2016 JMT Thru-Hike?

[MuddyWaters]

It would be good to hit yosemite during week for sure nobo. Avoid the weekenders between lyell canyon and the valley.

The 99 switchbacks down from trailcrest against the early morning surge, and the 8 miles to the portal kind of sucked. I may have cursed that trail to the portal. Not accurately depicted on maps...

[Coffee]

I disliked the trail from Trail Crest to Whitney Portal and, unlike any other trail in the Sierra, feel no need to ever hike it again. If I hike SOBO again, I'd keep going to Horseshoe Meadows. If I go NOBO, I'd enter at Horseshoe Meadows.

[Mr Liberty]

Based on my experience getting a sobo permit in 2014 and a nobo permit in 2015, getting the nobo is WAY, WAY easier. You need to start at either Cottonwood Pass or New Army Pass to make it easy. You can do a Whitney climb without a hassle, just have to declare it when you get the permit. Starting at one of these passes instead of trying to get a Whitney Portal permit adds about 20 miles or so to your hike, but is by far the easiest way to get your permit - you are not competing with all the day hikers. You can just go to recreation.gov and do it all online, no waiting to see if you get it or not. Make sure you fill in most of your planned itinerary when making the reservation, you will save yourself a lecture when you pick up your permit. Ask me how I know. :-) You are not committed to these camp sites, but they want a general idea of what your plan is.

Also, if you can, plan to spend at least a couple of nights at either Cottonwood Lakes or Horseshoe Meadow camp sites. Easy to do, first come first serve sites. The posted rules say one night only, this is not enforced unless there is a problem group, this is per the rangers - unofficial policy. Plenty of folks stay multiple nights. These are at 10,000 feet, so they give you a good opportunity to acclimate. If you want any more info on these two possibilities, or a suggested route to Whitney, let me know. I spent 8 days hiking around that area last summer, and could give you some insight - there are a couple of decisions to make.

As Saltysack said, the climb up to Whitney, from either side, is a ball buster, but from Whitney Portal would be the worst - another good reason to start at one of the passes instead.

Even 19 days would be too few for me. I would rather plan to do half one year and half the next instead of "rushing". Getting permits from entry points other than Yosemite, Lyell Canyon or Whitney Portal is pretty easy via the recreation.gov site and you know when you log out of the site if you have your permit or not, and for what dates.

Thanks so much for your help! I think my best bet would be to take a bus from the airport to Lone Pine, and then spend a night at Cottonwood Lakes, and enter through New Army Pass. From there I'll hike to base of Whitney, spend the night, and summit the next day, and then I'll be on my way on the trail! A few follow-up questions, though:

1. Are bear canisters required along the JMT, or is bear bagging acceptable? Bear canisters are heavy and bulky...
2. Is it reasonable to think that after a night of acclimation, a day of hiking ~15 miles at altitude, another night of acclimation, and a day summitting Whitney, I would be in good enough shape to hit the JMT proper doing 20+ miles/day? My usual residence is under 1000 ft, so I'll fly into CA, spend a few hours on the bus getting to ~4000 ft at Lone Pine, and then spend the night at Cottonwood Lakes (~10000 ft), and hike over a 12300 ft pass the next day. I'll definitely see about getting some altitude sickness tablets from my doctor before I leave, so I can pop sections of those along the way for the first couple days. Obviously, I'll have to be extremely fit before I leave, but that's part of the plan no matter where I start
3. Should I try to hike Half-Dome at the end of my hike, or is it too time-consuming? I'd like to try to keep my trip as short as possible, as the less time I ask off work, the more likely I am to get it


Related resource: I think this map is very handy for seeing the relative locations of different camps and trailheads if you don't have a map of the area, as I don't.
http://www.hikespeak.com/map-viewer/#/?m=Sierra-Nevada-California&lat=36.454&lng=-118.21&z=11

Thanks to everyone for your very prompt replies! All of you have been extremely helpful so far

[MuddyWaters]

Everyones different. Based on past, your acclimatization plan would work for me most likely, but it would require a medivac for my wife. If you dont know, it really pays to be prudent.

