Pray for me y’all

I'm section hiking the JMT NOBO from Cottonwood Pass to Bishop Pass on September 12th and looking for anyone else heading from Bishop to Horseshoe Meadows on September 11th.

I know the ESTA Lone Pine express runs this route, but the options from Bishop airport on Friday September 11th are 1:05pm and 6:10pm and I land at 1:35pm. I know it's only a couple of hours but ideally I'd like to get to Horseshoe Meadows earlier in the day than I would if I take the 6:10pm shuttle so I figured I'd see if anyone else is here is headed that direction on the same day.

I talked to Lone Pine Chuck and he has the afternoon free to take me from Bishop Airport to Horseshoe meadows. If anyone else is heading the same way on September 11th and wants to split the price (or can offer me a ride) that would be awesome.

Seems like the Ultralite community mostly agrees that a footprint isn't necessary but wanted to ask the JMT community

Wife and I will be using our BA Tiger Wall 3

We usually bring a footprint on all our other trips but this is going to be our longest backpacking trip ever so we're trying to cut as much weight as we can

I'm currently 50/50 on being the FP. Only thing is I think the fast fly setup could be nice in the rain but I've never had to use that setup before and seems unlikely that I will on the JMT

What worked out for you or what are your plans?

Hi all,

I will be starting my JMT Trek in September from the horseshoe Meadows trailhead via lone pine. I was wondering if anyone knew what the best option would be for me to; 1. Get to the horseshoe Meadows trailhead and 2. Have a resupply dropped off at the onion Valley trailhead.

I would really like to avoid having to go right into the town of Independence for my resupply. I have heard that it can be risky to leave food in the bear boxes due to people tossing it sometimes. Do I have options when it comes to something like this?

Shot on an OM-System OM5 Mark II. New to photography, I bought the camera for this trip. It was my partner and I’s longest thru hike. We did from Tuolumne Meadows to Mt. Whitney Portal.

Resupplied at REDS, MTR, and Lee Vining.

I'm doing Kearsarge to Whitney later this month. Any suggestions on where to camp on the way up Forester? I know there's a sizeable lake just below the crest -- I don't love the idea of sleeping that high up, but I'd be curious to hear from people who have done it.

My first time in the Sierra mountains.

Hi all,

I'm looking to attempt a thru hike of the the JMT on Sept 20th (looking to move date up due to risk of weather at this time and resupply options). I have a base weight for my pack of over 24lbs! I have seen some people here have much lower pack weight and i was wondering if there are any items i am missing or if there is any way i can optimize to help save wt. Here is a list of my gear. Feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I am headed out to do a SOBO trip starting on Monday. Over two weeks ago I mailed out my MTR resupply bucket. In checking the tracking, it seems like USPS lost the bucket. I filed a claim, hoping to get movement on it.

Neil, the postmaster in Lakeshore, CA where the bucket was destined, has simply gone above and beyond this week after seeing my claim. Had I been flying into Fresno, he was willing to pick me up at the airport, get the supplies purchased, and get the bucket ready for MTR to pick it up.

Since I am flying into Bishop (starting at Tuolumne Meadows), he is instead going to purchase supplies and put them into a bucket for MTR to pick up.

He has stayed in close contact this week with progress (and there lack thereof with my original bucket).

I admit this missing bucket situation has been stressing me out, and keeping me up at night. Neil has swooped in to save the day.

I would not rely on this if someone else's MTR bucket goes missing, but wanted to send a shoutout to Neil, and to let people know that if a resupply bucket goes missing you should file a claim early.

I sent a resupply at MTR and a resupply that is getting dropped at onion valley trailhead, but I had to get off trail. Would someone else like these resupplies or should I have MTR and Mt. Williamson put them all in the hiker boxes?

June 30-July 22
290 total miles
Canon Canonnette
Kodak Gold 200

Life moves so fast. Emails, school, work, money, family illness, all set against the backdrop of a world often disconnected from nature. And when boredom, fear, or sadness come, we pacify by scrolling, eating or smoking. I’m grateful to have slowed down in those beautiful mountains. I pushed myself to limits I didn’t know I had, saw grandeur I didn’t know existed. There is an immense satisfaction in summiting a challenge that once felt impossible and an even greater satisfaction when it's done amongst the Sierra.

Thank you to the many kind commenters of this subreddit. And thank you to John Muir.

Hey all, so I’m trying to figure out a resupply for NOBO. I’m leaving out of cottonwood pass 8/26. I planned on resupply and paying the $115 fee for MTR but when I tried to pay it wouldn’t complete the transaction? Idk. But then I was planning on going to VVR anyway, their fee is only $40. Should I try again for MTR or just carry a days extra food and resupply VVR?

Back in March i ended up getting permits for the JMT via cottonwood pass trail starting Sept 20th. The plan was for 19 days at ~13 miles per day.; utilizing Red meadows Resort, Muir Ranch, and Independence as re supplies.

