It was hard. Over 200 miles in sixteen days (August 6th to August 20th), at times carrying a pretty heavy backpack, traversing eight up to 13,500 feet passes and finally summiting Mt. Whitney.

It was incredible. It is difficult to put the beauty of the scenery into perspective, and the photos don't capture well the incredible size of it all. Taking wide lens shots just make the enormous mountains shrink to meager hills.

Weather clearing up at Lower Palisade Lake (10,600 ft). In the end, it only rained for ten minutes on the entire hike.

The John Muir Trail in California

Elevation Profile of the JMT

It is very isolated. The John Muir Trail traverses the Sierra Nevada from north to south starting at Yosemite National Park and ending on Mt. Whitney in Sequoia National Park. In between the trail goes through the Inyo and Sierra National Forests as well as Kings Canyon National Park. The entire area is uninhabited, and the trail does not cross a single road. Resupply was only possible on day three (Reds Meadow Ranch) and day seven (Muir Trail Ranch) and I had to carry nine days of food to make it to the end without additional resupply. It was very nice to start the hike with my friend Tres. We had backpacked together across the Grand Canyon and last year in Yosemite and he is a fantastic travel companion. Unfortunately, due to lacking PTO he had to bail out on day six.

A Typical Day

6 AM: Wake up, coffee in "bed"

7 AM: Breakfast consisting of two packs of oatmeal (and another coffee from Tres), packing up

8 AM: Start walking with short 10 min breaks every couple of hours

11 AM: Lunch break (30 min)

3 PM: Finish walking, set-up tent, filter water

5 PM: Dinner

7 PM: Good night, reading for a couple of hours.

Day 0: Snack break on top of Lembert Dome (9,300 ft). Tuolumne Meadows below, our starting point.

Day 2: Thousand Island Lake (9,900 ft)

Day 2: Dinner at Garnet Lake (9,700 ft)

Day 5: Tres filtering water at Silver Pass Lake (10,400 ft)

Day 5: The last night these two would jointly protect us from the bears. Silver Pass Lake (10,400 ft)

The Scenery

Due to the trail elevation bouncing continuously between 8,000 ft and 11,000 ft (or more) the scenery changed greatly during each day instead of a gradual change expected from other hikes.

Mixed Coniferous & Upper Montane Forests (below 9,500 ft)

This lower area impresses with lush green open meadows and slow meandering streams. There is abundant water and food which seem to attract deer, chipmunk, squirrels and many birds. Unfortunately, there are mosquitos and black flies. Due to the lower altitude and higher humidity, it can get pretty warm in the tent at night.

Day 0: Tuolumne Meadows (8,600 ft)

Day 1: Lyell Canyon (8,800 ft)

Day 4: Looking down onto Fish Creek Meadows (9,400 ft)

Subalpine Forest (between 9,500 ft and 11,000 ft)

As the altitude increases there is much less variety in trees, and the forest thins out. Meandering creeks turn into fewer and faster flowing streams with plenty of lakes. Due to the colder nightly temperature, there are hardly any mosquitos here. This elevation is perfect. It is cooler for hiking, but there is still shade to rest. At night the cold temperature and low humidity feel very comfortable. Compared to higher elevation there is generally also still dirt on the ground which allows a smooth hike, without having to watch every step closely.

Day 2: Thousand Island Lake (9,900 ft)

Day 2: Sunset from our tent site at Garnet Lake (9,700 ft)

Day 7: Sallie Keyes Lakes (10,200 ft)

Day 12: Upper Rae Lake (10,600 ft)

Day 15: Timberline Lake (11,000 ft) with Mt. Whitney in the back

Alpine Zone (11,500 ft and above)

This altitude is above the tree line. Other than small scrubs, there seems to be no life. However, between the rocks there are plenty of marmots and pikas. Even though the actual temperature is low (mid 60s), in the sun it is brutally hot. Without shade, difficult terrain and maybe less air, hiking becomes more strenuous. At night it gets cold, and I woke up twice with frost on the ground and tent.

Day 2: Donohue Pass (11,100 ft)

Day 10: Mather Pass (12,100 ft)

Day 13: Forester Pass

Day 13: Forester Pass (13,200 ft)

Day 15: On top of Mt. Whitney (14,500 ft)

My Favorite Spot

To me my favorite day was day eight. This was hiking from the Muir Trail Ranch where I just loaded up nine days of food to Evolution Lake. It turned out to be a long 16-mile day, but fully worth it. After hiking for maybe eight miles along the South Fork San Joaquin River the trail split away following Evolution Creek and went up a steep incline. After gaining 700 ft in altitude, I reached Evolution Valley. Here the valley opened up and the stream started meandering through these beautiful meadows. This was also the only time during the entire hike I had to switch to my Birkenstock's to wade through the knee-deep creek. In the early afternoon I climbed another 800 ft to reach Evolution Lake (10,800 ft) where I camped for the night before hiking across Muir Pass the next morning. This was the most scenic, fabulous campsite with the very best views!