[saltysack]

I flew in to mammoth from sea level. Started walking the following day doing 15 miles from Devils to thousand island lakes. I took low dose diamox as CR suggested. The diamox killed my appetite and made me feel strange..with that said I had a bout of vertigo (previous ailment). After 4 days I quit taking diamox and finished in 13 days...I would have preferred a day to acclimate but was on a tight schedule. Amazing trip! When I go back I'll do as others recommended heading Nobo...


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[saltysack]

Yes to bear can. If your going quick rent the Bearikade weekender....worked perfect with a Resupply in mammoth and Mtr.


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[Lyle]

My comments below in blue.

Thanks so much for your help! I think my best bet would be to take a bus from the airport to Lone Pine, and then spend a night at Cottonwood Lakes, and enter through New Army Pass. From there I'll hike to base of Whitney, spend the night, and summit the next day, and then I'll be on my way on the trail! If you mean Cottonwood Lakes Campground for the first night, and base of Whitney (Guitar Lake) for the second, that may be a bit too ambitious. I met a couple of young ladies at Crabtree Junction last year who had come in over New Army, and they were WIPED OUT! They actually ended their thru hike attempt and hiked out over Trail Crest a couple of days later. Guitar lake is about 6 or 7 miles further, uphill from Crabree Junction (these mileages are just from memory - no map in front of me). If, on the other hand, you meant spend the first night at the actual Cottonwood Lakes area, about 5 miles beyond the Campground, and 1500 feet higher, that would probably work ok if you are in good shape. Not saying your plan would be impossible, but it would be for me. I'm an old fart though who has learned to take his time and no longer likes to push double digit miles if I don't have to. A few follow-up questions, though:

1. Are bear canisters required along the JMT, or is bear bagging acceptable? Bear canisters are heavy and bulky... Yes, they are required in most areas.
2. Is it reasonable to think that after a night of acclimation, a day of hiking ~15 miles at altitude, another night of acclimation, and a day summitting Whitney, I would be in good enough shape to hit the JMT proper doing 20+ miles/day? My usual residence is under 1000 ft, so I'll fly into CA, spend a few hours on the bus getting to ~4000 ft at Lone Pine, and then spend the night at Cottonwood Lakes (~10000 ft), and hike over a 12300 ft pass the next day. I'll definitely see about getting some altitude sickness tablets from my doctor before I leave, so I can pop sections of those along the way for the first couple days. Obviously, I'll have to be extremely fit before I leave, but that's part of the plan no matter where I start As others have said, it's very much an individual thing on how the altitude will affect you. I have never had much problem other than the lack of oxygen, so I get out of breath easily. Other folks I've hiked with have had headaches, vomiting, dizziness, etc. after having done the same acclimation I have. My understanding is that being in ideal shape fitness wise plays no role in whether altitude sickness will get you or not (though it probably helps with lower oxygen levels). Taking the meds would be a good precaution, as well as studying up on the symptoms and heading lower if they start to manifest. Cerebral Edema is nothing to play with.
3. Should I try to hike Half-Dome at the end of my hike, or is it too time-consuming? I'd like to try to keep my trip as short as possible, as the less time I ask off work, the more likely I am to get it We had a permit, but decided against the side trip. I would take the loop to Clouds Rest instead - better view, you look DOWN on Half Dome.


Related resource: I think this map is very handy for seeing the relative locations of different camps and trailheads if you don't have a map of the area, as I don't.
http://www.hikespeak.com/map-viewer/...g=-118.21&z=11

My favourite guide is Eric the Blacks Guidebook. The newer editions have been re-worked, so the maps include most of the bail-out trails. Excellent for planning and hiking. I find the maps totally adequate for navigation. It really isn't a difficult trail to follow in the summer. Would be more of a challenge if you are fighting snow, but plenty of folks do it.

Just wanted to add, the hike between Crabtree Meadow and Guitar Lake is easy and very pleasant. If I were you, I would continue past Guitar Lake at least up to the first ledge. Plenty of camping and large water source. The trail between Guitar Lake and Trail Crest is not difficult, good tread, not a horrendous grade, but it is LONG, seems to never end, plenty of false summits - just knowing this will make it less discouraging in practice. Good luck, this is a FANTASTIC trail, highest recommendation possible to anyone interested.

