On the JMT at Devil's Postpile

Found a great campsite at Red’s and  met up with Irene who was dropped off there by a friend who made an incredible pasta dinner for us that night.  She and I spent the next two days camped at Red’s Meadow, great campground.  It was here we first encountered the “Eddie Bauer” backpackers.  At first I thought I was in an episode of the Twiglight Zone.  They were dressed in matching outfits, nothing out of place.  At first I thought they were park rangers, the colors would be correct.  Then I noticed their backpacks matched perfectly. Down to the “kitchen Sink” .

Not sure what that was for, have never needed a kitchen sink in the backcountry.  Everything tied to their packs was new and expensive and right out of a catalog.  They even had a large can of bear spray on their waist bands.  I think my Mylar space blanket was a lighter, cheaper and better solution.  I didn’t want to be that close to a bear that I could spray it in the face with peppers. 

The Eddie Bauer packers were nice enough ut they were the strangest site.

We also ran into Ken and Theo at one of the cabins at Red’s.  Unfortunately Ken severely sprained his ankle crossing a creek and trying to save his camera from the water.  Their trip was over.  He was on crutches.  It was so sad; they had so looked forward to this trip.

We took a day hike down to Rainbow Falls, a mini Niagara.  I couldn’t believe how much water there was.  There was also a herd of people.  I felt a little out of place, having gotten used to smaller groups only.  It was a hot day and I couldn’t believe how many would make the 5 mile round trip journey with no water, little kids and flip flops.  I can’t seem to get away from those. 

On the JMT to Devils Postpile

August 20, 2011

So far my experience with bears in the last few days has proven to me the Bearikade was a great idea. It fits great sideways in my Osprey Aura 65 and has proven itself to withstand the efforts of two sets of bears.  It also made a great seat while cooking.  I was more thrilled with the can than my pack.  By this point I have discovered the limitations of this light backpack’s shoulder straps and was cursing their stiffness.  Lucky for me I found a pair of brand new thick synthetic backpacking socks in my camp left there by the previous camper.  After short consideration I chose to cut the bottoms off and use the tubes to pad my shoulder straps.  It paid off, my comfort was greatly increased.  Other than that the pack had so far proven itself to be easy to organize and fit my gear perfectly.  I have also discovered I love the Honeyville powdered eggs. 

Due to the mystery illness I have been suffering from for the last two years, I was determined never to get stuck hiking in the heat. If I could avoid this, I could complete the trip without numb feet and dizziness. After a breakfast at 4:30 am of powdered eggs, grits and coffee I hit the trail about 5:15. I already discovered if you want to have some alone time on the trail the best time to hike was early in the AM, most didn’t seem to leave their camps until about 9 or 10. Sometimes adversity turns into a blessing, it forces you to do things differently.

It was on to Devils Postpile to meet up with Irene who was resupplying me and actually going to hike the next leg to Eddison Lake VVR with me as her first backpacking trip.

Rosalie Lake

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It was then on to Rosalie Lake.  I found a great campsite below the trail. 

I had the great vantage point of being able to see people walk by again and they couldn’t even tell I was there.  Unfortunately a bear did find my campsite and once again I was awakened in the middle of the night by a very pissed off furry friend.  This time I wedged my bear can among some large boulders.  This only added to his/her frustration because the can couldn’t be rolled around at all.  My main concern was the can rolling into the lake, and it didn’t.  I did end up with a couple of incredible claw grooves in the aluminum top as mementos. 

Banner in the Morning

The best part of my Thousand Island Lake campsite would come in the very early morning hours when I was able to photograph the many moods of Banner Peak as the moon slowly gave way to the day.  I woke up about 4:30 and left camp about 5:30-6 it was an eerie morning because across the lake I could hear a small group of coyotes yipping.

Donahue to Thousand Island Lake

I started out about 5 am and ran into Ken and Theo again, they had a great campsite just on the other side of the bridge at McClure, will have to take note of that area for future trips.  The trail up to Donahue was easy except for the one deep water crossing before the top.  There were several people ahead of me who seemed to make a bigger deal out of this and I should have gotten my camera out and done a video of their various methods and difficulties.  It was some of the best entertainment.  I am not sure why they struggled but each did.  The water was thigh high due to all the snow fall we had had during the winter. I am ever so grateful I purchased a pair of Merrell Trail Gloves.  I simply changed shoes and walked across, it was nothing and they would come in handy many times over. It was amusing to watch all those who thought flip flops would somehow work. Donahue pass was easy and I encountered my first snowfield at the top making route finding a little interesting as there were many paths carved out by previous hikers. 

There was a strange box at the top of the pass for wilderness surveys which no one up there had and of which there were none in the box.  Not sure what that was for but it was worth a photo.