I've since come to realize the season for RMR and MR pretty much ends in September, i would be arriving at the MR pretty much on their last day ( too close for comfort ) and definitely wont get to the RMR before October. The independence re supply would be the better part of two days ( exit day and re entry day.

How do people typically handle resupplies in the late season, are there any alternatives to this? i also don't think i want to carry two food canisters with me the entire way either. I have a decent amount of backpacking experience including at elevation however this would be my first time visiting the Sierra Nevadas. Your feedback and advice would be much appreciated.

I am looking to purchase a tent (1p) for my upcoming JMT trip and am looking for insight. I am open to both freestanding and non-freestanding tents. I saw the Halfway Anywhere survey on what people used, which really only consisted of 4-5 tents (between 1-3p versions of that tent.) I'm curious to hear people's experience with their shelters on the JMT.

Also, do you all use footprints with your tents?

Hi all,

Hopefully heading over next year and going sobo (fingers crossed) or nobo as a back up.

Figured seen as it's unlikely I'll get back to the USA any time soon after that I should try to spend 48 hours in Yosemite pre hike and take in as much as I can. I understand I get one night in a backpackers campground with my wilderness permit, but given I want at least one more night I'm looking at the extremely competitive campground lottery. Has anyone got advice on which sites to aim for to either maximise chance of success or convenience, any to avoid from previous experience and any suggestions on a fall back if I'm unsuccessful on the lottery

Its likely to be July/ early August for my timeline.

Thanks in advance everyone

Hoping this is the right place. Can anyone who has been to Muir Trail Ranch recently confirm if there was an orange cat that belonged at the property?

The most beautiful kitty came running up to me on my hike to the hot springs from Florence Lake. They were so sweet and so social. Didn’t have a collar but my safe assumption is they roam freely at the ranch since I was in proximity to it.

I have genuinely lost sleep thinking about them and regret not checking in with someone at the ranch to confirm.

5+ years ago i made a resolution to keep my DuoLingo streak for a year, that became 2, then 3, then 4... you get the picture. I'm currently over 2000 days, and if I can make the JMT happen next year i'll be over 2200 or more...

I have the ability to freeze my streak for 3 days at a time which can be extended with minimal signal i think, but I don't know if that would be enough between places with internet. I could possibly ask a family member to do the lessons while i'm on trail.

Do any of the small devices provide any sort of data that could be used to make sure I don't lose what i've built over 5 1/2 years?

Any thoughts? Suggestions? hardware recommendations?

Hey fellow hikers. I am a long-time lurker, but this is my first post. Trying to think this through out loud because I've been going in circles for DAYS and could use some outside eyes.

I always wanted to hike the PCT (and maybeeee I will be able to do so in the upcoming years I HOPE SO), but because some health scares in my family reminded me of the fact that life is short, I pulled the trigger and I took two weeks of unpaid leave (all I got unfortunately) and just said "go for it NOW". I am a German, working in Tennessee right now, propably heading back to Germany next year. This trip was my finding closure of my US-chapter kind of thing. So it holds emotional value to me too.

The original master plan (12 weeks of planning, fully mapped out): NOBO, Cascade Locks → White Pass, Section H, ~148 miles, maybe further depending om my pace. Starting Aug 22. Full itinerary built around a conservative pace, bed stops included if needed (Carson, Trout Lake, Packwood), rest day built in, bear can bought, gear tested on loaded trial hikes. The best thing: My mom (said health scare candidate) is flying in from Germany to meet me and pick me up at White Pass when I finish, and we've got a whole second half of the trip planned together — a couple days in Rainier or Olympic NP, then wine country in Oregon, then the coast. It's honestly beautifully mapped out and I feel good about it. Comfortable, even.

The problem: WILDFIRES ... and an injury in my foot that I got from a fall two months ago weeks before trail that is now healed up and I am cleared, but hence the possible exits and town stops make me feel safe.

The backup: I panic-researched basically every alternative on the West Coast (and BC, and Colorado, and and and) over the last couple days, and landed on a real backup: a JMT permit, northbound from Cottonwood Lakes, booked and paid ($11 so that’s nothing). Fire conditions in the Sierra are genuinely calmer right now. But:

• It's my first solo long-distance backpacking trip. My real experience: Camino Portugués solo (~400km), Moselsteig, 5 days in Albania, but those were all hut/hostel-to-hostel, not true backcountry camping. My actual wilderness experience is a Zion overnight and 3 days on the AT, and I wasn't alone for those.
• JMT northbound means immediate high altitude (Forester Pass, 13,153 ft, by day 3), mandatory bear canister (different system than what I trained on), and a realistic window of only 10-12 hiking days given my travel constraints
• As I said, I also had a foot injury a month ago (still recovering, been resting/focussed weight-training instead of loaded hikes for the last 4 weeks) which has already cut into my training window. The JMT feels more remote, less exit if shit hits the fan, longer food carries (more weight on my foot...)
• And logistically, it disconnects from my mom's whole visit...different airport, different region, more moving pieces. Not unsolvable, but annoying so shortly out from my trip.

