The Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA – see Appendix 6) is the best source of information for anyone contemplating an attempt of all or a section of the PCT, perhaps after their appetite has been whetted by first walking the JMT. But do remember that the JMT is only about 10% of the length of the PCT. After a few days on the JMT you will no doubt have great respect for PCT Thru-Hikers! The PCTA also provides good, reliable information on the JMT.
Using this Guide
This next two sections of this Introduction, ‘Planning Your Trip’ and ‘Walking the Trail’, could be subtitled ‘Before You Go’, because they give all the information needed to plan and organise a hike along the JMT. There is greater emphasis on the preparation and planning stages of this walk than is usual in guidebooks to long-distance routes in Europe and the UK and/or routes where there are no sections in extensive areas of wilderness. This emphasis on pre-route planning is deliberate, and is imperative with an adventure such as the JMT; good preparation will result in a happy, stress-free trek, and provide you with one of the most incredible experiences of your life. Topics such as hiking in bear country, applying for wilderness trekking permits, the filtering of water and the danger of giardiasis, and the packaging and posting ahead of food packages for collection along the Trail, which may not be familiar to walkers from outside the US, are an essential part of hiking the JMT and are explained in detail.
The ‘Route Guide’ describes the route of the John Muir Trail. The Trail has been divided into 21 stages, each of a day’s duration, although inevitably some stages are longer and/or harder than others. Each day stage has been designed to end at an area where there are good or at least reasonable camping possibilities (these are listed in Appendix 1), although other places where a camp could be set up are also indicated. The average reasonably fit and experienced backpacker should be able to cover this itinerary comfortably each day. Some may wish to travel further and faster, and certainly a very fit walker would have no trouble in doing so. But this is mountain country of really outstanding character and natural beauty, and to move fast through this landscape would in many respects be defeating the whole reason for being there. Savour this spectacular wilderness. A few hikers may wish to travel more slowly, but those who do so must carry more food supplies. This is not a problem on the first half of the Trail, but to take longer than the suggested time on the southern section of the JMT, from Muir Trail Ranch to Whitney Portal, would require carrying in excess of 10 days’ worth of food, or else making very lengthy detours to restock supplies.
Cathedral Peak (Day 3)
Each day stage opens with two tables. The first gives the total distance for the stage, the cumulative distance from the start of the Trail at Yosemite, the total ascent and descent for the stage, and the cumulative figures for ascent and descent from Yosemite. (The total ascents and descents for each stage are given to the nearest 50ft.) The length and severity of the stage can thus be gleaned at a glance. The second table gives a breakdown of the route, with heights above sea level of the various intermediary points and a breakdown of distances between these locations, allowing progress during the day to be easily assessed. Next, the map sheet number(s) required (from the recommended Harrison JMT Map-Pack; see ‘Maps’, below) for the stage is given for easy reference.
The route description opens with a summary intended to give an overview of the day, and could be read in camp the evening before to give a feel for the nature of the following day’s trek. Finally a detailed route description is given, with the main features and places in bold, which is intended for use on the Trail.
Topographical height versus distance profiles are provided to enable the amount of ascent and descent along the Trail to be easily assessed, and sketch maps of the route allow the user to gain an overview of the trail for planning purposes. The sketch maps and guidebook are designed to be used in conjunction with the relevant Harrison Map-Pack. One should never venture out into wilderness areas, even on a waymarked trail, without an accurate and detailed map.
The book ends with a number of appendices which contain detailed and summarised information for both the planning stages and when out on the Trail.
The abbreviations JMT (John Muir Trail) and PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) are used. The term ‘Trail’, with a capital ‘T’, refers to the John Muir Trail, while ‘trail’ indicates a side-trail or path other than the JMT.
Distances are given in miles and yards, and heights in feet, as the US uses the imperial system. American maps are also in imperial units, unlike those of the UK and continental Europe. Generally, metric conversions have not been given in the text.
Most distances in miles that appear in the guidebook have been estimated from maps, but when a signpost/board is mentioned in the text the distances stated are those given on the signpost, as this should be an aid to locating your position on the Trail.
No attempt has been made to assign walking times to individual sections. Different people tackling the JMT will have different levels of fitness, and while some like to move fast in the mountains others prefer to progress at a much more leisurely pace. The data on distance and ascent/descent at the start of each day stage should allow the walker who knows his own strengths and weaknesses to estimate how long a particular section will take to cover. But remember that if you are part of a group the progress of the party will be determined by the speed of the slowest member.
Remember also that at the higher altitudes on the Trail, particularly in the southern half of the JMT, a walker’s rate of ascent in the relatively thin air is likely to be slower than at lower elevations. Daytime temperature, which can often be high even at altitude, will also affect progress.
What’s in a Name?
It is interesting how different English words are used around the world for the basic task of putting one foot in front of the other. In Britain this activity is known as ‘walking’ or ‘rambling’; in the Himalayas or in Patagonia and elsewhere it is ‘trekking’; in New Zealand it is ‘tramping’ and in Australia ‘bushwalking’. In the US people go ‘hiking’, which is now considered a very old-fashioned term in Britain. But for some inexplicable reason ‘hiking’ seems just right to describe the activity of walking through the American wilderness, and is used frequently in this book.
Planning your trip
In countries such as the UK it is possible to walk the Pennine Way, for example, at a moment’s notice: pack a tent and backpack, perhaps make a few phone calls to B&Bs, catch a train and then simply … go! It is not possible to walk the JMT in this manner. Only careful pre-trip planning will ensure a trouble-free walk along the JMT with sufficient food and the right equipment.
First, questions must be asked about the direction in which to hike the Trail and the right time of year to do so; whether to walk alone or with a group. Note also that, unlike the UK and most of Europe, permits are required to walk in wilderness areas of the United States (see ‘Wilderness Permits’, below), and they are strictly allocated to ensure the trails are not overused. A permit must be applied for several months in advance of the trip, preferably before a flight is booked to the States. Thought has also to be given to the means of getting from the airport of arrival to the trailhead and back to an airport at the end of the walk, not particularly a straightforward thing to achieve in public-transport-shy America.
There are few places along the Trail where meals can be bought, so food for the whole trip must be purchased and much of it packaged up and posted to a collection point further down the Trail. Water in the wilds of California is generally unsafe to drink and so it is vital to take some means of making it safe.
Granite boulders on the summit of Half Dome