Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board JMT in 15 days

It's funny. I have NEVER heard/read about a fast hiker commenting on how a slow hiker must not be enjoying their hike. It's always the slow hikers making assumptions about what the fast hikers are missing, and therefore, implying they should be doing it differently. Maybe I'm reading something more into it than is meant, but I can't understand that logic, and react to it everytime. Please, someone explain it to me.

Peter

it is the Black Diamond Firstlight. it is the exact design as the bibler except that the fabric is epic (i think) instead of todd-tex. i love it. it has been used in some difficult climbs in Washington and Alaska. i have used it many times in the Sierra winter and obviously for "light" backpacking. it is small for two. it does have its limitations. it doesn't do well in heavy rain, strong winds and heavy snowfall. it is 2lbs 12 ounces.

This thread reminds me of this group...



Strange coincidence.

Hey Rosie...PM sent.
No, our two friends must still be in a fog...

Got to agree with bob1957, there is much flavor to the trail; it is not a solo adventure but rather a continuous, disjointed, community adventure. Even starting out solo, you play leap-frog daily with newly-found trail friends. Food becomes a daily highlight - a beer in Tuolumne, a milkshake in Reds, the facilities at VVR, and the famous Portal burger...all call out favorably along the way...why miss out?
Carry less, eat better, and resupply whenever possible.
Just my 2¢

hey Jeff! strange coincidence indeed. Natalie was getting very apprehensive when you guys didn't show up that afternoon at Muir Ranch. when you guys did show up that morning with her resupply, the joy and excitement on her face was indescribable. i told her at that time after you guys had left that she has really awesome friends to drive all the way from SB and hike across Florence Lake to bring fresh veggie and supplies. she nodded in agreement.

Hi Kevin; 4 of us did 15 days this september mostly on the JMT; we set off with 8 days food and topped up at Reds Meadow with 2 or 3 days food and then topped up again with 4 or 5 days food at VVR, you have to use what they've got but we managed 194 miles and 33000 feet of ascent in 15 days with the heaviest pack being 37lbs when we left VVR with a total of 10 days food. By the time we came out i'd lost over a stone but I always put a few pounds on before a big trek; we found this easier then organising a big resupply; and cheaper. I once sent a food parcel to VVR from the UK by air; it cost 165 pounds (about260 dollars), so good luck

Hey Kevin,
Yeah, I felt bad that I couldn't make the whole trek with Natalie (darn work schedules), so the least I could do was a resupply for her. Seems you had plenty of food and supplies anyway. (Glad you all partook of the fresh veggies, though.)

Funny, I had seen you post on here before, but only made the connection after seeing this thread pop up again. Let's try and climb something soon.

Cheers!
Jeff

I don't do the JMT but have been doing 16-17 day no-resupply loops out of Horseshow Meadow or over Shepherd Pass for years. I have a Bearicade Expidition canister, use Mountain House Pro Packs, Thai rice noodle soups (far less weight than Ramen) or Tuna packs/flour tortillas for dinner. Desert is MH Raspberry Crumble or Backbacker's Pantry applesauce (less weight per meal). Breakfast is half of the desert I save from the night before. Lunch is probably overkill - Slim Jims, jerky, cheesesquares (inividually packaged 1 oz.portion (still tasty after 17 days), 1/2 flour tortilla, freeze dried fruit, dried papaya or mangos and a small portion of chocolate covered expresso beans.

I carry a tent (Black Diamond Highlite), Thermarest mattress, thermarest camp chair, and two or three books (Atlas Shrugged, The Whole Shebang - stuff like that. One change of skivvies, 1 extra t-shirt, wind shirt, wind breaker and long underwear (no long pants), 2 extra pairs of socks. Feathered Friends down bag and 2 down pillows (arthritic spine from pulling a gazillion g's flying fighters for the Navy for 30 years). Bear spray, Jetboil with 3 Jetboil gas canisters, second cup. First aid kit, Plan B survival kit, camera and folding knife. Water pills for questionable water sources but no filter (last year didn't use the pills at all).

Have to repack all the food into plastic bags to fit in the canister and be creative packing the rest of the stuff into a 6-Moons pack - but equipped as described above (52 or so lbs. at start), life in the wilderness is comfortable - if not downright luxurious. Although I must admit to start fantasizing about pixxa and beer around day 9.

Long reply - but the bottom line is if you so chose, you really don't have to resupply to do the JMT.

Kevin and all,

I plan to do JMT this Aug. I don't have the detail plan yet, but I am targeting to complete it in 2 weeks(the longest vocation I could possible get). I have some questions:
1. Water source: how much water you carry for each day? How ofter could you refill the water (twice per day)?
2. Seems that a lot of people don't treat water in JMT, but I am not experience enough for this, so I plan to use water treatment tablets. Would that work?
3. Weather: what is the typical weather in Aug? what is the lowest temp? any snow?
4. I plan ~20 miles per day. So I might have 1-2 days rest depends on how it goes. Are there any good places to fish near JMT?

