Backpacking
John Muir Trail 2002
“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares drop off like falling leaves.” - John Muir
In the summer of 2002 between July 13th and August 4, I committed myself to hiking the John Muir Trail with my two friends Josh Long and Ryan England. We planned and trained for months in advance but none of us really knew the impact that this trip would have on our lives. Spending 22 days without modern comforts and without too many other people on the trail was amazing. It was an experience too few people will ever have.
The hike itself was approximately 240 miles spanning Happy Isles in Yosemite National Park to Whitney Portal. The trail crosses several mountain passes: Cathedral Pass, Donohue Pass, Island Pass, Silver Pass, Seldon Pass, Muir Pass, Mather Pass, Pinchot Pass, Glen Pass, and Forester Pass and ends atop Mt Whitney. We were able to resupply in several places thanks to the US postal service and also Ryan and Josh’s parents meeting us along the trail.
I kept a journal throughout the trip but most of the entries fall short in describing the total through hiking experience. If you ever meet me, and are interested, I have some wonderful stories to tell about the trip. I have returned to the Sierras several times since this first trip although none of the trips have ever compared to the first. I have been fortunate to share these marvelous mountains with friends and loved ones. Someday I would like to take the time to complete the entire Pacific Crest Trail of which the John Muir Trail is only a tiny piece.
The pictures I am sharing were taken by all three of us along the way. The quality of the photos is not especially the best but I feel that they capture the trip as we experienced it.
