JMT - John Muir Trail

imported
#1

I got my reservation and plane tickets for an August first start on the JMT starting at Lyell Canyon Trail head. First off is anyone else on TF starting around this time? Just wondering who I am likely to meet out there. When I get there what are the chances that I can change my permit from Lyell to Happy Valley when my two buddies and I show up? My final question is has anyone figure out how to get eight days of food into the bear cannister? MTR is our last resupply and I figure 8 to 9 days to finnish but I can’t figure how to get that much food into the can. What is the bear situation the first couple of days out of MTR? Is it possible to camp in areas where we can hang a bear bag with the excess food?

Big B

#2

http://gottawalk.com/packing_bear_canister.htm

Last August we dropped off two hikers who picked up same day permits from Tuolumne Meadows Permit Office, peak hiking season but mid-week.

You might check to see if hanging food is even legal anywhere in the Sierra.

GottaWalk

#3

There’s always a chance of permit cancellations, so it’s always worth checking. Of course you can’t on it. Repack everything, making sure you get all the air out of things. Focus no fats. There are bears the first couple days out of MTR, but it’s not the highest-volume bear encounter area of the trail. If you have extra, don’t hang it. Put the least smelly bits (and toiletries) in a few bags, camp well off the trail and away from water and put your extra food far from your tent. And hope for the best. Hanging is almost like an invitation though…the scent will go further too. Of course best (and most legal) is to get it all in the can. It’s doable.

markv

#4

Hanging your food is allowed on “most” of the JMT. Not preferred but allowed. Exceptions are Yosemite and part of SEKI. See map here:
http://sierrawild.gov/bears/food-storage-map
It also shows the bear box locations.
The requirement for hanging is the counter balance method. Best to get everything in the canister but it does take practice. Remember your first days food doesn’t have to go in it.

Still Lookin

#5

BigB, you’re going to have a great trip. I thru hiked in 2010, thanks in part to Still Lookin’ who got me over Muir Pass and even fixed my stove! Get as much into your canister as you can out of MTR, then put the rest into an OpSack, one of those supposedly odor proof ziplocks. Should at least reduce the scent trail. At night, I put the OpSack in my tent. Figured the bear would have to get through me before she got my food. Placing the food on the ground away from the tent would likely just be feeding the squirrels. I had two bear visits in one night the first night out of Happy Isles, about 7-8 miles up the trail. Ran them off easily. Didn’t see another until Charlotte Lake; it was a real monster. Nearly as big as the Alaskan Browns we have at home. But they’re everywhere, so be vigilant and keep a clean camp. They’ve also been known to sneak up behind you at a rest break and get your pack. Keep your pack close at hand! And count yourself lucky if you get to see one. Tom Jacobsen.

Photofall/Mr Clean

#6

Tom, you old jawbreaker you! Never know when your going to show up. Big B–if you ever meet Tom on the trail say hi and run. He’s a real bear attractor. I on the other hand haven’t seen a bear in the Sierra for 50 years. My stove repair shop will be open for business at Forrester Pass for 1 hour on Aug 9th this year.

Still Lookin

#7

I like to cook about an hour or two before making camp. The benefits are you wont be attracting bears into your camp with the smells from your cooking and you get a nice boost of energy at the end of the day when energy tends to be flagging.

Also, you can cook near a water site that might not have good camping, camel up and choose a camp site based on the best tent site and not necessarily the need for water.

jalan