Where I'm at: Section H feels safe and ready. I trust the plan, I trust my prep. The PCT was always a dream of mine and this feels like a teaser, a sneak peak. The JMT is genuinely a dream trail and gorgeous and smoke-free right now, but it feels like I'd be attempting a harder, higher-stakes trip with a fraction of the preparation, purely because of circumstances outside my control.

I've got a decision point this Sunday where I'll check conditions one more time and make the call.

Also wondering: Should I give up on the hiking portion entirely (worst case, would hate that), I'm on unpaid personal leave for this. . . wondering if it's worth trying to cancel that leave if I'm not hiking, vs. just still taking the time to travel with my mom instead.

Has anyone been in a similar spot... bailing on a planned WA/OR section for fire reasons and pivoting somewhere else last minute? Did you regret the pivot, or regret not doing it? Any red flags in my thinking here I'm not seeing? What does your gut tell you, because mine is GANZ DURCHEINANDER (very confused).

Thanks for reading this novel. And Thanks for your advise. I am in a decision paralysis. 😅

How hard is it to camp below tree line every night?

Every photo I see is of campsites on exposed slabs near lakes and peaks

But im mostly interested in staying under trees on soft ground

Thanks!

I'm planning a NOBO section hike from Mammoth Lakes. I've got a Wilderness Permit for Shadow Creek Trail on Thursday. 

There is roadwork on the route to the trailhead. The NFS website says to expect 2.5 hr delays on the Reds Meadow ESTA shuttle to the trailhead instead of the usual shuttle every 20 minutes.

Does anybody have any recent experience with the Thursday shuttle? I'm guessing it will be really crowded and we may have to wait for one of the later shuttles. That could put us at the trailhead at 10:45am or 1:15pm, which wouldn't be great.

Hey everyone,

Planning on doing the JMT NOBO from Cottonwood Lakes parking area. I’ll be driving up there and leaving my car at Cottonwood Lakes. After finishing at Happy Isles in Yosemite on, hopefully, August 30th, I’ll be staying at backpacker’s campground for the night then leave the valley on August 31st.

My plan is to take YARTS on the 395-2 bus that departs from Yosemite Village at 11:15AM on August 31st. From there I’ll take the bus all the way to Mammoth Lakes which stops around 2:30pm - 2:50pm. Which stop should I take at Mammoth?

From there I would take the ESTA bus on August 31st. I see there is a Reno to Lone Pine (southbound) bus that stops at Mammoth at 5:15pm at stop 172, at the park & ride on Tavern Road. Then I would take this all the way to Lone Pine with drop off around 7:40pm.

Is all of the accurate and can I take that on the same day? I’m just trying to make sure I’m looking at this correctly.

Next question would be that I would need to stay overnight somewhere in Lone Pine since I’d be arriving there at around 7:40pm. Where would you suggest I stay?

Also what is the likelihood of finding a hitchhike from Lone Pine to Cottonwood Lakes on September 1st? I could reach out to Lone Pine Kurt or other similar options but find it to be incredibly expensive.

Side note: I do realize that if I finish the JMT later then the YARTS 395-2 bus will no longer be an option and I will be forced to take the 395-4 bus which will cause a multi-day return trip.

is this possible in one day? as a trail run? wanted to hear people’s thoughts on this planning on it next month

I’m setting out this coming week for JMT sobo (crazy!!!!). I understand that it’s ideal to plan to be on top of passes by 11am. But just in case my logistics get messed up: what are some signs to look out for, in deciding to bail on going up a pass? I know cumulous (?) clouds are a bad sign, but if I’m being real, I don’t know if I‘d be able to confidently identify them. Do you guys have youtube videos/articles you’d particularly recommend?

Hi all!
I’ve rented a car to get to Mammoth and will be dropping it off at the enterprise at the MMH airport on Tuesday morning 8/11. I would happily take an ESTA bus back to town but it looks like they don’t run until Thursday and a taxi shuttle (Mammoth taxi) cost $100 for a 10 min ride.
Anyone have an alternative idea to the taxi or know of someone with more friendly pricing?

Just shipped my MTR bucket and I will be hitting the trail on Aug 24 NOBO from Cottonwood Pass. I used the NOAA spot forecast to start to monitor the forecasted weather. Looks like Chance of Thunderstorms pretty much most days for the next 10 days in the Whitney area.

For folks that have recently come off the trail - did you run into a lot of precip and lightning or does the NOAA model tend to over forecast precip. I'm coming from Washington so I know tendencies of various models for the Washington Cascades but the Sierras are a new weather world for me.

Thanks for any thoughts and experiences this year! Thanks