Written by Ethan
on 

John Muir Trail 2019: Planning

Planning

My John Muir Trail journey began on a rainy February day in Los Angeles. Every year, the winter dreariness compels me to commit to ambitious goals six months distant. 2019 was no different in this regard, but the adventure was certainly much grander than anything I had thus attempted.

A thru-hike of the full trail from Happy Isles in Yosemite to the summit of Mount Whitney was my goal. I decided to hike south to ease into the higher elevations slowly and avoid a day one ascent of Mount Whitney. Along the way, my goal was to climb some of the more remote peaks on the Sierra Club SPS list.

Permits

Like most trails in California, the JMT is encumbered by permit bureacracy. Despite entering the rolling lottery with a wide three week start date window from three of the four possible trailheads, my request for a permit for two people was denied. So I turned to the backup plan; entering from the east over Mammoth Pass and joining up with the main trail just south of Reds Meadows. This approach would skip the upper quarter of the trail, but much of the journey through Yosemite I had already covered on dayhikes and backpacking trips in years past.

I ended up with two permits. The first: entering Mammoth Pass, exiting Kearsarge Pass. The second: entering Kearsarge Pass, exiting Whitney Portal via Trail Crest. Pulling two permits enabled me to take a night off the trail during our resupply legally. It also simplified getting a Trail Crest exit without waiting too long to book the first permit.

Resupplies

Since my entry trailhead was Mammoth Pass, I set my first resupply for Muir Trail Ranch. MTR is only a mile or so off the trail and their resupply process is straightforward. Be sure to ship your resuppply 4 weeks in advance of your pickup date.

My friend Matt was to join me in LeConte Canyon via Bishop Pass. To avoid having to carry food from MTR all the way through Whitney Portal, we elected to hike out over Kearsarge Pass. By parking my car at the Onion Valley trailhead on Day 0, we were able to self-resupply (and take a much needed night off the trail) in Lone Pine. The Mt. Williamson motel in Independence also offers resupplies and transportation to and from Onion Valley, but we really appreciated the flexibility that leaving a car allowed.

Mapping

I primarily used Caltopo for planning out mileage and elevation. For off-trail summits, I relied upon Secor and Summitpost for route descriptions and did my best to translate that into a route on Caltopo.

One of the most helpful resources during both the planning and hiking phases was Elizabeth Wenk’s Waypoint Data, which is available with the purchase of her JMT book. The creek crossings waypoints and descriptions were helpful in the field for deciding when to use the dedicated creek crossing shoes.

Gear

I used LighterPack to manage my gear weight.

Ethan JMT 2019

  •   Category Weight
  • Person
    10.48 lb
  • Spare clothing
    1.83 lb
  • Warmth
    1.48 lb
  • Weather
    1.05 lb
  • Electronics
    2.26 lb
  • Shelter
    6.05 lb
  • Kitchen
    4.02 lb
  • Food
    12.24 lb
  • Toiletries
    1.01 lb
  • Misc
    0.41 lb
  • Total 40.83
    lb
    • oz
    • lb
    • g
    • kg
  • Consumable 13.04 lb
  • Worn 6.92 lb
  • Base Weight 20.87 lb

    • Person

      Weight qty
    • Lowa Tibet GTX Boots pair with superfeet insoles 2040
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • REI Liner Socks pair 45
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Smartwool Socks pair 110
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Prana Zipoff Pants 475
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Patagonia Sun Hoody 190
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • ExOfficio Boxer Briefs 90
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Patagonia Cap 85
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Sunglasses rx 25
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • GShock watch 60
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • OR Sungloves pair 20
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Granite Gear Crown X60 Pack 1115
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Trekking Poles pair 500
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • 10.48 lb
      12

    • Spare clothing

      Weight qty
    • Aleader Creek/Camp shoes pair 280
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Smartwool Socks 2nd pair 110
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • REI Liner Socks 2nd pair 45
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • ExOfficio Boxer Briefs 2nd pair 90
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Glasses with case and wipe 95
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Patagonia Sun Hoody 2nd pair 190
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Bug headnet 20
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • 1.83 lb
      7

