John Muir Trail: An Overview
- Tiff
- Jan 18, 2023
- 8 min read
Updated: Oct 23, 2023
General Thoughts on the trail:
I went North to South, starting in Yosemite and ending at Whitney Portal. Many people go south to north, but I enjoyed our route. Going north to south allows you to get acclimated to the altitude. The difficulty increases, yet so does your endurance. Starting S to N means getting the hard stuff out of the way first, so it’s up to you.
A lot of it actually just has to do with how you get permits. It’s much more difficult to get a wilderness permit and Whitney portal pass. If you start at Yosemite, you don’t need the Whitney pass (separate application) because you’ll hold a wilderness pass.
Passes
There are six passes you’ll go over. North to South, they run:
Donahue Pass
Muir Pass
Mather Pass
Pinchot Pass
Glen Pass
Forester Pass
Each is amazing. Each is uniquely challenging. Soak in every moment. Stop to take in the view. Enjoy a snack at the top. Feel the mountains!
If You Decide to Hike North to South
I highly suggest doing Whitney at sunrise. You will get no sleep. This is okay. It’s so worth it. You’ll need to trek Whitney in the dark. Many people who do this leave their packs at a fork on the trail before heading up fully. It can be freaky, especially if you aren’t used to hiking in the dark. My friend had to literally verbally and prayerfully guide me through because it was so bizarre. So worth every second.
Prepping for the Trail
A note: Please prep for this. I did a horrible job prepping for my food and it still worked out, but it’s best to be safe.
Know your campsites/milages/goals for each day and night. There are a ton of campsites everywhere on the trail so you’ll definitely find one. They’ll tell you this is Yose or Whitney Portal but make sure you’re at an actual campsite, not just off the trail. Having all of your ducks in a line means less hassle at the permit station and getting to the trail faster! It also gives you the reassurance of having attainable daily goals so you can stay on track/schedule.
Obviously, divert from the schedule if you’re feeling up to it, but make sure straying from your daily mileage stays within your time parameters. Meaning: if you only have 15 days to complete the trail, you’ll want to maintain a higher mileage per day. If you decide to lessen miles one day, you’ll have to compensate in the future. If you decide you want an extra rest day by a pass, make up the mileage over the two days prior to the pass. If you can be flexible with time, that’s even better!
I suggest marking your campsites on a map so you have an idea of where you’ll end up. This is the chart that I made to know the approximate mileage and campsite area. We strayed from this a lot. Our entry point changed, we didn’t go to Independence, and we hustled to VVR to get an extra layover day. However, it was helpful to have a rough guideline. The start really depends on where your entry point is.
Food
You know your body best, so only you can know fully how much you need to pack. However, here are some tips for backpacking food.
If you buy prepackaged meals (backpacker’s pantry, mountainous, etc.), you can transfer contents to a quart-size freezer ziplock bag. Doing so will save you room in your bear box. Freezer ziplocks can hold boiling water. This tip saved my life while packing my food!
Pack snacks, and lots of ‘em.
Your body will crave electrolytes. Some of the best are:
Liquid IV: I carried an extra water bottle just for my electrolyte water!!
Beef broth: a bouillon cube each night replenishes your sodium and warms you up before sleep :)
Literally, just bring salt packets
Instant mash potatoes
Olive oil gives lots of fats and calories in small doses (gleaned this tip from a trail mate)
Spices to make your meals interesting (you want to enjoy your food! It’s not just for calories. It’s an experience!)
Dried fruit: you can dehydrate your own food before you go on the trail!
My breakfasts were oats, chia seed, flavored protein powder, and a dollop of peanut butter
Chia seeds in meals give energy
Instant coffee is a lifesaver on the trail! I splurged and got Trader Joe’s instant coffee because it is objectively the best.
Tuna packets
Jerky
Hearty candy (snickers, paydays, etc.)
Peanut butter
Spam: don’t knock it til ya try it!
Get variety in there! I made the mistake of having very similar lunches every day. I got so sick of it at the end.
Consider breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for each day. You’ll get into a pattern. Maybe you need a big breakfast and can go light on lunch. Maybe you aren’t hungry until a few hours into the day. Again, you know your body best. Honor that and be willing to adjust to your body’s needs.
Always make sure you have enough water for meals.
Play around with options. Consider costs, variety, calories, and weight.
Resupply
Below are the resupply station options. Make sure you ship your resupply out at least two weeks before your trek. You want your food to be at the resupply stations when you are! (I had a little fright at VVR. It all worked out, and the people are really accommodating, but it’s better to avoid the stress!)
There is usually overflow food from other backpackers. A lot of PCT people get sick of what they packed. New people pack way too much. You may be sick of what you packed and want diversity. You’re allowed to take from these overflow bins. Just know that they may already be picked through, so you may not want to rely on them. Mail yourself every meal. It’s best to lose a few bucks and leave stuff than be worrying about not having enough food. It’s all about balance. You’ll learn more about your body and what you want and need the further you get in the trail. Proceed by listening to your tummy.
