Hi, I’m looking to hike the JMT this coming June. I am planning on hiking south to north and having my first restock be at Muir ranch. I really want to leave in early to Mid june. Any advice, who are snow conditions usually? How about Bugs? My main concern is Navigation, will it be too hard to find my way in the high passes? Any info is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Chris d…
Snow is likely to be a problem in early June. Since this is an el nino year, it is likely to be a high snow year. Check Postholer or the NOAA sites to be sure. Bring an ice axe. River crossings are actually a worse problem than the passes. You’ll be in the midst of the PCT hikers, so unless you get fresh snow, navigation shouldn’t be too bad - you can always follow footsteps. Still, have a good map with you JIC. If the snow has melted, mosquitoes will be bad. Change elevation though and you may be able to climb out of the worst of it.
Ginny
Thank You Ginny. Much appreciated. Seeing that this hike while be our honeymoon. I think we may push it a little towards July, we do want to enjoy and i don;t want to carry extra snow gear. Thanks.
Chris d…
Keep this in mind. It may help with your research. At about the time you want to hike, PCT north bounders cover about 90% of the JMT when they thru-hike. I know there aren’t many JMT journals on TJ but, there are a lot of PCT journals. Read about how the others before you handled navigation. Frodo and Scout (PCT07) wrote a great journal. BTW, they were celebrating their 30 years of marriage when they hiked, that’s good karma there for sure.
WB
I’ve been piddling around the Onion Valley to south of Whitney each summer for 23 years. For this part of the JMT there is only the delta between a great experience and a really, really great experience. The variable is mosquitoes - or ALB’s, as in Annoying Little Bastards. I hate 'em - and when out in force, can be very bothersome. They seem to migrate away from the area by mid-July. My personal opinion - worth of course the $ you’re paying for it - the best time to do the JMT goes from mid-July into early Sep.
Booger
When I hiked the PCT NOBO this last summer, I went through the JMT section in late June to early July. The only areas along the JMT that I thought had really bad bugs was the Rae Lakes area. I ended up pushing late into the night to get away from the area as they were swarming me. The only campers I saw there were hiding in their tent. This isn’t to say that there aren’t bugs elsewhere, they just weren’t an issue for me. I wore long pants and sleeved shirt treated with Permithrin and they left me alone for the most part and I rarely needed to use DEET. A headnet is a must in some areas when you stop moving though.
Navigating on the snow can be easy or hard depending on how much is still on the ground when you go through. A year like 2007 will be mostly clear, while a year like 2006 will see significant miles before and after the passes under snow. If you know how to navigate using a map and compass, then you shouldn’t have any trouble with snow. The only real issue is picking the correct pass to go over as some hikers had choosen wrong and had to backtrack; usually they assumed where the Pass was instead of verifying with their map. Fortunately, numerous PCT hikers heading north will have likely left foot prints to follow through the snow though they can melt out fast that time of the year.
My experience this year was that I didn’t always know where the trail was after coming over a pass, but I knew the direction it was headed and eventually I would meet up with it. It helped to look for the trail while still up high so you had an idea of where you wanted to end up at.
For me, the biggest fear was fording overflowing creeks as I had heard how deep some places were in 2006. It turned out to not be a big deal this last year and I only dealt with knee deep water. But other years have had the water over the waiste.
Miner
I am hoping to get out and hike this trail this year. I had planned on mid to late August. Any comments on what the weather is normally like at that time?:girl
Hammock Hanger
In mide to late August, the weather will be sunny and warm with a chance of thunder showers in the afternoon. Though I have seen snow in early July, the chance of a real storm is very remote.
Miner
We did the JMT in 2007 (a dry year) between July 25 and August 15th. Cool nites, as low as 39 and warm days in the 90’s. Bone dry. We had about 3 hours of rain, although there was occassional clouds that looked threatening, but no rain fell. Hardly any bugs. There was only one stream that needed to be forded, Evolution Creek. But there was adequate water supply.
swamp fox
Any comments about starting the JMT, going north to south, in late May? I have done a few long treks (not as long as the JMT) but am confident in my backcountry skills. However.I should add, I have never dealt with any conditions where I needed an ice axe or crampons and do not know how to use them.
kmsun
You’ll need to develop your snow skills if you’re starting in May. Even PCT thruhikers don’t go through until June.
Ginny
Actually, I think a more accurate statement is most PCT thru-hikers don’t go through until June. Everyyear there seems to be a few who enter the High Sierra in May and quite a large number who go in the 1st week of June. Thru-hikers in the 70’s and 80’s did so far more often and they did it with much heavier packs then what is commonly used today.
However, by going south, you likely will be blazing your own trail for the 1st part as only a few will be out in the backcountry and only for a short time as what few PCTers out that early will be to the south. So navigation skills will be whats more important.
The biggest difference in May verses June is that you’ll have to hike more miles on snow rather then trail. Depending on the conditions, the fords actually may be easier in May but you never know. From talking to people who have gone in early, crampons still aren’t really necessary but an ice axe will be.
Miner
The real truth is that the High Sierra is closed until June 15th. Nobody goes. Then on June 15th, everyone is allowed in, but they have to demonstrate their ice axe and crampon skills first. 
It varies by the snow level each year, but i think the best bet is to go early or late. Generally mid-late June and early July is going to be very mosquito-y, and the river crossings will be deeper and faster. August is drier and easier. But early June or even May (depending on the snow year) is even more stunningly beautiful. It just is harder work, dealing with snow and occasional navigation. Ice axes or even crampons might help some people, but there are only 3 passes steep enough to warrant using them: Forrester, Glen, and Mather. If you want to not carry the extra gear and weight, try to time these passes for mid-afternoon. Then the snow is softer, and it’s generally safe to plod through, as opposed to morning when it’s iced over and scary as hell.
Of course, YMMV, and if you go early season without an axe, you definitely have to be be willing to look at a snow slope, assess it, and turn around if you feel it’s not safe or comfortable for you. There are plenty of exit trails (that are equally beautiful) if you find you can’t get past a pass safely.
markv
As one historical data point, we started the JMT N to S on 6-19-1971. Tuollumne Mdws was snow free, but snow was deep in the Lyell Canyon. 1000 Island Lake was mostly ice covered. From there south the trails were mostly snow fee or passable. We carried ice axes. A trip journal of our hike is in the journal section.
Idaho Bob