Thanks
mt_hiker

Hi mt_hiker

I’ve hiked segments of the JMT for years, and the complete trail a couple times; last summer I hiked the JMT from Happy Isles to Whitney (I took three weeks-my preference).

The majority of the JMT follows the course of water; you’ve got water available most of the time, other than going over the passes, and certain stretches (i.e. heading south from Reds Meadow between Deer Creek and Duck Lake), but never more than a few miles. I carry a 3-liter camelback.

In the past, I ALWAYS filtered my water on the JMT, but after reading everything I could find on information available and others’ trip reports, I decided not to filter this time; I was never uncomfortable with this decision. I felt really comfortable collecting my water from fast moving streams, springs, surface water of lakes, and smaller streams if I could see where they originated and didn’t cross the trail. Most people that I ran into who chose to treat their water did so with a pump type of filter; I ran into a couple people who used the steri-pen. The only people who I spoke to who carried the water treatment tablets only carried them for “questionable water”, but had not used them.

“Weather” is almost impossible to predict, but I will say that in my experiences on the JMT (mostly July and August), I have had warm blue skies, rain, hail, thunder and lightning… everything BUT snow, but that’s not unheard of either. All anyone can tell you is to be prepared. I carry a 20-degree down bag and a light-weight solo tent, and I’ve always been comfortable. I don’t bring a thermometer, but there were plenty of mornings with frost on my tent and the ground.

I don’t have any experience in the “fishing” department, but there are plenty of people on this board and others that do. If you’re lucky, “Markskor” will see this post – I think he’s fished every area of the Sierra and is always happy to pass on info. If you haven’t already posted on the High Sierra Topix board http://www.highsierratopix.com/ , you might also ask your questions there, there are a lot of JMT hikers on that board as well.

I used the Tom Harrison "map pack of the JMT" and was really happy with them. I carried a compass but only used it out of curiosity... the trail is well traveled to say the least. I also carried a SPOT.

Have a wonderful hike!!

Rosie

“Are there any good places to fish near JMT?”
Hey!... (Shout out to Rosie too.)

Regarding fishing the JMT, Yes, indeed there is world class fishing all along the trail. In fact, the great prospects and the abundant trout possibilities almost everywhere on the trail actually made me change my scheduled rigid planning regime and re-assess my entire hiking philosophy. My first JMT thru hike (20+ years ago) opened my eyes….Too many miles per day means walking right past the all-too-many backcountry lakes alive with boils, essentially making me miss what has now become my wilderness avocation - searching for lunkers. I now only hike to fish…No fishin’ and/or I ain’t goin’. (FYI, I go into the Sierra a lot.)

Here is the problem though… You cannot do both well – do the long 20 mile days and still devote adequate time for quality fishing daily…make a choice. 20 mile days will take up the entire day…hitting the trail early and finishing at dusk, a good meal or two…and the day is done. Why carry the extra weight, (2 – 3 pounds of fishing equipment and fish-cooking gear) if you do not have the time to use it. Instead of carrying this un-used extra ballast, perhaps think about allowing fewer miles/day or adding a few more “zero” fishing days to your route itinerary.
I hiked the trail in 15 days, little or no fishing on that trip – maybe a bit rushed but still a good trip nonetheless. I also did it in 32 days and fished the hell out of the entire trail - a truly great adventure.

A relative of mine once came out to visit us in California in his RV. He put a video camera on his rig so he could go back later and see what he missed along the route on his 3 day drive out from Texas.

A man has to know his priorities.
Markskor

My son and I did the JMT in 9 days in late July - early August of 2006. I think that one should go at a pace one enjoys, plan rest days according to personal preference, etc. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip.

There is plenty of clean water along the trail. We each carried two half-liter bottles and an extra bag (to use in camp every night). The only time we carried more than one liter of water each was going up Whitney at the end, when we each had 1.5 liters. We carried a filter but never used it. If I did it today, I might carry a Steri-Pen, but would probably not use it.

Typical weather in August is nice. I think our low was about 25 and the high around 80. But people can tell you stories about snowstorms and single digit temperatures in August. We saw little rain, but I know of August trips where it rained significantly every day for a week.

I hiked the JMT solo south to north in 17 days with no food drops. I only brought 14 days worth of food, so I spent a lot of time thinking about food and appreciated generous hand-outs here and there. To reduce pack weight, I brought a light tarp instead of a tent. Luckily, it never rained. Regarding water purification, I brought a filter but stupidly neglected to bring the cleaning brush. After several days, the filter was so clogged with silt that it took about 15 minutes to pump a liter. Thus my toothbrush took on another role and my teeth did suffer. I also neglected to bring toilet paper. I wouldn't recommend that. The other mistake I made was bringing leather boots that were too small. After a few days, my feet were so covered in blisters that every single step was agonizing. My feet adapted after about seven days. Hitchhiking from Yosemite Valley back to Whitney Portal was not too much of a problem.

