John Muir Trail - 2

Day 8

Muir Trail Ranch > Darwin Creek

This day we were working our way up to Evolution Basin. It was an all uphill hike and we did not appreciate the added 10 lbs of food we had just picked up. Stupid bodies with their need for calories. Jasmine loves hiking uphill, so this was a better day for her than Adam - also she had less weight in her pack.

Leaving Muir Trail Ranch

A bear. Are you paying attention?

Sweet trail views

Adam photobombs nature

Looking back towards Piute Creek

Crossing the San Joaquin River

Evolution Creek

The Hermit

Slow descent into darkness at our Darwin Creek campsite.

Day 9

Darwin Creek > Little Pete Meadow

Well, Evolution Basin gets a lot of hype for a reason. Extremely beautiful area. We loved going through the Basin to Muir Pass and then hiking down the other side towards La Conte Canyon. We took a lot of pictures this day.

Adam during his pre-sunscreen ritual

Start of Evolution Basin

On the edge of Evolution Basin and on the way up to Muir Pass

Cool reflections

The Sierra really are the "Range of Light"

Look back at the Basin

Approaching Muir Hut

Helen Lake, on the other side of Muir Pass. This lake made us remember the beloved Momonee and we stopped to fill up water and eat lunch here.

Rock Monster

Baby Alligator...haha

It did rain a little this night, but out campsite was low enough (~9,000 ft) that we didn't get any hail.

Day 10

Little Pete Meadow > Upper Basin

Today was a killer ascent up Mather Pass via the Golden Staircase. The Golden Staircase is 1,500 ft climb on steep switchbacks that are sometimes blasted into the cliff. We didn't even realized that we were finished with the climb until we practically stepped into Lower Palisade Lake in Palisade Basin. Then we kept climbing up another 2,000 ft over Mather Pass. Needless to say, this was one of our most difficult days.

Le Conte Canyon

And again, Le Conte Canyon

Adam has crazy hair by this day. Also, all of the older gentlemen we met on the trail loved his shirt.

Views of the Golden Staircase as we hiked up to Palisade Basin. Not sure where the "Golden" part comes from. We were amazed at (1) how beautiful the hiking was and (2) the amount of horse poop on the trail since the trail was super steep and narrow. 

Lower Palisade Lake

Palisade Basin in the background

After we dropped on the other side of Mather Pass, we could see the Upper Basin and were aiming for one of the lakes still in the sun. We started racing the sun down until the contact lens in Jasmine's right eye went fuzzy. She took out her contacts and put on her glasses, and then discovered why people pay the extra $180 for non-glare lenses. Jasmine had saved $180 and now saw rainbows and rings of yellow light emanating from everything the sun was hitting. Adam was not a part of her optic hallucinogenic experience, but he still enjoyed the scenery and steadied Jasmine as she stumbled down the trail.

Adam's dull, but safe, hiking view

What Jasmine saw with her glasses on

Campsite in Upper Basin

We both saw the colors this time

Day 11

Upper Basin >  Woods Creek

Descended about 1,000 and then up and over Pinchot Pass to Woods Creek. We saw a lot of varying terrain today - from high alpine, to pine forest, to meadows, to aspen forest.

Hiking in the Upper Basin

Adam coming up Pinchot

Top of Pinchot Pass

Top of Pinchot Pass looking northwest

Zoomed in

Descending from Pinchot Pass

On way to Woods Creek

Views hiking along side Woods Creek Our campsite above Woods Creek junction Awesome granite slab slide. We didn't try it out because it dropped  off 400 ft after that. We had a cozy little spot with views into the Rae Lakes Basin. Definitely our favorite site of the trip.

Day 12

Woods Creek > Upper Vidette Meadow

Today we hiked to Rae Lakes, up Glenn Pass, and down to Vidette Meadow. We got caught in a rainstorm today that lasted from noon to 6 PM. That is the longest Sierra rainstorm that we have both ever experienced. We were excited to see the Rae Lakes area again, since we had last visited in Summer 2010. It was a beautiful day, but harder than we expected since we ended up hiking in the rain for most of the day.

Sunrise from our campsite The "Golden Gate" bridge of the Sierras - some planks were tied together with webbing.

On the way to Rae Lakes

The Painted Lady

Beautiful Charlotte Lake

Spooky clouds near the Kearsarge Pass junction

Looking back towards Junction Meadow

Trying to dry stuff out

Waterfall next to campsite

Day 13

Upper Vidette Meadow > Wallace Creek Junction

We had to gear up today and get an early start, even though most of our clothing was still soaking wet from the day before. We were going up the highest pass so far - Forester Pass at 13,200 ft and then trying to get as close to Mt. Whitney as possible. We started the day hiking in the shade into an amazing cirque, went over the pass, got our first view on Whitney on Big Horn Plateau, and then dropped from exhaustion at Wallace Creek Junction.

Adam puts his game face on as we get started for the day, wearing wet hiking clothes.

It's hard to describe how beautiful this cirque is. The other side is the headwaters of the Kern River, and a place we both want to explore some day. We met a really inspiring man today, Rodger, who is 67 years old and is an avid Sierra hiker. He plans to do the PCT for his 70th birthday - Go Rodger! 

Going up Forester Pass was really fun for Jasmine. The biggest hill yet!

Adam on the final switchbacks of the pass.

On top.

The top of the pass was like a wind tunnel and it was amazing how steep the other side of the trail was. 

Crazy trail and high alpine views.

Big Horn Plateau took us by surprise, because, well, the name leaves a lot to be desired. Since it was nearly devoid of trees there were 360 degree views of the mountains. This was also our first view of Mt. Whitney, but we shamefacedly admitted to each other that we weren't sure which peak it was. After climbing it, it's like OBVI which one it is. See below:

Exhausted, we made camp as soon as we could at Wallace Creek Junction.

Day 14

Wallace Creek Junction > Mt. Whitney Summit > Trail Camp

Only 11.7 miles to the top of Mt. Whitney! We woke up to a bit of frost this morning and actually waited until the sun hit us to head out. We were planning to hike into the night anyway, so we were not in much of a hurry.

Only 8.3 miles to go!

Timberline Lake

Guitar Lake - we had stopped here for a hot lunch of buttermilk mashed potatoes.

Adam contemplates life and what it all means. What does it mean?

Views as we hiked up to the Mt.Whitney Junction at 13,450 ft. At the junction we dropped packs and then started on the final 1.9 miles of the JMT!

Sweet hike traversing the Whitney Pinnacles. 

Adam's 1st 14er

So proud of Suunto at this moment

Adam left this in honor of Grandma Voss

Prom pose

We finished the JMT!

Working our way back down

Trail crest - highest pass at 13,600 ft

We got some amazing apline glow as we started down the switchbacks to Trail Camp - 98 switchbacks!

Day 15

Trail Camp > Whitney Portal

Only 6 miles to go today! We woke up with about 20 people taking pictures of the sunrise on Whitney outside our tent. It was bittersweet to be ending out trip - we both loved being out there, but I was longing for some flipflopies and Adam was craving beer and burgers. Whitney area was gorgeous, but so full of people and trash that we are not likely to come back, when there are so many other less crowded areas to explore.

Descending to Whitney Portal

Celebration Lunch

The End!