Hike Your Own Hike. We all have our own preferences, hiking paces, and I’ve come to find that my pace is a lot slower than most. On average, it takes 14-21 days to complete the John Muir Trail, and 2-weeks is usually the average vacation time one is allowed to take from work. I allowed myself 21 days to complete all 211 miles of the JMT, but caught myself soaking in the beauty of just slowing down and enjoying my time on trail. I believe, on average, a JMT thru-hiker will hike anywhere from 10-15 miles/day. My starting pace was a little slow as both my sister and I took our time getting use to the trail, and carrying a heavy pack. By Day 10, I was hiking on average 11+ miles a day and I enjoyed every moment of being able to slow down and taking the time to truly appreciate my journey.
I met “Chugger” at Vermilion Valley Resort on Day 12, a solo SOBO JMT hiker who was on Day 25…at Vermilion Valley Resort. “My son gave me my trail name, and I must mention that this is my hiking pace, not my drinking preference,” he went on to explain how he saw the smallest, bluest, most fragile flower while hiking into VVR, and that these trail runners that speed on through the trail, will never have the chance to see it.
I allowed myself 21 days on trail, but on Day 18 ran into a nasty thunderstorm and needed to shelter for the remainder of the day, a near nero, but still hiked 7.5 miles that day. I tried to slow down a bit, soaking in the creeks, journaling on trail, and actually cook lunch- but I couldn’t get myself to take a ZERO day anywhere! So yes, here’s a leisurely 25-days on the John Muir Trail with absolutely no zero days. 😜
Watch the day-to-day YouTube playlist:
– DAY 1 –
📍 Yosemite National Park > Sunrise Creek
Miles: 10.98
Elevation: +4,088 / -212 ft.
–DAY 2 –
📍 Sunrise Creek > Lower Cathedral Lake
Miles: 10.50 miles
Elevation: +2,386 / -1,035 ft.
– DAY 3 –
📍 Lower Cathedral Lake > Tuolumne Meadow (resupply) > Lyell Fork
Miles: 10.99
Elevation: +760 / -1,290 ft.
– DAY 4 –
📍 Lyell Fork > Donohue Pass ▲ > Rush Creek
Miles: 11.48
Elevation: +2,318 / -1,291 ft.
– DAY 5 –
📍 Rush Creek > Island Pass ▲ > Middle Fork San Joaquin
Miles: 6.75
Elevation: +913 / -1,152 ft.
– DAY 6 –
📍 Middle Fork San Joaquin > Glady’s Lake
Miles: 6.40
Elevation: +1,421 / -1,518 ft.
– DAY 7 –
📍 Glady’s Lake > Red’s Meadow (resupply)
Miles: 8.40
Elevation: +395 /-2,298 ft.
– DAY 8 –
📍 Red’s Meadow > Deer Creek
Miles: 6.28
Elevation: +1,598 /-137 ft.
– DAY 9 –
📍 Deer Creek > Lake Virginia
Miles: 10.42
Elevation: +2,244 / -1,081 ft.
– DAY 10 –
📍 Lake Virginia > Silver Pass ▲ > Mono Creek
Miles: 11.47
Elevation: +1,813 / -3,268 ft.
– DAY 11 –
📍 Mono Creek > Vermilion Valley Resort (resupply)
Miles: 10.11
Elevation: +735 / -1,918 ft.
– DAY 12 –
📍 Vermilion Valley Resort > Bear Creek
Miles: 9.67
Elevation: +2,348 / -1,070 ft.
– DAY 13 –
📍 Bear Creek > Marie Lakes
Miles: 8.53
Elevation: +1,881 / -302 ft.
– DAY 14 –
📍 Marie Lakes > Seldon Pass ▲ > Muir Trail Ranch (resupply)
Miles: 9.33
Elevation: +495 / -3,351 ft.
– DAY 15 –
📍 Muir Trail Ranch > Evolution Creek
Miles: 9.81
Elevation: +1,986 / -402 ft.
– DAY 16 –
📍 Evolution Creek > Wanda Lake
Miles: 11.90
Elevation: +2,467 / -197 ft.
– DAY 17 –
📍 Wanda Lake > Muir Pass ▲ > Le Conte Canyon
Miles: 12.98
Elevation: + 507 / -4,004 ft.
– DAY 18 –
📍 Le Conte Canyon > Lower Palisade Lake
Miles: 7.46
Elevation: +2,626 / -50 ft.
– DAY 19 –
📍 Lower Palisade Lake > Mather Pass ▲ > Lake Marjorie
Miles: 12.59
Elevation: +2,545 / -2,099 ft.
– DAY 20 –
📍 Lake Marjorie > Pinchot Pass ▲ > Baxter Creek
Miles: 12.80
Elevation: +2,009 / -3,608 ft.
– DAY 21 –
📍 Baxter Creek > Glen Pass ▲ > Vidette Meadow
Miles: 12.39
Elevation: +2,833 / -2,801 ft.
– DAY 22 –
📍 Vidette Meadow > Forester Pass ▲ > Sequoia National Park
Miles: 10.79
Elevation: +3,557 / -1,313 ft.
– DAY 23 –
📍 Sequoia National Park > Guitar Lake
Miles: 13.56
Elevation: +2,089 / -2,343 ft.
– DAY 24 –
📍 Guitar Lake > Mount Whitney ▲ > Outpost Camp
Miles: 11.02
Elevation: +3,055 / -4,171 ft.
– DAY 25 –
📍 Outpost Camp > Whitney Portal
Miles: 3.81
Elevation: -2,012 ft.
