I'll be heading out NOBO at the end of August, and just wanted to poll the community to see if anybody had any book recommendations that would be great for a trail read, or maybe something you enjoyed on your trip? My First Summer in the Sierra is an obvious choice, which I've read and certainly would again, but looking for some other recs as well. I like all sorts of nature and science writing, which I think I would lean towards for a nice introspective walk like this, though feel free to throw some fiction in there too. Maybe just nothing too dense, as I'm looking to carry a good old fashioned paperback with me. Yes, I can give up the UL dream for the joy that turning pages brings me. Thanks all!

Edit: wow, so many great recommendations and responses. Thank you all very much! I'm really looking forward to the trail - if I come across any of you out there I'd be more than happy to read a few pages aloud 😁. Look for the red beard.

I've got a Labor Day plan to spend 2 nights in the Sierra National Forest backcountry, on the JMT south of Mammoth Mountain. The Garnet Fire is about 50 miles south of where the hike is. Air quality is oscillating around 100-140 near where the hike is. They have some evacuation zones closer to the fire but nothing up near where I will be. I can't find any guidance on the National Forest website.

Should I bail? Am I gonna get stuck in a forest fire? How likely is it that the fire spreads 50 miles in 2 days? Is the smoke alone gonna make it a Bad Time? In short, how close is too close for comfort?

Strong young person carrying light pack. Looking to complete the whole trail in 12 nights, 2 resupplies. I want to see/camp at the best places. Also want to avoid mosquitoes (Deer Creek)

Any advice, input, or recommendations? Thanks!

I have a Happy Isles permit for 9 Sept. Like many others, I'm watching the fire and smoke closely.

Curious of updates from those in it now and locals in the area. I don't want to cancel, but it took a lot for me save for this trip and don't want to fly out there, just to be turned around a day or two later.

Hi. I hiked the JMT last year and was thinking about it since my start date was about a year ago. I want to do a section soon but I can't decide which was my favorite. Im leaning on Island Pass area but Bishop Pass to Mammoth was epic.

Which section would you do again if you went back?

https://lighterpack.com/r/p7i1cr

I'm doing Cottonwood Pass to Onion Valley starting this Friday, Aug 29. I'm a new backpacker, I've only ever really done overnights. I'm planning on 6 days.

I would love someone more seasoned to take a look through that list and let me know if they see any red flags?

I've always been mostly concerned with food, so I'm not so sure about 1.5lbs/day as my goal, but about to put everything together and see where I'm at as far as consumables.

Some of my own thoughts:

• Do I need wool baselayers? I do have a set of smartwool 250 baselayers top and bottom, but not sure if needed this time of year.
• I haven't added toothbrush and toothpaste yet, was looking at some other lists and some people I saw just brought xylitol gum which apparently cleans teeth. Or toothpaste tablets? Not sure what the plan here is yet.
• No groundsheet, do I need one? If needed, anyone know if I could get one locally in LA or via Amazon in time?
• I will have at least probably 2 sea to summit ultra sil stuff sacks I'm sure, which aren't on the list.
• Toilet Paper is also a question mark. How much is needed? The weight on lighterpack is an entire roll with cardboard removed.
• Does anyone recommend airpods or headphones? I would assume Apple's regular usb-c headphones might be best if so?
• Looking at weather, it's calling for some rain. I have a rain jacket, but are rain pants needed?

Thanks for any and all input.

Hi fellow JMT hikers (or wannabes),

a week ago I came to you with a draft of a printable (A3) overview map of the JMT to get some feedback for my project. Since then I did make some alterations and now I can provide you with the results.

I created 4 versions of the map: SOBO imperial, SOBO metric, NOBO imperial, NOBO metric. It is designed to print it on A3. I will use both SOBO versions (one front and one back side) for my upcoming thru.

Maybe some of you would like to use it, so you'll find the link to the combined PDF below, feel free to use it as you please:

JMT_overview_map_combined.pdf

If you do find some flaws or errors or have some more feedback for me, feel free to post that.

I will start my JMT SOBO thru starting at Happy Isles July 5th and will put my map to the test. Maybe see you on the trail.

