Day 43-48: mile 789.7-833.7
Kearsarage Pass to bellow Muir Pass
Week 7 doesn’t have as many photos as some of the other weeks because I took some time off trail to attend a friends bachelor party. The party was conveniently located just north of the town of Independence, where I had exited the trail via Kearsarage Pass.
-
- When I got back on trail I rejoined my friends Popeye, Freebie, and Cinderella at Rae Lakes. Some interesting weather over Glen Pass made for some beautiful sunset clouds over the lakes.
- I picked up my backpacking rod in independence and Rae Lakes was the first lake I caught some Brook trout in. Photo of my friend Pandora trying out my fishing rod on what started as a beautiful day…
- By noon some serious clouds rolled in over the lakes and I experienced my first hail storm in the sierras. We managed to find a rock shelf to take cover under from the worst of it.
- Camping at elevation with smoke from a fire to the south creating some intense sunset colors. I cowboy camped without setting up my tent for most of the Desert and Sierras, until the mosquitoes got too bad.
- Rainbow trout on the line.
- Another cowboy camp set up below another epic Sierra sunset view.
Day 49-55: mile 833.7-904.5
Muir Pass to Reds Meadow
-
- Rock monster below Muir Pass! Some fun trail art makes hiking feel like a scavenger hunt.
- The hut at Muir Pass…
- … and it’s impressive roof. Signs warn hikers not to climb on top of the shelter. Muir pass was my favorite pass of the Sierras.
- Muir pass had some of the most alien landscapes and impressive views and even had snowfields to cross.
- Ice in the lakes below Muir Pass
- Evolution Valley
- Ranger hiking with giant saw outside of Mammoth Lakes
- Great success trout fishing at Sallie Keys Lakes. I would highly recommend bringing a fishing rod when in the Sierras. We ate trout for dinner multiple nights on trail. Many thanks to my trail friend Popeye a fishing boat captain who shared his expertise with us on the trail. Photo credit to Freebie.
- Rainbow falls side quest near Reds Meadow.
Day 56-62: mile 904.5-1044.3
Reds Meadow-Kennedy Meadows North
-
- Sunrise at Garnet Lakes. Took the JMT alternate out of Mammoth in order to pass by more lakes for fishing.
- Thousand Island Lakes where the JMT rejoins the PCT.
- The granite at water of Yosemite National Park. Not pictured are the insane hoards of mosquitoes.
- I hit 1000 miles just outside of Yosemite National Park! Photo credit to Popeye.
- Rock formations south of Sonora Pass.
- Lab puppies at Kennedy Meadows North. This one almost came with for the rest of the trail.
- Sunrise at Sonora Pass.