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Muir Trail in August
#33738 10/11/13 12:37 PM
Joined: Jan 2010
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I finally got my photos from the summer sorted and organized in a gallery. The photo descriptions pretty much are as elaborate as my trip reports get.

Summary: we started at Mono Pass Trailhead and did a few alternate routes in the northern section, but after Silver Pass we stuck to the regular program because we still thought we'd hike back to Yosemite, and we only had 28 days for both directions.

We hit a perfect window between smoke and rains while southbound. Other than inhaling a ton of pulverized horseshit and spending 6 hours a day filtering giardia out of the late season streams it was pretty epic. Saw two mosquitoes on the entire trip, took our shoes off just once, and made it to the portal in just over 13 days. Then the weather turned and we called it quits after a burger at the Portal store. For the third time we didn't do a yo-yo after setting out to do one. Had I known what the shuttle to Yosemite that same night would cost us, I probably would have walked back smile

Muir Trail 2013 Photos


cruising down Forester in the morning

, just 1.5 days to go




Re: Muir Trail in August
Fishmonger #33741 10/11/13 02:11 PM
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A picture says "This is why we don't use the official JMT."

Why?

Someday I'll need to try and file and organize the best of these JMT hikes for my dream of one day doing this. Someone recently posted a great schedule/trip plan and I've already forgotten where it was.

Re: Muir Trail in August
Chicagocwright #33743 10/11/13 04:12 PM
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Originally Posted By: Chicagocwright
A picture says "This is why we don't use the official JMT."

Why?


the image with the fern? There are many reasons to take a different route there, but mostly it's a lot prettier down there. The JMT in that area is an uphill slog through a huge burn zone, full of people, nothing much to see but overused trails near Mammoth, few camp sites worth staying at that aren't overcrowded, etc. If there were decent alternate routes to the JMT in the south that don't add 50% to the distance, I'd prefer those, too. That doesn't mean the JMT isn't worth seeing, but I've seen it more than a dozen times, and after that many times "different" becomes preferable.

Re: Muir Trail in August
Fishmonger #33752 10/11/13 11:55 PM
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Your pictures are AMAZING! What a great trip.

Re: Muir Trail in August
Chicagocwright #33754 10/12/13 05:51 AM
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Originally Posted By: Chicagocwright

Someday I'll need to try and file and organize the best of these JMT hikes for my dream of one day doing this. Someone recently posted a great schedule/trip plan and I've already forgotten where it was.


I have a very good and detailed 22-day itinerary I found online (it no longer posted) that I could let you have, with some of my modifications and suggestions (such as some significant errors and omissions on the Harrison maps). PM me for details


Wherever you go, there you are.
SPOTMe!
Re: Muir Trail in August
saltydog #33756 10/12/13 09:32 AM
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I am interested in that 22 day itinerary of the JMT with modifications and your suggestions. Can you please share that with me? franklincarter@charter.net

Re: Muir Trail in August
RenoFrank #33757 10/12/13 10:28 AM
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I don't have a clear 22 day or even a n-day plan yet, but I usually throw ideas into a file to save them for later.

I also have created a GMAP link for myself where I show a collection of possible routes on it, so you can zoom in and take a look at what could be used in a certain area as JMT alternate, then compare with the text file to see what these alternate routes involve (I saved links to trip reports, photos when available)

my compiled alternate route map link

It's pretty much a work in progress and a compilation of things I've considered for many years, working on what would be my own version of "high route" with emphasis on staying off the busy JMT in areas where I usually don't deviate (mostly south). Many of these routes involve advanced route finding skills and class 2 and sometimes even class 3 terrain, but rarely the latter. I try to avoid that when moving with big packs. Much of it is Sierra High Route terrain, so there's a lot of info out there about these parts. Other times it's just a matter of finding old or barely existing trails like Junction Pass or the downhill from Carillon to the Mountaineer's Route

In the end, I probably will put together a trip that will focus on the safer routes that are off JMT, and on routes that allow easy return to JMT and familiar terrain should the weather turn nasty. If anyone wants more info on some segments on that map, ask and I'll dig up some of the info I saved about all these segments.

Re: Muir Trail in August
Fishmonger #33804 10/16/13 08:44 AM
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Fishmonger your photos are amazing!


@jjoshuagregory (Instagram) for mainly landscape and mountain pics

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