backpacking

I was completely oblivious of our nearest national park until only a couple years ago. Now that I’ve had the chance to explore it, I consider it one of my favourite parks, and one of the best places to venture for a weekend of hiking.

I was seriously itching to get back on trail after getting home from our California road-trip after completing the John Muir Trail. For Labor Day weekend we’d promised ourselves a trip to the Sunrise area of Mount Rainier, which is only open for a short time through the summer season.

The John Muir Trail is a 220-mile trail starting in Yosemite Valley of Yosemite National Park, passing through Inyo National…

Day 20: Guitar Lake to Whitney Summit
After the bizarre excitement of the afternoon it was almost a relief to get back on the trail, plus I was quite anxious to prove to myself that I could summit Mt. Whitney.

Day 19: Bubbs Creek Plateau to Wallace Creek
Forester Pass is the highest pass along the JMT as well as the highest point along the entire PCT. Forester had been on my mind for a few days as we had slowly worked our way south. It was a pretty daunting prospect to climb up to a 13,180 foot pass.

Day 18: Rae Lakes to Bubbs Creek plateau
Climbing a challenging pass is best done right before picking up a resupply. Shouldering our packs that morning at Rae Lakes felt pretty great. We were pretty well empty of food and fuel, which meant we were down to our pack base weights.

Day 16: Split Lake to Twin Lakes
Waking up at 11,600 feet is a rather chilly affair. We were up before the sun crested the eastern ridges. We bundled up in our down jackets, toques and mitts to help keep us warm until the sun found us. After a warming breakfast of oatmeal and tea, we made our way cross-country to rejoin the main trail. ​

Day 15: Lower Palisade Lake to Split Lake
The first day of our third week began above 10,500′. From this point on we were going to be in the true “High Sierras.” We would be sleeping well above 10,000 feet every night and hiking at an average elevation of 11,200 feet. Thank goodness we were acclimatized by now!

Day 14: Little Pete Meadow to Lower Palisade Lake
The morning of our fourteenth day we woke up excited to have made it to the 2/3 mark of our trip. Still one more week ahead, but some of the best scenery yet to come. Plus, we would have company on the trail for the next few days.

Day 13: Evolution Lake to Little Pete Meadow
As far as passes along the JMT go, I believe that Muir Pass is my favourite. I have now had the chance to do the approach from both directions and Southbound is definitely the way to go!