After hiking the JMT the first time about twenty five years ago, I quit my job the first week I returned to work. My wife was pleasantly surprised, and said, “I was ready for a change months ago, what took you so long?” While nothing that dramatic has happened after my subsequent hikes on the JMT, I still think I return a changed and hopefully better man each time I spend time in the mountains. It is the place where I feel closest to God, hear His voice clearest, and recognize things in m...

I have hiked the JMT solo, with a friend, with someone I met on the internet and with someone I met on the trail after starting solo. All of them have been good experiences. I have hitchhiked from several trailheads, and enjoyed the generosity of strangers. I have met the most interesting people on the trail and only once did I ever feel uncomfortable when meeting another hiker. Most of the people I meet while hiking are intelligent, educated, friendly, and adventurous. Like me, most have a ...

With no plans to hike the John Muir Trail ever again, I put away my gear and the “how to” books and decided that if I couldn’t hike the JMT, I would experience it vicariously. I searched the library and bookstores for books about other people’s experience on the trail. I found a biography by Gene Rose entitled “High Odyssey.” It tells the story of Orland Bartholomew, who in 1928, was the first person to travel from Mt. Whitney to Yosemite in the winter. His journey closely follow...

On my first attempt hiking the John Muir Trail, I got as far as Mammoth Lakes, California and was sore, tired, lonely and ready to come home. It was a humbling experience, but since I was using seven year old gear, I blamed the failure on my equipment and decided to upgrade for next year. I bought another backpacking “how to” book, all new gear, and got ready for another try. On my second attempt, I had new and improved gear, but didn’t get any further before quitting again. I bought a...

After backpacking with my Sunday school teacher a second  time, I was ready to head out on my own...but not by myself, so I did the unthinkable...I invited my younger brother to join me backpacking. Normally I didn’t enjoy him tagging along with me, but I wasn’t confident enough to go solo, so he became my hiking partner. We backpacked a few times together and I remember with fondness the times we spent making campfires, cooking over an open fire, braving rain, snow and black ice, hiking...

In my teenage years, I had a Sunday school teacher who offered to take the students in his class on a backpacking trip. I had been camping, fishing, and even hunting with my father, but backpacking was something new and I remember my excitement checking out backpacking books at the library and spending lots of time at the local sporting goods store. My first backpacking trip was to the Mineral King area and I still remember with fondness the day we scrambled to the top of a ridge on the Grea...

Welcome! I love hiking the John Muir Trail and enjoy planing, preparing, and training almost as much as the actual hike! I started planning for another JMT thru-hike this August and decided to create a website documenting the plans to share with my hiking partner as well as with others interested in following our journey. I hope this website evolves into something that encourages others to hike the John Muir Trail. I will continue to post additional information as we make decisions about our ...