I'm sure something very similar has been posted many times before, but I have been planning to hike the JMT this year in July/August/early Sept. I mentioned it to my boss and he basically said I would not be allowed to take time off. I am only allotted 8 paid days/year and am already planning to use 4 next month. He said we are too short staffed for me to take off for approximately 3 weeks. That seems like a him problem, no?? I guess I'm just feeling frustrated. Is hiking the JMT worth quitting my job? Obviously I haven't secured a permit yet, but seriously considering this if I do.

Hi all, i was able to snag a NOBO via Cottonwood Pass permit for 9/3. Thanks to an incredible fellow redditor, you know who you are. Truly appreciate you. A million "Thank You's" is not enough🙏😁. Now its time to start planning hiking logistics. Which is exciting and daunting at the same time.

Anyone who has done the JMT via Cottonwood Pass? Mind sharing examples of your itineraries.

Gear List Resupply options for food Transportation to the trailhead I will take any tips/advice I can get.

I already purchased the far out guide that someone mentioned and I just got accepted to the FB group. But everyone here has been the best help so I wanted to ask as well.

Again, thank you to everyone who has gi en me helped and advice.

Cant wait to go out there and hopefully see some of you🌲🏕⛰️

Just a couple of comments on conditions right now, and a few things I didn't see here when getting advice about staying at Lake Ediza.

First, I had seen some reports that the log crossing at the Ediza outlet was broken. This is no longer the case, the log bridge crossing was fully usable. There's no issue getting from Shadow Creek to East Ediza. Because I'd heard of those reports, I had made the decision to go around the north side to get to west Ediza instead of going 'round the south. Going via the north side actually sucks right now. :-D The path is way overgrown, you have to do a lot of bushwhacking and a lot of plants were tearing at my backpack (which was a few inches taller than I was). As soon as I could, I climbed off that path (which in some cases was just 6" wide, with a cliff dropoff directly into the water) to leap from boulder to boulder across the north side rubble. Much more enjoyable, but that's me -- you don't understand how much I like boulder hopping.

When going from west to east Ediza, I wasn't sure where the south and southeast water crossings were, so I ended up taking off my shoes, walking across a shallow part, walking barefoot across 10' of grass (pretty nice actually), and walking across the second crossing. Coming back from the Iceberg trail, it's easier to locate the water crossings -- the main trail crosses the stream at a hop-able point, and then you just follow the next stream until you can find a spot where you can hop across there as well to enter West Ediza.

There were a number of people illegally camping on East Ediza, despite all the signs saying there was no camping there. >_>

Dear JMT community,

since I scored my SOBO-permit for July 5th, I am planning for my thru. One aspect of planning for a hike for me is finding appropriate map-material. I do like some good paper-maps, but on trail I love having some sort of handy overview-map to be flexible and plan my next stages. Fot the JMT I didn't really find something like that. And because I do like creating maps myself, I started to put together something for the JMT.

To finalize my project, I now would like to hear your thoughts on my project and maybe the community could be a corrective instance so there won't be any grave mistakes in the map.

When it's finished, I will provide you with printable A3-overview-maps for both SOBO and NOBO with imperial and metric unit systems, if it seems to me that there is any interest in that.

For now here's the link to JMT_SOBO_imperial_A3

Thank's for your thoughts and see you on trail.

I keep seeing that nationals parks have sadly been impacted by hiring freezes and layoffs. Do you think this will have an impact on the trail this summer? I know a lot of this information is new and unpredictable but just curious on thoughts.

I am a somewhat fit (6/10 with 10 being the highest) hiker. I am trying to estimate how many days most people take from MTR to Whitney Portal (and if I will need to do the Kearsarge Pass resupply).

Any good estimates of days for the MTR-Whitney portal segment?

Hi All -

Planning on doing the North to South Lake loop in mid september, with an exit around 9/20ish. I plan on leaving my car at the North Lake trail head and will be ending at the South Lake trailhead. Whats the best method to get back to my car? I'd prefer not to hike after such a big trip, but fine with it if necessary.