Thanks to everyone for your very prompt replies! All of you have been extremely helpful so far

[Mr Liberty]

Excellent! You guys are great But...

Now I have another round of questions

1. Do you think my Marmot Cloudbreak 30F bag is warm enough for the JMT (with Thermarest Z-lite)? I've slept in it down to the mid 20s (wearing pants and a light fleece) and I was warm enough (chilly but I got sleep), so I think I could survive well enough down to the low 20s if I had long underwear on and I slept inside a tent, especially considering that the ground will probably be warmer there.

2. What do you recommend I do for a bear canister? Should I rent one from somewhere? Where from? Should I buy one? Which model? I've never used one before, so I have basically no knowledge on the subject and I don't know where to start.

3. Is an alcohol stove appropriate for this trail? So far I've done just fine with a little HEET stove and some patience, but I don't know if there are any special considerations here.

4. How much water capacity should I plan on bringing? 2L? 3L? 4L? I've never hiked in the Sierras, don't know how "wet" it is in late July/early August.

[HooKooDooKu]

Bear Canisters: Depends upon what you need and how much you are willing to spend.

Start with size... as a ballpark estimate, my research seems to indicate that you need about 100 cu in per day. What is the longest you are going to go without a resupply?

The best bang for the buck seems to be the Bear Vault 500. 700 cu in, 2lbs 9oz, $70 at Campsaver ($56 if you can wait for one of their 20% sales).
The lightest and most expensive is the Bearikade:
'Weekender is 650 cu in, 1lb 14oz, $290
'Expedition is 900 cu in, 2lb 4oz, $350
Bearikades can be rented (discounts for JMT thru hikers). Rental would run about $80-$90 for a 3 week trip.

For a one-time trip on the JMT, seems like a Bear Vault purchase or Bearikade rental is the way to go IF you don't go more than a week between resupplies. What I like about buying the Bear Vault over the slightly more expensive rental is that you have plenty of time to work out how to carry the canister and how to pack it to maximize space.

I'm going to be pushed for time and squeezed for money. I don't think I'll be able to afford the time to go off trail for a resupply on the southern half, and I don't think I'll be able to afford the cost of having someone bring resupplies to me. So I'm looking at 9 to 10 days without a resupply. Seems to me that that means I NEED the Bearikade Expedition (simply because it is the largest canister available). From there, I'm still trying to decide between the lower cost of renting, or do I purchase, use, and attempt to resale later to recoup some of the cost.

[HooKooDooKu]

Alcohol Stoves:

Check out the PCT page on fires.

Seems like the bottom line is that during times of high fire danger, alcohol stoves are prohibited. Only stoves with a shutoff valve are permitted.

Since there is a decent chance your alcohol stove might be prohibited, I'd go ahead in invest in a canister stove.

[Lyle]

...........

Excellent! You guys are great But...

Now I have another round of questions

1. Do you think my Marmot Cloudbreak 30F bag is warm enough for the JMT (with Thermarest Z-lite)? I've slept in it down to the mid 20s (wearing pants and a light fleece) and I was warm enough (chilly but I got sleep), so I think I could survive well enough down to the low 20s if I had long underwear on and I slept inside a tent, especially considering that the ground will probably be warmer there. I carried a 20 degree bag and was glad I did in late Aug/early Sept. If you are satisfied down into the 20s with your bag, it probably would be warm enough.

2. What do you recommend I do for a bear canister? Should I rent one from somewhere? Where from? Should I buy one? Which model? I've never used one before, so I have basically no knowledge on the subject and I don't know where to start. I ordered the Bear Vault 500 from Amazon and I'm happy with it. You can rent a Garcia (I believe that's what it's called) from the Backcountry Office when you pick up your permit, then return it at the other end. Not sure if you need to reserve these ahead of time - check that out if you want to rent. The Garcias are a bit smaller than the Bear Vault 500.

3. Is an alcohol stove appropriate for this trail? So far I've done just fine with a little HEET stove and some patience, but I don't know if there are any special considerations here. Many areas along the JMT will probably have fire restrictions in place as the summer wears on. It is a gray area as to whether or not an alcohol stove is acceptable. Many folks and some Rangers say that a stove needs an on/off valve. This precludes all alcohol stoves that I'm aware of. I just carried a SnowPeak cannister stove and dealt with the cannisters. Not a big issue.

