170 Miles in the Sierra Nevada. Doug and Anita tour 2016

[isleroyaleguy]

Everyone that has hiked the John Muir trail knows the extensive amount of planning involved. We had 4 resupply buckets to prepare with our 20+ days of grub.

Flights and shuttles and cabin reservations, permits and licenses. Not to mention the constant physical preparation. We had been hiking around home with a full pack for 6 months prior. Everything needed to be in place. Sounds like a lot of work, but we really enjoyed the planning process too.

So our trip literally began (and ended) with a " planes, trains and automobiles " scenario.

We first flew into San Francisco. Then took the BART train to Richmond CA. Where we were met by our wonderful trail angels Mike and Paula. They had graciously invited us into their home for a night. We had a fun evening of dinner and drinks, a great start to our adventure.

Up early the next day, greeted with a delicious homemade breakfast, and Mike dropped us off right at the Amtrak station for our next leg of the trip. 3 hrs on train brought us to Merced CA. Where we transferred to the YARTS bus. 2 hrs later we were rolling into Yosemite National Park. Our home for the next two nights.

Like all national parks, Yosemite Valley was very busy and crowded, but we didn't mind. We were finally here after months of planning. The park was magical to us at this moment. Half Dome, El Capitan, the huge trees, the waterfalls! Everything was new to us. So we took it all in.

We had been applying for a Half Dome permit every chance we get, but had been rejected multiple times. We were so hoping to get a chance to climb this iconic mountain. 

We never got the permit. 0 fer 7.

But we did spend the next two days putting on some miles up to Nevada and Vernal falls and beyond. Lambert Dome, Dog lake and Tuolumne Meadows. 

There is so much to see here. Two days wasn't going to be enough.

We were disappointed that the Mariposa Grove was closed for restoration so we missed out on seeing these ancient historical trees. But there were impressive stands all through the park and on the JMT.

Couldn't get enough of the magnificent trees here.

 We had plenty of reasons to come back to Yosemite in the future.


I won't spend a lot of time on trail description. There are plenty of books an online resources for that.

But there will be a common thread of all the wonderful people we met along the way.


I will say this about the trails. They are challenging, everyday. Often steep up and down. From soft dusty sand and pumice to hard granite steps and loose rocks and plenty of ankle twisting boulders and seeming endless switchbacks. Elevations from 7500 to 12000 ft.  Usually on same day. Everyday.

Tough, yes. But incredibly rewarding. Everday.

 We really enjoyed our time in Yosemite and hated to leave, the Valley was warm, near 90°everyday. We swam in the river each evening to sooth the aches and pains.

Up near Tuolumne Meadows it was cool, less crowded, and had the backpacker vibe going on. 

On our last shuttle I recognized a face from the JMT Facebook. 

Alex. The start of our trail family.
Along with Alex, we got to know some awesome people in the two weeks we were on the trail.
Chris from Truckee.
Blue man Dan,
Anjou and Rebecca from France
Mark from Minnesota....Oh Ya!
The Tennessee'ins
The Beach Body couple from LA
The 3 guys always chasing the 2 girls.
We really enjoyed the social aspect of the trip.
Everyone standing around with taped up toes, recounting the days journey.

We would cross paths a lot over the next two weeks.

For us it is on to June Lake for final JMT preparations.


I had asked the YARTS bus driver how far the bus stop at the ski area was from the Reverse Creek Lodge, our home for the next two nights.

Not far, 3/4 mile...maybe, he said..

We had walked 30 miles or so in Yosemite.

We were tired and sore. But another 3/4 mile....easy.

But the nice driver dropped us right at the front door of Reverse Creek. See what I mean about the people we met.

We had a beautiful cabin at Reverse Creek Lodge. Dave and his family were so helpful to us. They even borrowed us their Jeep so we could drive into Lee Vining  to pick up our wilderness permit.  

We had a couple of relaxing days in this beautiful area. Did laundry. Loaded up on carbs. Had a few cocktails.

We had seen our trailhead and the surrounding mountains and have to admit that it was kind of intimidating.

Pre-game jitters were setting in. Were we ready? We would find out tomorrow.

Our first day was like the many to follow. Challenging.
But we hiked further then planned, the scenery kept drawing you forward. While we had planned on 8-10 miles a day, we were more in the 12 -15 mile range. Elevation was substantial and we diligently climbed 2500-3500 ft each day, and descended just as fast.
Each day we were spent, but we recovered quickly and were always ready for the next day.

The California weather is beautiful. It rained for 20 mins, in the 3 weeks we were there. Sunny and 69° each day.
Lows in the 40's, even some frosty night's.

We took advantage of every resupply point we could.
It kept us light until we got our hiking legs.
It also added so much to our adventure.
We got to enjoy a shower and giant burger and a beer at Reds Meadow for our first resupply.

