John Muir Trail

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This article is about the trail in California. For the trail in Tennessee, see John Muir Trail (Tennessee)

John Muir Trail
View looking west to Thousand Island Lake and Banner Peak in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, along the trail
Length	211 mi; 340 km
Location	California, United States
Trailheads	Happy Isles trailhead, Yosemite Valley Whitney Portal
Use	Backpacking, hiking, trail running, trail riding, pack trains
Elevation Change	~15 miles (~24 km)
Highest Point	Mt. Whitney (14,505 ft/4421 m)
Lowest Point	Happy Isles trailhead, Yosemite Valley (4035 ft/1230 m)
Trail Difficulty	Moderate to strenuous
Months	July to September
Sights	Yosemite Valley, Devils Postpile, Sierra Nevada
Hazards	Snowmelt, icy slopes early season, altitude

The John Muir Trail (JMT) is a long-distance trail in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, running 211 miles (340 km) from the Happy Isles trailhead in Yosemite Valley south to the summit of Mount Whitney on the border of Sequoia National Park and Inyo National Forest. For about 160 miles (260 km), the trail follows the same footpath as the much longer Pacific Crest Trail. It is named for naturalist John Muir.

Contents 1 Route 2 Elevation 3 History 4 Hiking 4.1 Speed record 5 See also 6 References 6.1 Sources 7 External links

[edit] Route

The official length of the JMT (as stated by the USGS) is 211 miles (340 km). From its northern terminus in Yosemite Valley, the trail runs northeast to Tuolumne Meadows passing south of Half Dome. From Tuolumne Meadows the trail turns south, running parallel to the main range of the Sierra Nevada, through Yosemite National Park, Inyo and Sierra national forests (including the John Muir and Ansel Adams wilderness areas), Devils Postpile National Monument, Kings Canyon National Park, and Sequoia National Park. From the southern terminus of the John Muir Trail at the summit of Mt. Whitney, an additional 11-mile (18 km) hike is required to reach the nearest trailhead at Whitney Portal, thus making an end-to-end traverse of the trail effectively 222 miles (357 km).

[edit] Elevation

With the exception of the first 9 miles (14 km) at the northern end climbing out of Yosemite Valley, the elevation of the John Muir Trail seldom dips below 8,000 feet (2,400 m). The trail crosses six passes in excess of 11,000 feet (3,400 m); from north to south, they are: Donohue Pass, Muir Pass, Mather Pass, Pinchot Pass, Glen Pass, and Forester Pass (the highest, at 13,153 feet (4,009 m)).

When the length of the John Muir Trail was calculated by the USGS, elevation gain and loss was not taken into consideration. It is estimated that, when hiking north to south, the amount of ascent of the JMT is just over 46,000 feet (14,000 m) and the total descent is just over 38,000 feet (12,000 m), for a total of about 84,000 feet (26,000 m), or almost 16 miles (26 km); however, this does not mean the total length is increased by 16 miles (26 km).

[edit] History

Construction of the JMT began a year after Muir's death in 1915 with a $10,000 grant from the California legislature, and was completed in 1938 with the construction of the "Golden Staircase" section of the trail northwest of Mather Pass.

[edit] Hiking

The primary hiking season is usually from July through September, though snow may linger on the higher passes well into August following heavy snow years. Early season hikers -- including Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers headed north for Canada -- have to contend not only with the snowpack and icy slopes near the passes, but with streams swollen with snowmelt. Trail conditions are less demanding later in the season after the snowmelt concludes, and the weather generally remains pleasant for hiking through September.

Weather during the hiking season is generally sunny and dry, but afternoon thunderstorms are not uncommon. The trail is used primarily by backpackers and dayhikers, but also by runners, trail riders, and pack trains. Backpackers travelling at a generous pace usually complete the trail in two to three weeks.

A permit is required to hike the JMT, which is obtained from the national park or forest where the hiker begins the hike. This single permit is valid for the entire hike. Most JMT thru-hikers find it easier to obtain a permit at the Yosemite end, as those seeking to begin their hike at the southern trailhead at Whitney Portal must compete for permits with dayhikers climbing Mt. Whitney. Backpackers entering the Sierra backcountry on multi-day trips are generally required to carry their food in approved hard-sided storage containers known as bear canisters to protect their food and other scented items from theft by black bears, which are common in the region.

The JMT is traditionally hiked north to south, from Yosemite Valley to Mt. Whitney. There are advantages to starting in Yosemite Valley and hiking south. Although there is a significant net altitude gain this way, starting at a lower altitude allows the hiker time to acclimate to the elevations of the trail rather than immediately having to tackle a 6,000-foot (1,800-meter) climb to the summit of Mt. Whitney. In addition, there are several resupply points convenient to the JMT during its northern half (Tuolumne Meadows, Reds Meadow, Vermillion Valley Ranch, Muir Trail Ranch), allowing the hiker to carry a lighter food load early in the hike and also to exit the trail easily if problems arise. The southern half of the JMT is more remote and generally higher in elevation, thus making it more appropriate for the second half of the hike when maximum conditioning has been attained.

[edit] Speed record

The speed record for fastpacking the John Muir Trail without resupply (as of 2007) is held by Michael Popov, who completed the trail in 4 days, 5 hours, and 25 minutes.^[1] Popov carried all of his equipment and received no outside assistance.

On August 26, 2007 Sue Johnston arrived at Happy Isles trailhead in Yosemite Valley, having run from Whitney Portal in 3 days, 20 hours. Total distance 218 miles.[1]

[edit] See also

• Ecology of the Sierra Nevada
• Long-distance trails in the United States
• Sierra High Route
• Sierra Nevada
• John Muir Wilderness
• Yosemite National Park
• Kings Canyon National Park
• Sequoia National Park
• Mount Whitney
• Ansel Adams Wilderness

[edit] References

[edit] Sources

[edit] External links

• Elevation profile for the JMT with high resolution available
• Information about hiking the John Muir Trail
• John Muir Trail planning info and general long distance hiking tips
• Panoramic photos taken along the JMT
• Journals of many JMT hikes
• Story about an unsuccessful unsupported JMT thru-run
• Set of free JMT trail topo maps
• A personal account of a JMT thru-hike completed in September 2007