4. How much water capacity should I plan on bringing? 2L? 3L? 4L? I've never hiked in the Sierras, don't know how "wet" it is in late July/early August. For the vast majority of the trail, water is of little concern. Many of your sources will be lakes, which remain even through the drought. Two exceptions that come to mind were an approximately 9 mile stretch west of Chicken Spring Lake (only will affect you if you chose to come in over Cottonwood Pass and for about 18 miles after Cathedral Lake when nobo. This was reported to be dry when I hiked it in 2014, but actually had a couple of very decent water sources flowing. Best to be prepared, however, and have enough capacity to carry some extra water. Generally, one to two liters is all you need to carry. You are at high elevation with dry air and hot sun, so must pay attention, but not difficult to stay hydrated. I believe I had about 4 liter capacity all together, but do not remember ever carrying that much.

[HooKooDooKu]

Water:

What I recall from the research I've done on the JMT so far is that water is plentiful enough that 2L is all you NEED.

But what I like to do is carry a 2L clean water bladder, a 2L dirty water bladder, and a water bottle.
ONLY water is ever placed in the bladders while the bottle is used for adding flavor packets to the water.
I take only the dirty water bladder to the water source and filter using a gravity system back in camp while doing other tasks.
Having two bladders means that the clean bladder is a backup for the dirty water bladder as I can still function with one 2L bladder and a bottle.
I can carry over 2L of water (2L clean + 2L dirty) if/when needed.
While a pair of 1L bladders can serve the same backup functionality, I find that I usually use about 2L of water per day in camp. So by using 2L bladders, I'm not forced to filter at the water source nor return to the water source multiple times.

[MuddyWaters]

Water:

What I recall from the research I've done on the JMT so far is that water is plentiful enough that 2L is all you NEED.

.

You can usually get by fine with 1L carried, or even less. Water is plentiful even in droughts. 7 miles or so is the longest "dry" stretch. Uncertainty is why people carry more, not necessity. Thats not a bad thing, just sayin.

Someone familiar with the trail could carry zero.

[Mr Liberty]

Thanks again for all your help! I've tried to keep my follow-up questions concise in this post

First, related to my question about my sleeping bag: do you think it's worth it to spend $160 on a new sleeping bag?
(20% off at Backcountry - http://www.backcountry.com/marmot-cl...gree-synthetic)
It weighs 14.2oz/400g more than my current bag but the EN rating is down to 21.6F from 32.4F.

For water, I think I'll go with 3L capacity: 1L grey water, 1L smart water bottle (doubles as backflush for my Sawyer Mini) and 1L reservoir.

Bear Canisters: Depends upon what you need and how much you are willing to spend.

Start with size... as a ballpark estimate, my research seems to indicate that you need about 100 cu in per day. What is the longest you are going to go without a resupply?

The best bang for the buck seems to be the Bear Vault 500. 700 cu in, 2lbs 9oz, $70 at Campsaver ($56 if you can wait for one of their 20% sales).
The lightest and most expensive is the Bearikade:
'Weekender is 650 cu in, 1lb 14oz, $290
'Expedition is 900 cu in, 2lb 4oz, $350
Bearikades can be rented (discounts for JMT thru hikers). Rental would run about $80-$90 for a 3 week trip.

For a one-time trip on the JMT, seems like a Bear Vault purchase or Bearikade rental is the way to go IF you don't go more than a week between resupplies. What I like about buying the Bear Vault over the slightly more expensive rental is that you have plenty of time to work out how to carry the canister and how to pack it to maximize space.

I'm going to be pushed for time and squeezed for money. I don't think I'll be able to afford the time to go off trail for a resupply on the southern half, and I don't think I'll be able to afford the cost of having someone bring resupplies to me. So I'm looking at 9 to 10 days without a resupply. Seems to me that that means I NEED the Bearikade Expedition (simply because it is the largest canister available). From there, I'm still trying to decide between the lower cost of renting, or do I purchase, use, and attempt to resale later to recoup some of the cost.

Thanks for the information! I suppose I'll have to consider this after I buy a guidebook so I know how often I'll be resupplying, as that will be a major factor in choosing a size. But when I do, I'll definitely refer to this post

Alcohol Stoves:

Check out the PCT page on fires.