Our second was Vermillion Valley Ranch. Where we met some great people, did laundry, shower and more food and beers.
But our favorite stop was Muir Trail Ranch.
Here we were treated to home cooked meals and private hot springs along with a cozy cabin for a night.
It was a welcome relief after 100 miles of foot pounding, dusty trail. We had to rinse our clothes 3 times after hand washing, still had brown water.

We were constantly amazed at the size of pine trees and aspen groves, truly a unique towering forest.
We were thankful for them. These giants provided much needed shade.

Up until this point we had been carrying 4-5 days of food between stops. But now we were faced with 9 days worth for the last 100 miles.
We made the tough decision to cut our trip short. Knowing these rugged trails now, we weren't comfortable adding more pack weight.
We decide to exit over Bishop Pass, still 4-5 days ahead.

So we didn't make it to Whitney....this time.
We are ready to go back and finish that last 6 days.

We had an incredible trip. Still think about it daily.
It was really hard to adjust to daily life once it was over.

We had a few days before our flight out, so we spent them in Yosemite. Got a chance to hike to Clouds Rest. Another incredible day.

We were disappointed that we didn't finish the JMT,
but we were proud of our effort and thankful for what we got to see and do. Just a handful of numbers.

Island Pass 10,221 ft
Silver Pass 10,794 ft
Selden Pass 10,898 ft
Muir Pass 11,955 ft
Bishop Pass 11,972 ft
Clouds Rest 10,000 ft


So I must end with a Muir quote:

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul"
John Muir.

But another verse kept going thru my head:

"We're out here having fun in the warm California sun"
The Ramones

Take Care
Doug and Anita

Here is a link to our trip report

170 Miles in the Sierra Nevada | Backcountry Post
http://backcountrypost.com/threads/170- ... vada.6274/

[Jay w]

I'll pour over the photos another time, but thanks for the post. I've been wondering how the trip went. I wish I had the motivation to make the time to get on the trip, plan, and join you guys. It sounds like an incredible experience.

Jay

[paul]

Hey Doug,

What a great trip that must have been. I was wondering how you guys did. Glad you made it to Whitney. Maybe I'll see you next year in Glacier. I think I'm going back again, the beartooths were nice but not quite the same as Glacier.

Paul

[PeteE]

That truly was an epic adventure Doug.
All that planning and hard work really paid off.
Well Done!

pete

[teapot57]

Gorgeous photos!

Little did I know when I knit that hat the amazing places it would go! So nice to see Anita wearing and appreciating it. Doesn't always happen with handmade gifts.

You guys are so awesome-- you conquered a lot of elevation and a lot of miles. Thanks for sharing your trip report with us.

Tina

[isleroyaleguy]

Thanks for kind comments.
Jay, Paul , Pete and Tina.
It was a wonderful trip. I still think about it daily.
Its already nagging at us to go back and finish the last 5-6 days. We will return!
But right now we are excited about a Glacier/ Sawtooth
2 week adventure for next summer.
Hope to get a chance to meet and hike with all you guy's and all the Glacier faithful.
Take care.
DA

[isleroyaleguy]

Thank you again Tina,
for such a thoughtful gift.
It will always reside in Anita's pack and only be used on our backcountry trips.
Thoughtful and functional.
So cool!
D

[isleroyaleguy]

Here is a link to a short video I shot as we approach Clouds Rest in Yosemite NP.
Its a challenging 15 mile out and back hike with 3000+ ft of elevation change. But a great payoff.
IRG
https://goo.gl/photos/zdA88bz6eADiyB1E6

[smahurin]

Sounds like an awesome trip. I wouldn't be bummed you didn't finish the last few days. Now you just have even more reason to return.

Thanks for the write-up. Loved the pictures!

[calicotraveler]

Looked like a fabulous hike! Thanks for sharing the details and the photos.

[teapot57]

But right now we are excited about a Glacier/ Sawtooth
2 week adventure for next summer.
Hope to get a chance to meet and hike with all you guy's and all the Glacier faithful.
Take care.
DA

YES!!!

Keep me posted. Would love to meet up with you and Anita.

Tina

PS-- very cool video. That was some narrow trail!

[joybird]

Woot! Woot!



Yay Doug and Anita!

Thank you SO much for posting your report and all the pictures of those spectacular places. I thought of you often this summer and was hoping that your trip was as fabulous as it looks like it was. Such amazing scenery! And, I'm glad that there was amazing community as well.

And that video from Cloud's Rest? Gulp. Looks like that would have been a tad nerve-wracking! I sure wouldn't want to try it on a windy day...

I look forward to your report after you complete the last section of the JMT. Or even better, maybe getting to meet up finally in Glacier next year?

[isleroyaleguy]

Thanks for kind remarks.
Scott, Dave and Joyce.

Scott, you should be healed up to join us, next time.
Dave, we have always enjoyed your BC adventures.
Joyce, We are waiting for current trip report. I know you had some awesome plans.

Take care.
DA

[smahurin]

Just watched your video, that place looks amazing!