She feels what I feel — Trekking through the draught-stricken Yosemite Valley

John Muir Trail — Personal Outtakes

This post is a collection of more personal, daily photo outtakes from my John Muir Trail hike. For a slightly more descriptive and scenic perspective of the trail, see my other post: John Muir Trail — An Homage in Photos.

Prologue: Making Preparations

Mailing resupplies — Packing — Weighting (46 lbl just bear can — bad)

Day 0: Getting to Whitney Portal

Catching Greyhound from Las Vegas through Mojave to Lone Pine — Having the last supper in Lone Pine — soup for four by one

Day 1: Hitchhiking to & Ascending the Whitney Portal Trail

Hitchhiking to Whitney Portal — 2 minute wait

Ascending the Mt Whitney Trail

Passing day-hikers

Taking in amazing vistas — Chair stick may not be a bad idea

Reflecting at the Mt Whitney Trail camp — chilly, exhausted, elated

Day 2: Climbing Mt Whitney & Hopping onto JMT

Catching breath at the top of the lower US

Seeing hidden souls in wooden remnants (do you see a greyhound and little horsy?) — Eating grits (mistake)

Day 3: Crossing Forester Pass

Waking up to a frosty morning by mountain pond — Conquering the highest pass (Forester Pass)

Descending into valley’s warmth — Welcoming visitors

Day 4: Crossing Glen Pass

Talking to morning visitors — Crossing Glen Pass

Meeting National Park Service first responders — Camping by Woods Creek bridge

Day 5: Celebrating the Birthday

Crossing Woods Creek bridge — Meeting the locals

Picking least romantic of camping spots — Burying truffles

Day 6: Crossing Muir Pass — Halfway Milestone

Chatting with the locals — Looking out of the Muir Hut

Reaching a half-way milestone — Muir Pass — Catching up with the cutest of mice

Smelling forest bloodline (fungi)

Day 7: Resupplying at the Muir Trail Ranch

Watching morning bathers — Holding back the impulse to rob a supply caravan

Reaching a resupply point — Muir Trail Ranch

Weighting the pack (50+lbl bad) — Reaching hotspring bliss

Day 8: Crossing Selden Pass

Smelling the resin — Falling in love with a mountain lake below the Selden Pass — Camping well

Day 9: Crossing Silver Pass

Crossing Silver Pass — Camping by Purple Lake

Day 10: Reaching Red’s Meadow Pack Station

Taming the knee pain — Reaching Red’s Meadow Pack Station — Eating dinner, multiple times

Day 11: Continuing the Feast at Red’s Meadow Pack Station

Getting to know new best friend — Not missing breakfast

Standing alone — Camping wisely

Day 12: Crossing Island & Donohue Passes

Day 13: Crossing Cathedral Pass

Catching a thief (marmot)

Day 14: Traversing Draught-Stricken Yosemite Valley

Not robbing a supply caravan (yet again)

Saying goodbuys to the locals — Observing my happy feet— Camping facing the Half Dome and waiting for the nosy bear

Day 15: Reaching the Hometown

Taking Amtrak to the hometown — San Francisco