The John Muir Trail is every backpacker’s fantasy trip. High alpine lakes, lush meadows, cascading creeks, and big, bold mountains. Nearly every sight on the trail is photo-worthy. I thru-hiked the JMT in 2020 and the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) in 2018 and walked past…
I know it can be super challenging to take time off from work and family responsibilities to do a thru-hike. While the John Muir Trail can be backpacked in 2 weeks, many people want to take a little longer to really savor being in the…
Re-supply and food planning are some of the most stressful and time-consuming parts of planning a thru-hike! I generally try to avoid planning food (hence my PCT 2018 resupply strategy), but on the John Muir Trail, you can’t really resupply at grocery stores. Unless you…
When you look at a map of the John Muir Trail, it looks pretty remote for most of the trail. And it is! But there are still ample opportunities to re-stock on essential snacks and supplies. Read on to learn all about the options to…
The John Muir Trail is a little challenging to go true Ultralight for. The heavy, required bear canister, and therefore, a heavier, framed pack to carry that canister, generally sees to that. However, I do believe my gear list is lightweight and still full-comfort. And…
Updated for the new 2022 system. John Muir Trail permits are pretty hard to come by. You probably know this, since you’re researching how to get JMT permits. I failed on my first lottery attempts in 2017. In 2020, somehow I won the lottery for…
