Wa1k1ngman - John Muir Trail Journal - 2017

Planning

Getting pretty excited about doing my sixth thru hike on the JMT. This is the 40th anniversary of my first JMT hike. It will definitely be different than my first trip which I started the first week of June 1977. This will be closer to what occurred during my second JMT hike when the snow level was a 200% year. I'll continue to watch the snow surveys and may push back my start date depending on the snow levels. I don't relish hiking across snow cups that were as bad as that second hike and so far it is looking like it will be a 200% snow year again. But whatever comes I know I will enjoy being on the trail once again.

I'm planning on taking it slower this time to enjoy the scenery along the way. That will probably change once I hit the trail as it usually does. I may do longer miles in order to explore side canyons along the way to get away from the crowds I'm sure I'll encounter on the trail. While it is nice to share experiences with other hikers doing the trail part of the attraction of backpacking for me is having a little solitude. I want to have rest days in Evolution Basin and the Palisades Basin to climb some peaks. In addition I may take a couple of extra days to visit the Ionian Basin and Sixty Lakes Basin again and also explore the Mt. Whitney region further. I'm planning on 30 days to complete this hike.

I still haven't decided positively whether I'll exit at Whitney Portal or continue along the PCT and exit at Cottonwood Pass. And of course depending on wilderness permit availability I may start from Glacier Point via the Panorama Trail if I'm unable to get a permit out of the valley.

This time around I plan on several resupply points instead of carrying all the supplies from the get go. It amazes when I look back on it that I was able to hump 21 days of food and supplies on that first trip. IF all my resupplies materialize my longest carry will be only seven days.

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