The other side of Donahue Pass opens up to a different kind of beauty.  Open spaces and incredible peaks.  It was a great place for lunch…. And a swim.

After about a 14 mile day and having completed both Donahue Pass and Island Pass I reached Thousand Island Lake.  It was the most picturesque place I had seen since leaving Colorado many years ago.  It must have been about 4:30 and finding a campsite was very difficult.  I managed to find a very small ledge which offered some privacy due to the large rock on the trail side. 

Unfortunately the lake itself was a bit of a tourist trap because it is accessible from other trails and not far enough from civilization.  Many groups were camped here and some had no clue as to how to behave in the backcountry. 

I was quickly advised by a mother of three kids who was camped above me on the other side of the trail about 100 yards (not feet but yards) that where I was camped was in front of “her” swimming spot and “her” water and that she and her kids would be there.  And… they were.  They spent the next couple of hours right in front of my tent in the water despite the lake being very large and the shoreline having many places for swimming.  It was the strangest thing I had ever encountered.  I have to say I truly had the feeling I was in LA on some crowded beach. 

On The Trail

I finally have time to update this blog on my great John Muir Trail adventure.  It began on August 17, 2011.  I hope to add posts every few days attempting to describe a journey that was physically, emotionally and at time spiritually challenging.  I ended up doing the trail solo.  I started out with 5 people wanting to go and ended up walking off alone.  In retrospect, It was probably the best way to go.  I had only myself to rely on and had an opportunity to go at my pace and on my schedule without worrying about someone else's wants and needs.  I met a lot of incredible people along the way and they will stay with me always.  To those on the trail forums who complain about seeing too many people out there, they missed out.  Part of what made this journey spectacular was the people who ventured to go that far, their heart and resiliance and in some cases their outwardly bizarre behavior. I loved them as much as the trail itself.

After a year of planning and 8 months of physically preparing I headed out from the Lyell Canyon trailhead. I had no idea how emotional it would be to walk away.  It was the thing I wasn’t expecting. I think I must have cried as I walked off for about 5 minutes.  It was a strange feeling leaving Jonathan, Dylan, Sean and the rest of my family behind for a month. 

The first day I had planned out to be very light only 5-6 miles and I found a great campsite on the left side of the trail near the creek.  My permit was checked twice, once by a ranger on a horse and a second time by a pair of trail volunteers. 

I met a really nice couple, Ken and Theo who were also doing the JMT and also planned to spend a month doing it.  They were going to camp at McClure Creek and head up Donahue in the early AM.

I set up a great camp about 2 miles before theirs, made a fire and went for a swim.  The evening was uneventful until much later and I had my share of entertainment watching people walk by who couldn’t see me due to my location behind a slight hill and a few well placed rocks. 

About 11 pm I was awakened by a bear trying to play hockey with my bearikade. I could hear grunts and some banging around as he/she pushed it around in the space I placed it.  I quickly discovered bears don’t like those cheap Mylar space-blankets as rattling it about sent the creature running.  It wouldn’t be my last encounter with the furry ones. 

Making Your Own Trail Food

It’s snowing again here.  Probably won’t get plowed again.  I’ve been experimenting with dehydrating various vegetarian foods.  30 days on the JMT is just too long to pay the high cost of those prepackaged backpacking meals and quite frankly there isn’t much variation for those of us who don’t eat meat.

 Last weekend I played around with mini Matzo Balls made from a mix.  They work great.  I boiled them first and then dehydrated overnight.  Put them in a cup of soup and let them sit in the hot water about 2 minutes.  You couldn’t tell they were once dehydrated.

Today I dehydrated meatless meatballs and they worked equally great.  First I pan fried them (not sure if that is necessary but seemed like a good idea), then placed them overnight in the dehydrator.  To rehydrate, I merely let them sit in hot water much like I would on the trail. 

These could be rehydrated with either ramen noodles or a flat fettuccini type noodle we found at an Asian Market.  For $1.29 you can get a package of 15 rounds of noodles which when placed in water that has reached a boil will rehydrate in 3 minutes in a closed container.  I like these noodles better, the texture is nice and they don’t taste as starchy as ramen.  They are great in soup or in a spaghetti/fettuccini type recipe.

Next week, Lentil soup. 

John Muir Trail Conditions

I got approval for my one month vacation time from work and got my reservation for a permit from the park service can’t beat that for a milestone birthday! Now I can only hope the weather starts to stabilize and the snow begins to melt.  Not that I want ski season to end but I really don’t like the idea of hiking in the snow for 200+ miles. 

Photo taken last weekend from 8500 feet elevation a few miles in front of where the JMT passes Eddison and Florence Lakes.