Day 8: Evolution Valley (9,800 ft)

Day 8: Camping at Evolution Lake (10,800 ft)

Day 8: Sunset at Evolution Lake

Day 9: Sunrise at Evolution Lake

Day 9: Saphire Lake (11,000 ft)

Day 9: Muir Pass (11,960 ft)

My Scariest Moment

On day thirteen in the early afternoon, I was approaching Forester Pass. Initially, my plan had been to camp before going across as I had already traversed Glen pass that morning. However, with my home trip now having been booked (bus and plane), I felt I needed to do more to make sure I'll make it on time. So, I had trodden on. Thick clouds started rolling in. I made it across the path without lightning, but I didn't feel comfortable and right after crossing the path I set up camp at 12,000 ft elevation. I knew no one else would come over the path behind me and no one would come my way camping at that high elevation. In other words, I was pretty much the only human being for miles. None of that scared me. However, laying in "bed" suddenly a coyote started howling which echoed back from the mountains. Then another one answered from afar. That was freaking me out. I decided I would at least put up a good fight by getting one of my hiking poles in the tent. Now I could stab the beast to death! Fortunately, the howling stopped and I fell asleep. Later I read there are actual Gray Wolves in the Sierra Nevada, but I think it was just coyotes.

Everyone asks about bears. I did not see a bear, but as there are only Black Bears around, I wasn't worried. One ranger posted this funny note to explain how to deal with them:

How to deal with bears, Kings Canyon NP

How to Get More Food

Resupply is a big topic due to the isolation. Hiking southbound our first stop in civilization was Reds Meadow Ranch on day three. I had only packed food for three days, so I purchased in their "store" food for the next four days to make sure this would get me to my next resupply. This was mainly freeze-dried meals that actually tasted pretty good. Reds Meadow Ranch also provides a "restaurant", and I had a delicious double cheeseburger for dinner and a breakfast burrito the next morning. For $15 you can also take a hot shower and for $3 more you'll even get a towel and soap. They also served cold beer!! Little did I know this would be my last one until the end of the hike. This was also the last time I had cell phone reception until summiting Mt. Whitney on day fifteen.

My second resupply was the Muir Trail Ranch on day seven. This place does not have a shop or restaurant or really anything, not even a toilet. All you get is a shack that stores and hands out the resupply bucket you mailed to yourself weeks ago. There was also a large "hiker box" where folks put items they no longer need and that are up for grabs to anyone. Lastly, there was a small generator running to provide charge for power banks. Oh, and a trash can and tables to sort your crap. This ranch is not reachable via road. They explain the $95 "handling" charge for the bucket by the logistics the bucket has to go through. They pick it up at a post office, take it with an ATV to Florence Lake, boat it across the lake and load it onto a horse for final transport to the ranch. The first buckets of the year are flown in via helicopter. When I got to the hand-out shack, there was a radio to call for someone to come. It only took ten minutes and a four-wheeler came and after showing my ID I got my bucket! I also charged my 25,000 mAh power bank. Food and electricity would need to last for 9 days. I also retrieved a small butane cylinder from the hiker box. It seemed to be fairly full. This proved to be a great decision as my gas and the leftover I received from Tres ran out on day fourteen.

At the end of the hike, I left the wilderness with half a pack of spaghetti and three Trader Joes instant coffee packs. That's it. I never felt hungry, but I only ate about 2,000 calories a day. I lost ten pounds during the hike.

Now, I also have to mention one more resupply stop. It is between the two I took and where Tres left me. He had to hike a couple of miles to get to Edison Lake and then take the daily "ferry" to Vermillion Valley Resort only known as VVR on the trail. Everybody on the trail talks about this legendary place of unlimited food and alcohol served by scantily clad Hooter girls. There is even the rumor they have Wifi! I don't know what is true or not and Tres won't talk about it.

Post at Reds Meadow Ranch. Only 165 miles to go. For the PCT thru hikers it's either 915 miles to Mexico or 1,735 miles to Canada.

My resupply bucket in NC. I mailed it west on July 10 before my Germany trip.

Unboxing my resupply at Muir Trail Ranch. I should've packed at least a single beer! In the center you see little cheese cubes. They stank so bad I had to discard them. At the very right the extra fuel canister I got out of the hiker box and the three Trader Joes instant coffee packs.

Day 0: Resupply boxes at Tuolumne Meadows. The "postmaster" is known for artistically adding big name tags.

Personal Hygiene

Yup, let's start at the big topic of #2 in the woods. It's true, you need to dig a 6" deep hole with the shovel you brought along, do your business and cover back up. It's a nice gesture to also mark the spot with a branch in a way that looks unnatural, so you don't have someone else digging at the same spot the next day. Also, all used toilet paper must be packed out! Yes, nine days of poop paper in the trash bag! But wait, it gets even worse. Around Mt. Whitney you can't even poop on the ground. Instead, wag bags are provided to poop like an astronaut and bring all back to the trailhead. Now, due to my perfectly daily timed #2 routine I was able to avoid that issue. No further details.

