PSA: Stop treating the JMT like it's a weekend hike

I keep seeing people post about hiking the John Muir Trail in 10 days or less. Last summer I ran into a guy on day 3 near Thousand Island Lake who had already blown out his knees because he was doing 18 mile days. He had to hitch out from Reds Meadow. I've done the JMT twice now and both times took 14-16 days. That extra time lets you actually enjoy the Sierra instead of just grinding miles. Why are we so obsessed with speed on trails that are supposed to be about the views?

3 comments

3 Comments

danielr9912d ago

Yeah totally agree with this. Met a group near Muir Trail Ranch that was averaging 20 mile days and they looked miserable. Couldn't even stop to look at the waterfalls. @davis.olivia you probably saw the same type of person I'm talking about. People forget that the altitude alone slows everything down. If you push that hard you miss all the best parts. Like sitting at the edge of Evolution Lake at sunset just watching the light change. That's why you go. Not to beat a timeline.

erickelly12d ago

Saw a guy near Rae Lakes who brought a tent but forgot his sleeping pad.

davis.olivia12d ago

Saw a guy do something similar once near Guitar Lake, slept on a pile of jackets and whined all night. @erickelly, a missing sleeping pad isn't a rescue situation, just a rough night. He'll learn his lesson when he's shivering on pine cones at 3 AM.