Two or three years ago I watched a movie called “Mile, Mile and a Half.” It was about the experience of a group of friends backpacking the John Muir Trail together. The scenery and challenge called to my inner adventurer, BUT, I didn’t have anyone to go on my adventure with. Three plus weeks away from home and out in the wilderness takes a special kind of crazy, I suppose. Not to mention, having to carry everything you need on your back. Long story short, I found a crazy person to join me and five months of planning paid off. We made it to the JMT, even though there were crazy forest fires close by messing with our plans, and we made it through alive obviously.

Every day of my trip on the JMT I wrote in my journal. I decided to share my daily entries in the hopes that you’d enjoy some of the shenanigans. Also, I hope to inspire you to do something you thought was too hard to do before.

August 6, 2018 Getting ready to go….

Talk about a LONG day! Up before 4am to get ready to fly out to Sacramento, and in bed after midnight. I’ve always been afraid of heights and hated flying, but each trip gets less scary.

Once I got into Sacramento, I met up with my crazy friend Natalia. We took a little time reacquainting ourselves and then got ready for another plane ride, courtesy of Pilot Natalia! This one was a little scarier because it was a small four-seater plane. You really feel every bit of wind. Honestly, I’m surprised I wasn’t more anxious because I’d never been in one. It was pretty neat to see Natalia doing something she loves. I never realized how much looking over the plane is done before each flight, that actually really helped my nerves. Because of all the fires in California, it was pretty smoky out and the view wasn’t very good. Natalia tricked/talked me into “flying” the plane, it was like 10 seconds, but still neat. I’m glad to have found a friend who pushes me out of my comfort zone in good ways. Fear is such a party pooper! After that, we celebrated with our traditional pit stop of onion rings and greasy food, then headed home to finish planning all of the details for our trip again…

The fires really did a number on our schedule. Trying to figure out our mileage for the days and resupplies was the most difficult part. We also somehow missed a section of the hike on our original plans and had to figure that out. One of our resupply points is a post office, which isn’t open on the weekend, so we had to make sure to make that work for our schedule. Once we got that figured out, rearranging our food was another fun task… (Please note the extra sarcasm.) Finally having it all planned out and putting in an extra resupply at Red’s Meadow, means it’s now bedtime. Tomorrow is going to be another long day.

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August 7, 2018 The trip before the trip…

My car ride max time is around five hours, after that I’m just done. Today we left the house at 9am and made it to our hotel 12 hours later. Maybe an hour and a half of that was spent outside of the car. My hips don’t hurt nearly as bad as I anticipated, must be doing something right with my workouts. We took Natalia’s car from Citrus Heights all the way to the Whitney Portal and parked it for when we finish the JMT. Her mom had followed us the entire way in her own car.

After dropping off the car, we rode with Natalia’s mom to Red’s Meadow to drop off our resupply box, It was cheaper to do that than it was to mail it to them. We got there at 6:30pm because their store closes at 7pm not realizing that you can’t drive down to the store until after 7pm because they only allow the shuttle bus to run. We waited around at the Minaret Vista, which I’m sure would have been an even more beautiful sight had there been less smoke, but the time went quickly as it was better than sitting in the car. We called ahead to make sure someone could still take our package, but when we got there nobody was around. After waiting a few minutes, someone showed up, and we got back on the road to our hotel for the night.

All of us are ready for bed. I’m thankful Natalia’s mom was able to help with getting us to and from. Our packs are now loaded and still heavier than we wanted, but at this point there’s not much left to take out.

Oh, almost forgot, on our way to the hotel we called Paul, our driver to the post office resupply in Independence, and it sounds like he won’t be doing a shuttle the day we had planned! (I’ll be writing a bit more about that experience in a, “What I’d do differently if I hiked this again.” blog.)  We had to call and leave a message with a different lady, hopefully when we get to Red’s Meadow we can call her again and get it figured out. Getting tired of all the last minute run around for our trip.

August 8, 2018: Day 1-It’s really happening…

Tuolumne Meadows to a Footbridge before Donahue Pass

Miles: 11.1 miles

I’m hoping to sleep well tonight. Sleep has been eluding me for the last few days, my mind is so busy. We finally made it to our starting point. A day early, but we are here. The fires have really done a number on our plans, we no longer get to hike half dome, which was one of the things we, Natalia especially, really wanted to do. Maybe we can call at Red’s Meadow to see if there are any cancellations when we are done?

After getting a few last minute things at Tuolumne Meadows, and sending out postcards to my family, we headed out on the trail around 10am. We were going to start tomorrow but decided to just go for it. The start of our hike was a bit on the unenthusiastic side, so much bad news and body aches from so much time in the car yesterday was mentally exhausting. We got through our first five miles fairly quickly and ate lunch by the creek in Lyell Canyon. We soaked our feet a bit and got back on our way. After that, we found a spot in the creek that was pretty deep, and I couldn’t resist jumping in for a swim. Cold!!! But so worth it, definitely boosted my mood. The last 3+ miles were pretty brutal. It turned into an uphill battle. Our feet were done two miles from the end, but no blisters yet.