No wash chemicals, even biodegradable, are allowed to be used. I had a wash towel that I used daily. I wanted to swim, but the lakes were generally just too cold for me at around 60F. There was one exception. The day I resupplied at Muir Trail Ranch I also found the natural hot springs close by. These were hot tubs at around 100F and there was a lake heated by the thermals that was maybe 70F and I could swim in it.

Enjoying the hot thermal hot tub. This was the only time it rained on my hike, for ten minutes.

Swimming in a 70F lake heated by thermal springs

Day 14: A real toilet in the woods!! How amazing and with great views.

Critical & Not so Critical Gear

Shoes

The utmost important gear are the shoes. I have a very strong opinion here.... I just can't believe and have no understanding why hiking shoes are sold anymore!!! They are heavy, they get sweaty and wet, despite Gore-Tex and everyone gets blisters. Why would anyone lift a pound or two of shoe every step? But I need ankle support! No you don't! Fortunately, anyone I saw on the trail that seemed to know what they were doing wore trail running shoes. Trust me, that's what to get. Period and done! No other opinion accepted.

Backpack, Sleeping Bag and Tent

I feel like I don't understand enough to give an opinion. I have a very light backpack with little back support. My tent is from Big Agnes and light and my sleeping bag (actually what they call quilt) is light and rated to 20F. Twice I had frost on my tent and I wasn't cold.

Emergency Communication & Maps

I carry an InReach Mini from Garmin (just like about 50% of everyone else) and upgraded my "plan" for one month to allow unlimited texts. Every 30 min the device sends my GPS coordination to a website and I can also text to anyone I want. At times it takes maybe 15 minutes for a text to get out and another 15 to receive one back due to the Iridium satellite coverage. But on a hike, time is not really important. If I were an iPhone fan a new model with satellite emergency would serve just as good. However, keeping a phone powered on will not last you nine days even with a big power bank. I like having a redundant piece of equipment. Anyways, I also bought the $40 rescue insurance from Garmin. They will cover any rescue up to $100,000 if initiated from their device. I read the going rate for a simple helicopter rescue is $50,000 to $75,000.

Can you get lost on the JMT. I would say, yes! The trail is easy to pick out, but not marked, i.e. there are no blazes, and many intersections have no signage. I very much enjoyed swiping up on my watch to see a little map with my location and the JMT highlighted in red. Idiot proof and no need to power up the cell phone. I use the Gamin Enduro 3 as a watch and find the Garmin Explore App very useful (Don't forget to download the offline maps). Lastly, if watch and phone fail, I also have an InReach device that provides minimal navigation and beyond that if the sun is shining or the stars are out, I know where north is and with a bit of common sense, I think I could hike out within a day or two.

Luxury Items

My Kindle

I find carrying something to read very important. All day, the mind is focused on not tripping and enjoying nature and not really to think too hard. Reading an hour in "bed" after sunset or when I awake in the middle of the night was very enjoyable. Among the books I read, the best ones were "The Gods Themselves" by Isaac Asimov, "Stories of Your Life and Others" by Ted Chiang, "On Tyranny" by Timothy Snyder and lastly and not yet completed "Prisoners of Geography" by Tim Marshall. I am still amazed how long the battery lasts with backlight. I only had to partially charge once.

Backpacking Chair

On trips before, I simply hated trying to find a good rock or log to sit on or sit on the ground. Although the bear canister provides for a good stool I took along my REI chair and really enjoyed comfortably sitting even though more often than not one or two legs started to sink into the ground needing repositioning by having to get up again! I think there is still room for improvement.

Birkenstocks

At the end of the day, taking the hiking shoes and socks off and just wearing my all-plastic Birkenstocks was so nice. I can highly recommend to always take a pair of cheap flip-flops or sandals along.

The End

Walking down from Mt. Whitney towards Whitney Portal gave me some time to reflect back onto the trip. Was it as expected? What was I even expecting? What would I do differently? Would I do this again? I didn't and still don't have answers to these questions. I do know I like occasional solitude, but I also realized that while hiking (similar to running) the mind phases out and turns blank. Yes, even amidst incredible landscapes. I can see how extraverts could enjoy a long through-hike feeding off other hikers. Me, not wanting to meet others, I could see myself getting bored after a few weeks.

Day 15: On top of Mt. Whitney

Day 16, 4 AM: Looking back up to Mt. Whitney. A headlamp shows the first hiker heading up for sunrise.

Day 16: Looking down towards the town of Lone Pine. Up here it was still 70F, down there it was 103F that day.

Day 16: Hitched a ride from Whitney Portal down to Lone Pine.

Day 16: Looking back at Mt. Whitney from Lone Pine. I ended up spending the night there to catch the early morning bus back to Reno (6 hours). Spent another night in Reno and finally got home in the afternoon of Day 18.