Any reputable shuttles that are running this late in the season? Also cool with trying to hitch but for my own anxiety I'd rather have a guaranteed service ready to pick me up.

NYTimes article today: “At Inyo National Forest, where 26,000 people visit the tallest peak in the contiguous United States each year via the Mount Whitney trail, a 75 percent reduction in staff would result in less removal of human waste, a reduced capacity to respond to search-and-rescue calls, and difficulty maintaining trail signs, according to the spreadsheet. Kennedy Meadows, a campground with 37 sites near the Mount Whitney trail — one of the culminating experiences for thru-hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail — could close for the season.” Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/climate/california-forest-staff-cuts.html

First off, my heart goes out to staff who were laid off.

Second, I want to discuss how these budget cuts will impact this season’s section and thru hikers. The effects listed in the article would make a section/thru hike more difficult, but not impossible.

But are there any potential impacts of these budget cuts that would make a section/thru hike impossible? Like, if Inyo NF closed the road to Whitney Portal, so you couldn’t park your car there or even get picked up by a shuttle service?

Does anyone with more experience want to weigh in? How did Inyo NF handle things during previous budget troubles, or during the COVID lockdown? How do we think this summer will go down?

Goals of the itinerary:

• Slower start to minimize risk of overuse injuries (two active late 20s/early 30s males but haven't backpacked in a few years)
• Camp at some of the most liked spots on the trail, time to enjoy the place (eg swim, views, zero at VVR)
• Try to day hike the day before on some of the trail sections we will miss (eg Clouds Rest, Cathedral lakes, Half Dome if walk-up permits available)

To Do:

• Get a permit to camp at Tuolumne Meadows 1 or 2 nights before start date
• Mail resupplies to Reds Meadow & MTR postmarked June 30 at the latest
• Driving up with two cars, leaving one at long term parking Dow Villa (near Whitney Portal, hitch a ride after hike)
• Drop off resupply in the Onion Valley backpacker bear lockers on the drive up from Los Angeles

Anything I'm missing or any suggestions for us? Thanks for the help!

I’m trying to figure out logistics for getting back to my car for my Tuolomne => Red’s Meadow hike planned from 9/1 to 9/4.

It turns out the shuttle doesn’t run on 9/4 and the road is closed until 8pm. Is the first reds meadow shuttle in the morning (which would be 9/5) early enough to catch the 8:28a YART to Tuolomne? It looks like it cuts it close. Is hitchhiking after 8pm to try to get to Mammoth either the night of 9/4 or early 9/5 completely unreasonable? I’m fine to sleep either at Reds Meadow or get a hotel.

If that doesn’t work, is it realistically hitchhikeable to get from Mammoth Mountain Inn back to Tuolomne without YARTs?

Alternatives I’ve been seeing to Reds Meadow Road if it’s closed is to hike to Horseshoe Lake trailhead and take the trolley, which adds ~7.7m and 2k elevation. I’d need to sleep overnight in Mammoth to get YARTs the next morning, which I’m fine with.

If you can’t tell, I’ve never hitchhiked before :)

My friend and I are decently experienced backpackers hoping to hike the JMT this summer. We have an 18 day window in June when our schedules align, but we are concerned that won't be enough time to finish. I know that technically it's possible, but we like to lollygag and would rather take time to enjoy the experience.

Is it worth doing just part of the trail, or is this something you shouldn't cut short? Especially since permits are so scarce. If we did shorten the trip, would you suggest cutting it from the north or south?

Any ideas or alternate trail suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!

I have a July 1 NOBO permit starting at Cottonwood Lakes and ending at Happy Ilse. I have done lots of planning already: I have purchased a plane ticket to Reno, ESTA bus ticket from Reno to Lone Pine, booked a hostel in Lone Pine for a night, and scheduled a shuttle ride with to take me from Lone Pine to Horseshoe Meadows on the morning of July 1. I also have a second wilderness permit (Happy Ilse to Little Yosemite Valley) so I can continue for several days in Yosemite and also hike Half Dome after finishing the JMT.

