PACIFIC CREST TRAIL | SIERRA
SONORA PASS > COTTONWOOD LAKES
And so it begins.
Why hike the John Muir Trail two years in a row? There are many other stunning trails across the United States, but there is also so much to explore in the Sierra and only so much time during a single hike. I went back to spend more time in the places I enjoyed the most and the places I missed on or near the trail. I also added another 100 or so new miles for good measure. Last year was Tuolumne Meadows to Whitney Portal. This year, I started approximately 75 miles north of Tuolumne at Sonora Pass, hiking south to Mount Whitney, then continuing on to Cottonwood Lakes.
THE NUMBERS
■ Total Distance Hiked (including Whitney + Kearsarge Resupply) | 315 miles
■ Most Miles Hiked in a Day | 18.9 miles
■ Least Miles Hiked in a Day | 6.2 miles
■ Days Hiked | 30
■ Zero Days | 3
■ Passes | 16 + Mt. Whitney + 3 ascents/descents that really should be passes
■ Resupplies | 4
■ Highest Elevation | 14,505 ft (Mount Whitney)
■ Heaviest Pack Weight | 37.5 lbs with 7 days of food + 2.25L water
■ Blisters | Too many to count (all within the first few days due to shoes that were slightly too small)
■ Gear Failures | 2 (shorts + sleeping pad)
■ Thunderstorms | 3 big storms + multiple smaller storms
■ Bears | 3
HIGHLIGHTS
LOWLIGHTS
■ The people (as always)
■ Hiking 18.9 miles (longest day so far) into VVR
■ Seeing ‘old’ trail friends at VVR (and meeting new ones)
■ Forming a great tramily (Thunder Buddies)
■ Trail magic
■ SECOND summit of Mount Whitney
■ Sunrise summit of Mount Whitney
■ Finishing my second thru-hike
■ That BIG thunderstorm
■ Flat sleeping pad
■ Blisters
■ One of our tramily having to leave through Bishop Pass
■ Waiting for a hitch at Horseshoe Meadows
TRAIL JOURNAL
■ DAY 1 | Sonora Pass to Kennedy Canyon Creek
■ DAY 2 | Kennedy Canyon Creek to Dorothy Lake
■ DAY 3 | Dorothy Lake to Stubblefield Canyon Creek
■ DAY 4 | Stubblefield Canyon Creek to Benson Lake
■ DAY 5 | Benson Lake to Matterhorn Canton Creek
■ DAY 6 | Matterhorn Canton Creek to Glen Aulin
■ DAY 7 | Glen Aulin to Tuolumne Meadows
■ DAY 8 | Tuolumne Meadows to Above Lyell Fork Bridge
■ DAY 9 | Above Lyell Fork Bridge to Thousand Island Lake
■ DAY 10 | Thousand Island to Rosalie Lake
■ DAY 11 | Rosalie Lake to Red’s Meadow Resort
■ DAY 12 | Mammoth Lakes + Red’s Meadow Resort Zero Day
■ DAY 13 | Red’s Meadow Resort to Purple Lake
■ DAY 14 | Purple Lake to Vermillion Valley Resort
■ DAY 15 | VVR Zero Day
■ DAY 16 | Vermillion Valley Resort to Marie Lakes
■ DAY 17 | Marie Lakes to Piute Creek Bridge via MTR
■ DAY 18 | Piute Creek Bridge to Evolution Lake
■ DAY 19 | Evolution Lake to Big Pete’s Meadow
■ DAY 20 | Big Pete’s Meadow to Lower Palisades
■ DAY 21 | Lower Palisades to Lake Marjorie
■ DAY 22 | Lake Marjorie to Rae Lakes
■ DAY 23 | Rae Lakes to Onion Valley Trailhead
■ DAY 24 | Mt Williamson Motel + Basecamp Zero Day
■ DAY 25 | Onion Valley Trailhead to Forester Pass Basecamp
■ DAY 26 | Forester Pass Basecamp to Wallace Creek
■ DAY 27 | Wallace Creek to Guitar Lake
■ DAY 28 | Mt Whitney Sunrise Summit to Guitar Lake to Lower Crabtree
■ DAY 29 | Lower Crabtree to Soldier Lake
■ DAY 30 | Soldier Lake to Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead
■ Resupply Points Along the Trail
■ Food on the Trail
■ Post-Trail Gear List
■ Final Thoughts | The Best and the Worst
