John Muir Trail

[Arapiles]

I may be in the USA next year to do some walking - has anyone on here successfully booked a slot on the JMT?

The process appears to be rather complicated in that there's only certain windows when you can make bookings for a date that's 24 weeks after the booking window.

[headwerkn]

I've only briefly looked at it, as a "one day in the future bucket-list item", but by all accounts the process isn't completely impossible as a foreigner. Just involved and requires a lot of preplanning with plenty of flexibility built in. Will be interested to hear your experience if you go through with it.

[JamesMc]

A friend of mine tried the lottery repeatedly and missed out every time. We've decided to do John Chapman's Grand Sierra Traverse instead. The entry point is "overland" which means just a pad rather than a constructed track, and hence eaiser to get a permit for. Kim Stanley Robinson's book describes the John Muir Trail as being the Interstate 5 of the Sierras. I think the SGT will probably be a better walk.

I've made detailed notes of the permit booking process (which I expect to be the most challenging part of the whole trip). PM me for details.

[north-north-west]

JamesMc:

Thanks for alerting me to KSR's book on the Sierra Nevada. I've read a fair bit of his SF, and this looks to be equally interesting.

[doogs]

I've pencilled in a trip to the USA next year for some walking. The JMT looks very popular and difficult to get a permit for, it would be much easier to pick up a back-country permit and link up some of the lesser trails. You can use the JMT a bit like Taswegians use the Overland Track; hop on it for a shortish distance to get to where you want to go. The off track walking options look unreal, have a look at the Sierra High Route or the Kings Canyon High Basin Route to get some ideas of what is possible in that realm.

[ofuros]

Mile Mile & a Half....a JMT documentary that's worth a look.

Snippets here
http://themuirproject.com/mmah/videos/

[JamesMc]

I've pencilled in a trip to the USA next year for some walking. The JMT looks very popular and difficult to get a permit for, it would be much easier to pick up a back-country permit and link up some of the lesser trails. You can use the JMT a bit like Taswegians use the Overland Track; hop on it for a shortish distance to get to where you want to go. The off track walking options look unreal, have a look at the Sierra High Route or the Kings Canyon High Basin Route to get some ideas of what is possible in that realm.

Well I'm back and have a few comments on this.

Firstly, it's worth starting with a shorter walk of say a week as a shake down. This could be say Tuolumne Meadows to Yosemite Valley (JMT in reverse). Follow this with the remainder of your walk.

Secondly, book your permits early, and plan your travel around your permit.

Thirdly, a permit is effectively defined by the start date and the entry track - once in the back country, you can walk wherever and for as long as you want. It's kind of wierd. So there are lots of permit options that will get you onto the JMT - although some have a restriction on using the JMT route exiting Yosemite National Park via Donohue pass.

Fourthly, if you are going off track, there is virtually no scrub, but there is a LOT of scree / talus above the tree line. It varies from coarse sand to car sized blocks. It can be uniform in size or a mix of sizes, it can be stable or unstable. It can be horizontal or REALLY steep.

Fifthly, try not to catch covid on the flight over there. I discovered that covid makes high elevation walking MUCH harder.

Sixthly, go north to south. This will allow you to aclimatise and get over any covid you may have caught on the plane before getting to the higher sections.

Seventhly, the JMT is super crowded and the camp sites are really dusty. You will probably want wash your tent (particulary the zips) from time to time. The highlights of our walk were all off the JMT, but we did use it for a rest or to get some distance quickly.

JamesMc