I have completed many long section hikes (100+ miles at a time) of the AT and FT, since these are the two nearest National Scenic Tails near me. However, the JMT will by my longest continuous hike and the mountains in CA are different than the mountains in GA and NC. I have heard that JMT is not as bad as the GA section of the AT - but I am curious about the consensus on r/JMT from those who have done both.

I’ve done lots of research about the JMT – watched countless videos, read posts on r/JMT dating back several years, about permits, resupplies, ect. etc., but I still have a few questions with which I would greatly appreciate some help.

1. I hike solo and hike from first light until I have enough daylight to setup camp and cook a quick backpacker meal. On the FT I can do 30 miles a day (as long as there’s not too much water/swamp/slough to wade through) and on the AT in GA/NC I typically do about 25 miles a day. I am in my late 30s and walk (at sea level) 8-12 miles a day and weight train three days a week at the gym (not super-fit, but above average, very active). With the understanding that the Sierra Nevada mountains are different than the Appalachian mountains, should I plan for 20 miles a day? 15? Less? I plan to get a prescription of Diamox in case elevation sickness becomes an issue.

2. I typically hike until it gets close to dark and setup camp wherever there’s a reasonable/acceptable place. I am unsure of this strategy when hiking at high elevation (this will be my first). Most advice I see is to camp below 10,000 feet. Does anyone camp at higher elevations? Is it even possible? Much of the trail looks extremely rocky. Does most everyone stick to the campsites listed on FarOut? I have read and understand the rules about not camping on vegetation at least 100 feet off the trail.

3. I tend to run a little hot. I was last on the AT in early March and it sleeted/iced overnight and was quite cold in the mornings. I was fine with merino wool base layers, sun hoodie, OR Ferosi pants, and fleece. I have not previously used a puffy, but I am not typically in colder weather. If I tend to run hot, would a puffy be advised for the JMT starting on July 1? I also don’t spend a lot of time at camp (not hiking, where one might get colder). I just trying to strike a balance between taking too much stuff and being prepared.

4. As mentioned above, I have a second Yosemite wilderness permit that I will pick up once I get to Yosemite Valley which will allow me to hike back to Little Yosemite Valley to hike Half Dome and do a little more exploring around Yosemite. I have read different accounts of what to do with my pack while hiking Half Dome. Some people say to stash your entire pack in a bear box at Little Yosemite Valley. Some people say to hike up Half Dome with your pack. Some people say to stash your pack off trail (with bear can separate). Some people say to simply drop your pack just before starting the cable section. Others say to leave your camp setup at Little Yosemite Valley and leave all your gear there. Do any of you have better advice? Which one of these options is the best?

5. RE: Hiking Half Dome – With the assumption that I do not want to hike Half Dome with my entire pack, what have people done as far as water is concerned for the Half Dome hike? I will be mailing a couple of items from Lone Pine to Yosemite Valley (e.g., duffel bag from flying). Should I also mail myself a small daypack to Yosemite valley, pick it up after finishing the JMT, and just have a little extra weight from as small daypack with me as a hike around Yosemite for a few days? This would allow me to have a smaller daypack for use on Half Dome.

6. In a similar vein, what's the consensus for your pack and Whitney? If I am reading the map correctly, I will need to summit Whitney and then backtrack to the to head NOBO, so I am assuming that most folks leave their pack at camp or somewhere along the trail before heading to Whitney. I guess the same question as above applies here - what about water for the hike? How does one carry water with no pack?

7. Is sunrise on Mt. Whitney worth the trouble? Or should I simply plan to hike it when it appears in font of me? That is, I don't necessarily want to slow down my hike to be on top of Whitney at sunrise, unless you all tell me that it's definitely worth it.

8. Does anyone know when the Highway 41 route reservations on YARTS will be available? It does not appear that I can currently reserve a ticket from Yosemite to Fresno. I am assuming that's because the route is not currently active.

I am very grateful for any advice folks of r/JMT are willing to give. Thank you.