Seems like the bottom line is that during times of high fire danger, alcohol stoves are prohibited. Only stoves with a shutoff valve are permitted.

Since there is a decent chance your alcohol stove might be prohibited, I'd go ahead in invest in a canister stove.

Ok, good advice. What canister stove would you recommend? I'm looking to bring an 850mL Toaks pot, if that helps. (http://amzn.com/B00F7LTN8M)

[MuddyWaters]

So I'm looking at 9 to 10 days without a resupply. Seems to me that that means I NEED the Bearikade Expedition (simply because it is the largest canister available). From there, I'm still trying to decide between the lower cost of renting, or do I purchase, use, and attempt to resale later to recoup some of the cost.

Nobo adds miles of course, but honestly, an experienced hiker with 25 -30 lb pack can plan 25%+ more mpd than on AT. U have 14 hrs daylight too.

Not in shape at start would hurt nobo.

[saltysack]

30* bag is fine mid summer with good base layer. I used a helium 15* down bag mid sept and never got cold. Water everywhere on trail. I carried 1 small Gatorade bottle for powder drink...coffee, mocha, Gatorade and a 1l smart water bottle for clean water. 1 2l sawyer bag which broke so smart water came in handy. Lighter the better!


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[Dogwood]

After doing a little more research, I think I'm going to look into doing it NOBO. That may mean I'll have to get into better shape before going and starting a little slower, as the trail is a little more rugged in the south, but what is life without a good challenge every now and again? ...

Saying this tells me you have NOT rightly assessed the wider spectrum of pros and cons going NOBO.

As Rob related in his story about his friend, an ULTRA ATHLETE ACCUSTOMED TO SUMMITTING 14ers and LIVING IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS IN COLORADO, compared to your lifestyle in Chicago, and as observed many times, fitness level is NO GUARANTEE against AMS.

Going from Lone Pine to the summit of Mt Whitney in one day entails an almost 11k ft elevation gain at the get go while likely toting a heavy resupply that in some places is narrow steep sided single track within a hoard of sometimes pushy impatient high on testosterone young adventure ecotourons sometimes acting inconsiderately mixed in with others who are out of shape ecotourists who have nothing but the summit of Mt Whitney on their hurried daily agenda.

[Dogwood]

Excellent! You guys are great But...

Now I have another round of questions

2. What do you recommend I do for a bear canister? Should I rent one from somewhere? Where from? Should I buy one? Which model? I've never used one before, so I have basically no knowledge on the subject and I don't know where to start.

All your questions so far have been covered umpteen times at many various JMT related websites.

Adding to what Lyle has said you can drop off, rent, and pick up bear canisters at Yosemite Valley, TM, I think Reds Meadows, Wilderness Stations, and at the Whitney Portal TH Store/Grill. They have Garcias but I did notice a few Bear Vaults they rent. BVs go fast though.

[Malto]

Those last 11 miles to the portal seemed like an eternity! I hate to say it but Yosemite was my least favorite part of the trail! Too damn crowded even in mid sept....can't imagine how packed it would be mid summer. The highlight of being in Yosemite was watching the faces of the tourist when I walked by the on the bus.....stank!!!


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If it were me, I would not do the JMT and deal with the zoo. I would plan a nice walk about in SEKI and Ansel Adams avoiding all the hassle. There are hundreds of miles of cool trail and off trail routes that are much better than the Yosemite section of the JMT. I would start at Onion Valley and loop down and hit Whitney (I think you can permit from the west side.) then head west then north then east to loop to the JMT at Vidette Medows. You could self re supply, I will leave you to figure that out then head up the JMT to reds and exit near June Lake. There are dozens of side trip such as Darwin Bench or Marion Lake that could add days or miles if desired. If you go that route start another thread and I and others could get out a map and give you countless options. Far more bang than a straight JMT hike.

[rafe]

Watching this thread with interest. So wanting to do this trail, so intimidated by the permitting process. I do gather that it's much easier to do from from the middle-out, and that the hardest way (permit-wise) is starting at Yosemite. I've done a few miles near Mammoth Lakes and Duck Pass, and it was gorgeous.