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We settled into “home” for the night and enjoyed some gnocchi with Daiya cheese sauce and broccoli for dinner. After our test trip a couple of months ago, we realized that eating the heaviest foods first is the best idea. I really appreciate that Natalia helped make everything gluten and soy free, so hopefully I have no stomach issues on our trip. Headed to bed early, sun isn’t even down yet.

JMT Lesson #1: Tree growing in a rock. Even if you are in a terrible place, you get to choose to rise above. You get to choose to reach your branches out and make the best of the sunshine peeking through the clouds.

I had grand intentions of doing a daily video log…. Day one is as far as I got with that…

August 9, 2018: Day 2-What did we get ourselves into???

Footbridge to Davis Creek Trail

Miles: 11.3

Listening to a park ranger tell you that bears throw canisters over cliffs, or into rivers, results in a night of listening, which equals little to no sleep. I finally decided it was time to get out of bed early, I’m pretty sure my restless night bothered Natalia but she humored me and said she was fine. It was peaceful to sit on a rock and listen to the water in the creek as I wrote in my journal.

Today is day two of JMT adventures, and we had two passes on the to-do list. After finishing Donahue Pass, my feet and legs were ready for a break. We had lunch at the bottom and enjoyed soaking our feet, washing our laundry, and I had fun chasing the frogs. Plus the marmots were funny to watch. Can’t wait to show my youngest son James pictures of the critters we’ve seen along the trail. I’m sure he’d love the marmots the best.

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After lunch we passed through lots of beautiful meadows, rock formations, and there were many peaks to admire. I love the diversity of this trip so far. Different colored rocks, the ponds and lakes, it’s all so beautiful. It would be amazing to take this trip a little slower and soak it all in. At about 1.5 miles, or so, to Island Pass, we decided to take a look at our itinerary. This time, it was us, and not an outside force, that decided to change our plans since we are a day ahead of schedule.

We ended up camping by Davis Creek. It’s a quiet spot but there are SO MANY ants! Literally can’t put your foot down without one finding its way onto your toes. I’m thankful they don’t bite. Now that the canisters are secure where I can see them with a flashlight, I’m hoping for better sleep.

JMT Lesson #2: Sometimes it’s fun to learn by taking your own path and making mistakes, but when someone else’s path takes you to beautiful scenery or makes your journey easier & more successful, why not follow their lead?

August 10, 2018: Day 3-Favorite spot!

Davis Creek Trail to Rosalie Lake

Miles: 11.9

We are getting better at our morning routine. Still needs some work to help us get out of camp earlier. Today’s hike was supposed to be 10.9 miles but was actually 11.9 miles. I’m wondering if the map we used to calculate our miles wasn’t accurate.

We stopped at Thousand Island Lake today, and hopped in for a short swim. The water is so refreshing when your feet are sore and it’s hot out.

We hiked a few more miles and had lunch at Garnet Lake but didn’t swim because the clouds rolled in, and we were afraid it would rain. I’m glad we hiked Island Pass first thing because it didn’t feel as tough as I’m sure it would have if we had to do it after lots of miles. Thinking the hardest part was first helped keep me ready to keep moving. Apparently though, I wasn’t paying enough attention to the plan because we had about 2 miles of switchbacks to climb before getting to Rosalie Lake.

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I can’t tell you how grateful I am for a rest day tomorrow. My body had been holding up pretty well until the last few miles. Tonight my shoulders, upper back, hips, knees, feet and probably other parts are hurting too.

We planned breakfasts, lunches & dinners for each day but haven’t been super hungry yet. Everyone talks about “hiker hunger” and I’m curious to see if that happens to us. We are making sure to eat everything because we know our bodies need fuel to repair and keep us moving forward. Funny thing, after hearing the name Thousand Island Lake, it made me crave a baby burger from the place I used to work at when I was a teen. The trail has been an interesting place to learn about myself and Natalia. Something about being out alone in the woods lets your real you show up.

JMT Lesson #3: Ups & Downs. Life has lots of them and so do the trails. Sometimes you just have to go along with the ride and see where it takes you, even if it may suck at the moment.

August 11, 2018: Day 4-Rest day number one…

Rest day at Rosalie Lake

Miles: 0

Today was a much needed day of rest. Natalia surprised me with a portable shower, only problem was that while filling said shower, it got broken. We were able to use it like a shower anyway, at least to get our hair washed. That was a “fun” experience. The water was warmer than the lake but still felt cold. We took advantage of the lake to shave our legs so we felt a little cleaner and not too mountain woman wild. We used the bear canister to do a bit of laundry and the sun to dry it.

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Last night we checked the forecast and were expecting a bit of rain, glad that it didn’t show up. Being able to check the weather on my Garmin was pretty nice. One thing I noticed while checking the weather,  was when I looked at my tracking it showed my gps trail but it didn’t send out a ping every 10 minutes like it should have. I’m going to have to check it periodically tomorrow. Hopefully it was just a fluke, or I missed something? I’m glad we set up tomorrow with less miles.

JMT Lesson # 4: We aren’t beavers, busy may seem important, but down time is just as much.