For me, the first half of the JMT was extremely challenging, but as my body adapted and my pack weight dropped, it became a casual and thoroughly enjoyable ramble.

I remember carrying 1-litter bottle in my hand most of the time. If looking at the map, JMT Map Pack, and notiticing that there's no nearby stream, I usually go with two. There's plenty of water along the way as others mentioned. I drank straight from most water sources and avoided the suspecting looking ones around Mammoth because of the horse poop in the stream.

I makes me angry that the people that own horses do not even bother to scoop their horse poop out of the stream. Some sections of the JMT are very dusty due to packed animal traffic.

Thanks all for the great information!

Markskor,
My priority is completing the JMT. I think I might have 1-2 spare days I could go fishing. Or I could plan the daily mileage according to the spots I could fish. I think I could go as far as 30 miles a day if I have an easier second day. Right now, I am just gathering as much info as I could to form a plan. At the end, I might drop fishing completely if it doesn't fit the itinerary.

32 days in JMT? How do you plan the food resupply? Or fish is the main source of food?

I am entertaining the idea of going light. Down jacket, sleeping bag and tent. If I need to drop one, which one would you pick? sleeping bag?

Mt_hiker.

Last summer I ran into a man from England in the Deer Meadow area; he and a friend were hiking the JMT.

He didn’t bring a sleeping bag because “someone who knew…” (in England) said he wouldn’t need one on the JMT in August because it would be so warm.

The weather had been rainy and downright cold at night. The cold temperatures and discomfort were really taking a toll on him, so he finally bought a sleeping bag at Vermillion Valley resort, but all that was available was a “car camping bag” so it was really heavy.

How sad that he traveled such a long distance to hike the JMT, only to have it be a negative experience.

…I guess this is kind of a long, round-about way of saying that my sleeping bag would be the LAST thing I’d jettison. I don’t like to get cold, and when I’m solo I’m especially careful about it. IMO, I wouldn’t eliminate any of the three….but that’s me. You could always substitute something for rain protection at night, but there are solo light-weight tents now that are SO light, I don’t see it being that big of a benefit. It’s a balancing act…between comfort and pack-weight.

Kevin,

Congratulations on a trip done your way. What I learned on the JMT two years ago was that I LOVE resupply stops! I had never done that before and it was great starting from Yosemite with only two days of food, then Tuolumne with four, then MTR with seven. So to each his own.




I did it in 15 days also. I hadn't been hiking much in 10 years so it was a personal challenge and like Kevin I only had 2 weeks available for the trip. I wanted to do the whole JMT!

You can be sure that I savored the experience. By packing light I experienced far less pain than slower trips where I packed heavier. By covering 15+ miles a day I managed to cover the distance from Muir Trail Ranch to the Portal in a week with a starting pack weight under 30 pounds.

By streamlining my routine I got to enjoy walking dawn to dusk, with many long breaks in the middle. I generally took a nice swim/dinner/siesta break mid-day. Then I enjoyed the stroll into the evening. I saw much more than I would have with head down under a heavy pack.



I guess that's where I differ. I didn't speed hike. Even doing it in 12 days (my thought if I repeat), I won't speed. I'll always hike at a pace that allows me to enjoy the walk. By hiking a bit faster than the average (and a lot slower than some, including some of my elders), I did catch up to quite a few hikers and enjoy nice chats- while walking or taking a break.

...


Thanks. I'm glad you ended with that. I'll reply that if you're a "slow hiker" because that's how you enjoy the trip- great. If you're slow because your load is heavy and your boots give you pain, fix that! Pain shouldn't be your constant companion on the trail!

Jim

Thanks rosabella!

More questions:
1. What degree of sleeping bag did you use? Mines is 15. I guess it is overkill in Aug at JMT.
2. What is the daily calorie intake during the trip?
3. If I want to build the fire to cook at the trail where the fire is allowed, are the woods easy to find?

By the way, please bear with me for so many questions. This is my second multiply days backpacking trip. The first one is Cottonwood pass to Mt. Whitney 2 years ago. I enjoyed backpacking, just couldn't find enough time for it.

mt_hiker

Jim,



This is about what I am thinking. How do you manage to have the pack weight under 30 pounds?

mt_hiker

(From Muir Trail Ranch)

First, I want to say I took too much food. I probably gave away 3 pounds to a kid who had packed too little.

The main thing was low pack weight. My "base" weight was about 16 pounds with the bear can but without food or water. Since then I have trimmed around two more pounds of gear. The main way to cut weight is to leave the extras at home!

A light pack makes it pleasant to spend more time walking. It also allows lighter footwear, which also makes it pleasant to spend more time walking.