    • Warmth

      Weight qty
    • Patagonia Down Sweater 355
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • OR beanie 60
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • OR gloves pair 75
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • REI Long Underwear 145
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Buff 35
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • 1.48 lb
      5

    • Weather

      Weight qty
    • MH Hardshell 475
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • 1.05 lb
      1

    • Electronics

      Weight qty
    • Goal Zero Solar Panel 470
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Biners to attach panel Pair 15
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Garmin Explorer+ 215
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • iPhone w/ case 230
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Petzl Actik Headlamp w/ rechargable pack 80
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Earphones 15
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • 2.26 lb
      6

    • Shelter

      Weight qty
    • Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL1 Tent with tent, fly, stakes, and all bag 1075
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Big Agnes Copper Spur Footprint with bag 135
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Thermarest XTherm Pad with bag and repair kit NO PUMP BAG 430
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • MH Ratio 32 Bag 945
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Sea to Summit Dry Stuff Sack 160
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • 6.05 lb
      5

    • Kitchen

      Weight qty
    • Bearikade Weekender Can 925
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • MSR Pocket Rocket Stove with case 110
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • MSR Fuel 200
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Sawyer Squeeze Filter 90
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Sawyer Squeeze Bags and kit 1 large bag, 1 small bag, sack 90
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Snow Peak pot set with case 190
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Snow Peak spork 15
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • lighter mini bic 15
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Nalgene 1.5L HDPE bottle 135
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Leatherman mini 55
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • 4.02 lb
      10

    • Food

      Weight qty
    • 1.5 L of water max water carry 1500
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Food First leg, all food 4050
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • 12.24 lb
      2

    • Toiletries

      Weight qty
    • Hand Sanitizer 70
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Face wipes cottonelle 10 pack 60
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Toothbrush 40
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Sunscreen, bug spray, lip balm in plastic bag 180
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Bidet 55
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Sea to Summit Wilderness wash 55
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • 1.01 lb
      6

    • Misc

      Weight qty
    • Maps and compass in plastic bag w/ MTR reciept 145
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • Cash, CC, health card, DL in plastic bag 40
      g
      • oz
      • lb
      • g
      • kg
       1
    • 0.41 lb
      2

Electronics

I carried both my iPhone 6s and a Garmin Explorer+. To power both of these, I brought a Goal Zero Nomad 7w solar panel and charged both devices directly. I mounted the panel to the top of my pack using two lightweight plastic carabiners. While this was sufficient to hold the panel in place, the indirect angle and inconsistent irradiation of the panel made charging the iPhone somewhat frustrating as the charging circuitry would not turn on again after a drop in current. Were I to do this again, a large battery may be easier and similar in weight to the solar setup.

Nomad 7 mounted atop a light pack on a side trip up to Dusy Basin

Nomad 7 mounted atop a light pack on a side trip up to Dusy Basin

Clothing

I went with a simple, single pair of Prana zip-off pants and two lightweight, hooded, long-sleeve Patagonia shirts. I was concered at first that the long-sleeve shirts would be too hot, but in the end they were a perfect weight to keep the sun and bugs off without being too hot. I treated everything with spray-on permethrin. It seemed to work well — I only needed to use bug spray a handful of times.

Rain gear

I opted to skip bringing rain pants and instead relied solely upon my Mountain Hardwear hardshell jacket as protection against wind, rain, and other inclement weather. On this front, I lucked out; it never rained!

Water Footwear

Normally I hike in the late season and don’t have to deal with large water crossings. I had heard that the creeks were still running high after the big 2018-2019 winter, so I opted to bring water crossing shoes that were to double as my camp shoes. I ended up taking these relatively inexpensive ALEADER water shoes. They were a great choice: lightweight, quick drying, and comfortable too. Highly recommended.

Food storage

My trusty Bearikade Weekender held all food and smellables for the duration of the trip. At 650 cubic inches, this was a very tight squeeze on the Muir Trail Ranch to Kearsarge Pass leg of the trip. For any longer of a stretch, I would recommend using a larger canister.

Bearikade Weekender doing its thing near Virginia Lake

Bearikade Weekender doing its thing near Virginia Lake