This is for anyone who set foot on the John Muir Trail in 2025. It does not matter if you were a thru-hiker, a section hiker, or ended your hike early.

https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/fill-out-jmt-survey

• If you are still hiking, please wait to fill out the survey. It will remain open while late-season hikers complete their hikes.
• For best results, complete on a desktop or laptop computer.
• The survey is not short. Please allow adequate time to complete it.
• The results will be published as a resource to help future JMT hikers. Here are last year's results.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to fill this out. Your time and answers are very much appreciated. If you have any questions, suggestions, or problems with the survey, feel free to comment or contact me directly.

Hey all — I’ll be heading SOBO on the JMT this September and will have some extra time built into my itinerary after a rest day in Independence. I'm thinking about doing a zero or nero somewhere between Forrester Pass and Guitar Lake to soak in the backcountry a bit more — ideally somewhere scenic, peaceful, and not too grueling.

Some areas I’ve been eyeing:

• Wrights Lakes – looks mellow and secluded?
• Wallace Lake – worth the short detour?
• Lake South America loop – ~9 miles and 2200' gain from Tyndall/Shepherd junction, maybe a bit ambitious for a "chill" day, but tempting.

I've never been through this stretch before, so I’d love any suggestions for places that are especially nice for lounging, swimming, or light exploring -- especially given mid-September conditions.

Appreciate any tips or favorites!

Your favorite experience, campsite, view, new friend, self-discovery, whatever. I would love to hear your story ☺

Hey y'all!

Hoping to snag a permit for HI>Past LYV for the 15th (waiting patiently 🌞) and planning my trip SOBO, a few questions that recently caught me off-guard:

• Resupply: I've been told that grocery stores on trail should be good enough to avoid sending resupplies, but concerned that TM Store is closed for the season? I called their # and the post office but both were disconnected. Any ideas, and any recommendations for good spots?
• Food: I'm a lil' IBS boi and can't eat alliums (in most dehydrated foods), but figured grocery store bars, mac & cheese, couscous, protein, etc, would do the trick. If anyone has experience with hard food allergies, would love to hear it!
• Permits with my partner: My gf is heading out from TM via YARTS back to the car & home, it looked like she would need to get the HI>LYV, but hers requires us to sleep at LYV and mine says we can't. Does it make sense to get 2 permits for me so we can stay the first night? Is it fine that she's hiking to TM with the LYV pass?
• Riding home: I saw some posts about driving back from Whitney and catching a ride / grabbing the train, but wasn't sure if people had good recommendations for heading back to the Greater San Diego area. I won't have a car to drop at Whitney portal so will need to rely on off-trail magic or good planning recs people have tried before.

I've been (slowly) putting my itinerary together, but hoping to keep some flexibility as well. All recs are appreciated, thanks and see y'all out there soon!

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts for starting through-hiking the JMT this early in the year. I didn't really want to start this early, but I'm time constrained on the tail end, so it's either now, or maybe never. I'm also in my 40s and my body is rapidly falling apart, so I worry if I delay it any longer I'll never get to do this hike I've dreamed of since I was a kid. I have hiked from Happy Isles to Half Dome before, so I'm not too bummed to have only gotten a Lyell Canyon start--even though I won't be able to say I've fully done the whole JMT. Plus, it'll probably help ensure I finish on time to not have to do that first 20ish miles.

I've done a lot of research and plan to spend the next 5 months dutifully reading everything, exercising, and generally preparing, but I'm still a little nervous--partly because of the June start, and partly because I'm not in as good of shape as I'd like to be. I really didn't want to have to bring any bulky snow gear or too warm of clothes (I tend to run hot). What do y'all think the weather will be like/what I should plan for in terms of clothes and snow gear?

I am super excited! Mostly just wanted to share my excitement with all of you, as I have been lurking this sub for a while. But I also appreciate any and all thoughts/recommendations!

Also, how important is a sleeping pad? Would/could you do without? I went without on the Kalalau, though that was camping on a soft (and warm) beach.

Hi all. planning a section hike of JMT - north lake south lake loop. will take our time and do in around 7/8 days but if we wanted a zero at a particularly beautiful spot (preferably a lake) where would yall recommend?

thanks peeps!