Woods Creek crossing is 8500'.

Here's a photographer's view of the bridge:   aka the "Golden Gate of the John Muir Trail".




Here's my video crossing, from 6/29/08
______________

The descent to Woods Creek is the stretch of JMT I most can do without. Hate every step below the Sawmill Pass junction.

Beautiful. Thank you for sharing. I suppose there's less water this year than in 08.

water is flowing everywhere, but not deep. I was surprised to find some of the smaller streams still flowing last week, when in other not so dry years many were totally dry this time of year.

My favorite side stream with clean water was still going, deep down in hot Fish Valley:



At least last week, I would say 90% of the water you cross on a JMT hike was still flowing. It was just a lot lower in most places. Only at Evolution you have to take your shoes off to get across.

Lakes are lower than usual too if the topography allows them to drain below their normal level. Places like Wanda Lake are 100% full, though



Swampy areas on the other hand, like Jackson Meadow along Minnow Creek across from Cascade Valley was near dry this August - I had to look hard and long to find any flowing water to filter something too cook our supper. You just don't want to use this stuff for your Beef Stroganoff:

Wardrobe Malfunction!

Salty's Spot has failed. His last signal came out at 11 AM, and nothing since. Unfortunately that has left us all wondering ...and some worrying.

However, I am sure he's ok -- he's on a heavily traveled trail, probably seeing other hikers every few hours. I cannot imagine any other issue other than his Spot (or the satellite receiving system) just plain failing.

This will be interesting when he finally walks out and tells us what occurred.

I do know that Richard P had a similar failure, where his Spot just quit. I think the Spot people replaced his.

Thanks for sharing. It's a whole other world outside that I never new about and I am in LOVE now!

Thanks, Fishmonger! Good insight on water supply. Pictures are so inviting. I can almost taste water from the stream.

It's gotta be tough for family sitting and waiting to hear from Saltydog, when his Spot was working so well before.

I expect he made it to Rae Lakes today, maybe over Glenn Pass. Here's my shot from '08 of Rae Lakes:

My spot went kaput on me on Friday (and yesterday) as well. I wonder if something was up with with their satellite system? I was able to get a test message through last night once I was home, but nothing went through while I was out hiking. (I was hiking Whitney, so similar general vicinity give or take a few dozen miles)

Holy kamoly! You're right! His Spot just sent another signal 2 hours ago, from Glenn Pass.

...and I notice it is a "CheckIn" signal, not a "Track". I wonder what the problem is.


Think I'll give my own a try now.

Just called SPOT customer service. Recording says they are closed until Monday. ...appears they can't afford to stay open on weekends. Not good.

Edit: I called my Inyo N.F. contacts at the Wilderness Permit number, since they were discussing the possibility of their trail rangers carrying Spots this summer, to see if they were getting any signals. I didn't get any confirmation on that, but they did say someone called in to report no Spot signal from another hiker on the trail. FindmeSpot is definitely having problems.

Hi.. I did not get a spot report from Desiree yesterday(I get 2 a day) she is also doing the JMT and at 2:50p today she and her friend were at Rae Lakes and doing fine..

mark

todays report


noreply@findmespot.com


spot
Latitude:36.81073
Longitude:-118.39960
GPS location Date/Time:08/25/2013 14:50:28 PDT

Message:Everything is OK. Life is good! We're hiking right along.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/DZhyR/36.81073N/118.39960W

If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=36.81073,-118.39960&ll=36.81073,-118.39960&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

spot

You have received this message because spot has added you to their SPOT contact list.

Ready for Adventure
FindMeSPOT.com

Just checked on Salty's progress, and he just made the Whitney Summit, 8:25 AM! Way to go Saltydog!!!

The webcam shows an outstandingly clear blue sky. That's a great way to finish the JMT!

Doug at the Portal Store reported "rain all day yesterday and late last night." I hope Saltydog had a dry day on the other side.

Congratulations

Now no need for wagga to post on the Chat Room
"Where in the World is Salty? "

His last Spot signal came out from the North Fork Lone Pine Creek. Spot signals don't make it out very well from Whitney Portal due to the high ridges, so I think that is the last signal we will see.

Congratulations on completing the JMT, Saltydog! It will be fun reading your trip report.