JMT | DAY 5 RED'S MEADOW TO PURPLE LAKE
Miles Hiked: 13.5 miles (mm 59.2-72.5)
Elevation: 3,293 ft ascent | 991 ft descent
The section between Red’s Meadow and Duck Creek is one I was dreading based on how others described it.
Dead trees.
No shade.
Hot.
Dry.
Heavy Pack.
Uphill.
Okay, it was all of those things, but it was a lot better than I pictured it. The climb seemed fairly gradual and the section with dead trees (due to fire) was fairly short and can be done before the sun gets too hot. After that, there is some tree coverage. But it is dry and hot.
I filled my water bottles and CNOC bladder before tackling the 5+ miles dry section before Duck Creek. I didn’t end up using the extra water, so it was extra weight, but worth it had it stayed hot. Thunderclouds were starting to form as I hiked the last couple miles. I didn’t have a set stopping point for the day, so I planned on waiting until the Duck Lake Junction to make a decision. I knew there were other hikers—including Edwin, Tessa, and Jeff—who I had seen along the way, planning to stop around the same area. Tom had mentioned Duck Lake as well.
As I approached Duck Creek, Edwin was setting up his tent to wait out the storm. I started getting my tent out to set it up and wait, but the spots were poor. Jeff and Tessa showed up not long after and made the decision to push on the Purple Lake. There was no lightning and rare thunder, only light rain (off and on). I decided to go with them. And man, can they push on the uphills. I was struggling but made it to the top of our last uphill for the day. As we descended to Purple Lake, blue skies started to appear. We knew that Edwin wouldn’t be far behind. We found a spot that would work for all four of our tents and started unpacking. Next on the plan: a little swimming, laundry, and fresh water for dinner.
This was our first night camping as a group. I learned that Jeff was originally from Iowa, as well. Edwin had converted a van. We planned the route for the next 1-2 days and exchanged Garmin information. I started considering moving at a faster pace if we ended up sticking together as a group. Having fun and enjoying nights at camp is more important to me than zero days.