August 12, 2018: Day 5-ALL the foods…

Rosalie Lake to Reds Meadow

Miles: 8

Today was a great trail day! We got out of camp early and had a smooth hike to Red’s Meadow. The trail started with some uphill, then went to a gradual downhill. Usually a long downhill kills my knees & ankles but there weren’t very many steps, which proved to be a lifesaver. The whole trail so far has been so beautiful, but it was weird going to Red’s because that section of the trail was a sad sight. So many downed trees, big trees that had literally been blown over and their roots came out of the ground, dirt, rocks and all.

Since we made such great time on our trek we decided to stop at Minaret Falls and fill up our waters while giving our feet a soak. After that, we hiked thru to see Devil’s Postpile. It was weird to see the “postpile” from afar, it looked small, but the stones that fell were huge. Thankfully that stop was on our way to Red’s and not out of the way because my feet were getting tired.

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We weren’t really sure where we were going to camp at Red’s because we didn’t make reservations, and we didn’t really want to get stuck with a bunch of people. We debated on whether we should stay in the “backpacker” site but quickly decided not to after meeting a…shall I say, odd man? We went to the store at Red’s Meadow Resort and of course enjoyed a soda, Popsicle/ice cream, and fresh apples. This trip was supposed to help me lose weight, but I’m guessing that won’t happen.

After calling everyone back at home and checking in, we headed back to the campground and set up camp in our own site. It was really quiet and close enough to the bathroom. #PlumbingisAWESOME We got our resupply all sorted and ready for tomorrow but ran out of time to roast our marshmallows. 🙁 BUT we will have them tomorrow! After storing all our stuff in the giant bear locker, we got to bed.

Of course once I got cozy in my sleeping bag I had to pee. (I persuaded my “bodyguard” Natalia to go with me. Lol. #bearsarescary #peoplearescarier.) On our way to the bathroom, Natalia saw a shooting star, which made us remember that there was supposed to be a meteor shower to watch that night. So we opened up the top of the tent and watched the stars for a bit. The show wasn’t active enough and we fell asleep. Glad we ended up seeing at least a few shooting stars because it was supposed to be one of the last nights to view the shower. It’s been too long since I’ve been stargazing. I need to do it more often.

JMT Lesson #5: Consistency is key. You don’t have to cover large passes or do really big things to see new/positive changes. Just pushing forward one step at a time can take you to amazing places.

August 13, 2018: Day 6-Racing the storm…

Reds Meadow to Deer Creek Trail

Miles: 6.5

We didn’t get out on the trail till after 1pm today. We started the day with roasted marshmallows and a fire, so cozy. We then tore down camp and headed to the resort for Natalia’s surprise. Her birthday (30th) is on the 19th but since we will be in the mountains, I wanted to do something special for her. There was a delivery service that brought pizza, salad, Dr. Pepper, and fruit tarts all the way from Mammoth Lakes. So we pigged out and slightly regretted it, but I think she enjoyed the surprise.

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Today was a short hike day. We were only going to hike to the Red Cones, but decided to push a little further to Deer Creek. We weren’t very far out before the weather started threatening rain, so we started walking a little bit faster. I’m glad it didn’t rain, but a small part of me enjoys a thunderstorm. Although thinking about it now, thunder usually means lightning, which can mean more fires messing up this trip!

It’s weird how even though today was a shorter hike than we’ve been doing, my feet got pretty beat up. I’ve now got blisters on both big toes and both pinky toes. The little ones are the most painful. I’m not sure how I’ve all of the sudden gotten them. Another thing, one of my shoe laces is starting to fray. Fingers crossed it will survive till Muir Trail Ranch.

JMT Lesson #6: The mighty pine tree doesn’t start out a giant. It starts small and every storm and gust of wind, progresses into a stronger force. <3

August 14, 2018: Day 7-A little privacy please…

Deer Creek to Fish Creek

Miles: 15.4

The weather was bizarre today, at Purple Lake we had rain and hail during our lunch break. Brrr! We had our longest day yet, 15.4 miles, yes I’m keeping track of the points! Even though it was a long day, it wasn’t as hard as I expected. When we were planning the trip, we were dreading the 14+ mile days. When we made the decision to push further than planned, we decided to camp at Fish Creek which was actually one of our original camp spots. When we got to the spot, there were quite a few men camping there. That’s not a bad thing, we just felt more comfortable going a little further. #safetyfirst The “little further” kept growing because one spot didn’t have easy water access, the next was already taken.

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We FINALLY found a spot that was further than anticipated but it was beautiful, and the bonus is we have less to hike tomorrow.

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JMT Lesson #7: Do things now, rather than later. Case in point, laundry doesn’t dry in the rain.

Week 1- Done!

We made it through seven days and have a good flow to our thru-hike mojo. We already know what we love, and don’t love so much. Next week I’ll be posting about my second week out on the JMT, so be on the lookout for it. There may or may not be some unintentional water adventures included. Have you ever done a thru hike, or want to do one? I’d love to hear about it, or help you in anyway I can. Drop a comment below!