As somebody who doesn’t get enough vacation time, who is relatively fit, what are your opinions on the minimum amount of time to do the trail without breaking down physically and having some semblance of enjoyment. Less than 14 days reasonable??
Thanks in advance
Eric
14 days would work just consider the following ideas:
Start at Tuolumne Meadows v/ Happy Isles (cuts 1.5 - 2 days)
Get your packs base weight down around 15 lbs.
Hike in running shoes or trail running shoes
Hike about 14 miles per day on average
consider departing after mid July and before mid August (avoid snowy passes & high water in July, and afternoon storms of late August)
Have a good one! 14 days should work just fine.:cheers
Thinair
Thanks, thats at the outer limits of my time available. Including travel from the east coast. I wouldn’t mind starting at Tuolomne Meadows to save some time though. I guess planning is half the fun.:rolleyes
Eric
14 days is certainly doable. You will have to keep up a good pace, however. Do not underestimate the gains and losses on the JMT. It is a difficult trail. Have you hiked the AT? The JMT is like Maine, but twice as big losses and gains, and you have 1 or 2 HUGE ups and downs per day. If you’re not into “thumping it”, you might end up feeling a little pressured towards the end. If you don’t mind it, then you’ll have the time of your life, brother!
Tha Wookie
I have done most of the trail between PA and NH in sections. Realizing that the elevations, gains and losses were much bigger on JMT than in the NE, I was trying to figure if grade (you apparently know about some of those nightmare rockpiles back east) being easier on the JMT (is this true?) might somehow make the two trails somewhat comparable. Either way, I’ll do what I can and enjoy when it happens.
I have no doubt its tough- thats what I like about it 
Thanks–
Eric
How about Eric The Terrible, Eric The Great, Eric the Mountain Climber, Eric The Mountain Goat, Eric of the AT, etc, etc----or even Dances with Eric…LOL
“Relatively Fit”? Did you know that everyone who starts an AT thru hike considers themselves in shape for it and fit enough-----about 90% don’t make it, and lots of them don’t make it the first 100 miles.
The best way to hike for 2 weeks is to have a plan and a backup plan. Even two weeks is enough to cause you some big problems if you don’t pay a lot of attention to the too’s—too fast, too soon, too heavy, too fast downhill, too many miles, etc.
See you out there.:cheers
Maintain
after 4 months on the AT, in peak shape, 12 miles per day was about my comfortable limit in the heart of the whites (mousilake-southern maine). in peak shape on jmt i was pulling 20’s. the rockpiles will drain all of your energy in 2 miles, up or down. the JMT grade is easier. its a different mental game. you pretty much have one HUGE climb perday on the JMT, though you will have to do two on a couple days. if you pace yourself well, and are in good enough shape to tackle a six mile 3500-5000 foot elevation gain, then you have bought yourself 6 miles of downhill. (general aproximation) getting your packwieght down will be crucial. and perhaps taking a good look at the trail before hand and planning 12’s in particularly difficult terrain and at the start, and 16’s as you get in shape and on the days where you have big downhill segments would be easier on your body than forcing a 14 average every day. but you seem into physical challenges without an aversion to pain. in which case you will love it and do fine in your timeline. make it happen, its a magical trail.
milo
Eric,
You don’t mention whether you have backpacked before.
If you haven’t, 5-7 miles per day is likely to totally wear you out.
Allow for big margins of time here.
You’ll be happier finishing with time to spare, than turning back after 3 days because it was more difficult than expected; and many do exactly the latter–no criticism intended–but it happens a lot.
Sincerely–Conan.
Conan
Appreciate all the comments.
Conan
Have backpacked before, but never more than 3 days. 5-7 miles won’t do me in, I’ve done plenty of 20+ mile days in VT and NY. But I agree everything usually turns out harder than expected, so hopefully I can plan a few extra days and if I need to ease off, so be it. As Milo said, I’ll try and guage the mileage based on the terrain for the day and how I feel. Shoot for 14 days and see how It goes.
The hardest part of the trip will be getting away from work and the family! Thanks again-
Eric - not Eric
The JMT was our first long hike in Sept 1998. From my notes it appears it took 14 days. We hiked it again the next Sept in 13 days.
We aren’t particularly fast hikers, but we tend to put in long days.
Ken
Eric, have a good JMT hike. I just wanted to add a couple of things we learned on our first JMT:
Take a brimmed sun hat! My ear lobes burned severely front and back from the sun through thin air.
Go light. New Balance shoe will work if your pack isn’t too heavy.
You don’t have to carry water, but stay ahead on drinking and snacking. You need constant snacks to get you up to the pass.
For us, slow and constant was enjoyable. It got us the miles for a 14 day JMT from Yosemite Valley to Whitney. When the days are long we like to keep walking just to see the passing scenery and the next view.
We carried a bear canister which saves hanging time and also protects food from marmots and ants. My pack is frameless so the canister was dropped in to the bottom and gave the pack some shape.
Layering works and a heavy jacket is not necessary. We had rain that froze overnight in September but added our rain jacket over a fleece over a capilene shirt and were warm enough.
Ice ax, caribiners, rope are not necessary on the trail in an average year after late June.
We have a couple JMT pictures at http://home.pacbell.net/kdpo/ and our gear list for our long hikes were what we carried on the JMT. PCT pictures from Kennedy Meadows to Tuolumne are also JMT pictures.
…GottaWalk
Marcia
Here are a several ideas for getting in longer miles:
Just Sit
I did part of the JMT last year as a warm up for the AT.
I learned alot from this experience which elped me successfully complete te AT.
Yes, keep pack weight down, but start with the pack its self. I did the JMT with a pack that weighed close to 7 lbs empty! yikes
Elevation-this doesnt really apply to the AT but when you start the JMT, the elevation will kill you. I did about 14 miles the first day and nearly faineted when I took my pack off. My advice-take it slow the first few days while you adjust to the altitude.
terraim-What killed me on the JMT wasnt just the climbs but the loose rocks on the climb. I ended up having to leave the trail in the end due to blisters which were caused by a heavy pack, green feet, and the loose gravel; take care of the feet.
weather-I had great weather on the JMT and the AT but be prepared for cold, wet weather. This, to me is the ultimate weather challenge. I can deal with cold, I can deal with wet, but wet and cold, thats the tough one.
Agree with other poster=you should have contigency plans. I had to bail out and get a ride into mammoth which is very easy. I would have gone back to the trial from mammoth but ran out of time.
jalan jalan