This is the first resupply station. You can wash your face in the sink! They have showers but you have to pay (you’ll probably get here in the first week of your trek, so I’d wait until VVR if you decide to go there). Great spot to resupply
This place is hiker heaven. I did two layover nights here lol, it’s incredible! Great community, free for hikers to stay at. Watch your tab, though, because they charge a lot for meals, but it’s WORTH IT (bring your credit card or cash).
You can do laundry here! It’s amazing!
You can take a ferry ride here, which I highly suggest. They stop running at 4:30 I believe, but you can call them to double-check. You can also hike. It’s off-trial but not by much
You can ship resupply here, also. They do resupply twice a week so ship your food out way ahead of time to make sure they have it when you get there. If not, you may have to wait until they go back into town (no bueno).
Also a great resupply station. Many people don’t resupply here if they did VVR because it’s only a 2-4 day trek between the two stops. However, those are 2-4 glorious days of lighter-weight packs. You save $ by not shipping here, but you also give yourself a break by shipping to both.
They also have some gear you can buy if you forget something, want something, or an essential gear item breaks.
If you go a little off-trail, there are hot springs. Below are directions (they seem obvious but it was sort of obscure when at the actual ranch)
Start at the ranch and find the hot spring signs
You’ll come to a river (so beautiful! Lots of colorful rocks). Find the ropes and walkthrough
Walk up to a field. There are at least three springs we found!
This one requires you to hike an extra 15 miles over another pass. Once you get to the trailhead, hitchhike into town. I was originally planning to go here but then packed extra resupply at MTR. It was heavy, but I didn’t want to hike the extra miles at that point.
Exiting the Trail
You’ll end at Whitney portal (if you go N to S). Hitch a ride to Lone Pine, CA. There is a hiker’s hostel you can stay at. It’s a great, quaint town. I also suggest buying clean clothes. There’s also a laundromat! I wanted some memorabilia (and truthfully I don’t think a single wash was going to cut it for my clothes).
Transportation
I don’t have a lot of suggestions on this one. I drove my car from OR to CA and picked my friends up from the airport. We kept my car at the Tuolumne meadows trailhead (our permit entry point) and it was fine for the two+ weeks we were on the trail. We all got really lucky and hitched a ride back from Whitney portal to lone pine to Yosemite (it took five different hitches but it all got done quite nicely).
If you don’t want to rely on hitchhiking (it is, of course, not the most reliable option), then there are other bus routes available. Make sure you know the hours. Some are closed on the weekends, so you’ll have to time your exit.
*** Disclaimer: hitchhiking may be legal in some areas but there may be laws prohibiting standing by or walking along roads. Most people who pick up hitchers are cool. Some are really not. Hitchhike this at your own discretion.***
Here’s a link to a good blog about transportation. The only thing I have to add is with is flight info. My friends landed in Sacramento (I took I-5 down so it was an easy pick-up). If you can coordinate rides, Sacramento airport may be cheaper than the alternatives mentioned in the blog.
FYI- Lee Vining is the town right outside of highway 120, which is the highway that leads to the east entrance of Yosemite. If you hitch and they’re not going to the park, get dropped off at Lee Vining so you can find a ride into Yosemite. Remember to trust your gut and stay safe out there!
Backpacking Gear
Here’s some gear :) I suggest waterproofing the tent fly, shoes, and pack cover. There will be a lot more content on gear later soon. This is just a quick overview!
Clothes
You only need to pack a couple of pairs of clothes:
Two pairs of hiking shorts and/or pants. I had hiking pants that unzipped to shorts. These are better than pants and shorts! Bonus points if they have built-in underwear
Two-day shirts (short)
Long underwear
Warm layer
Puffy
Rain jacket/shell
Fleece leggings
Two or three pairs of day socks (wear the same pair until ya can’t bear it anymore)
Wool socks for sleeping
Knit cap for sleeping and cold
Buffs
Two sports bras. I had a shirt that was also a sports bra
Camp shoes (light-weight slip-ons)
Camping
Single or double backpacking tent + fly
Tent footprint
Sleeping bag. I suggest zero degree
Sleeping pad
Kitchen
Propane (plus extra for resupply)
Backpacking stove
Water filter
Spork
Mug/cup that you can heat water in
Lighter
Other Pack Stuff
Not in order of importance, just in order of my own remembrance.
A pack that fits!
Hiking poles
Bear canister
Duct tape
Hair ties
Sunglasses
First aid gear
Map
GPS if you want
Tampons
Prep-H
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Toilet paper
Extra zip locks to put your used TP in. TIP: if you want to avoid TP, use a portable bidet and a pee cloth
Lightweight poop shovel
Wag bag for Mt. Whitney
Sunscreen
Chapstick
Hat
Medication
Bug spray
Knife
Deck of cards
Journal and pen
Portable charger
ID
Phone
Hand sanitizer
Whistle
Water bottles (smart water bottles work well. I used a water bladder + extra for electrolytes)
Headlamp
Closing Thoughts
If you're prepping for this, you're about to go on a wild wide! You can do this. Whether you're breaking it up by section or doing the JMT thru-hike, you are fully capable of working hard and accomplishing this goal! Go get 'em!
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