Start date advice

imported
#1

I’ve gotten a lot of good advice through this forum so I thought I’d go for some more. I’m going to be thru hiking the trail this summer with my soon to be wife as part of our honeymoon. Originally we were set to start hiking on the 13th of August, but I recently found out that a very close friend of mine won’t be able to make it to the wedding so we are thinking of kicking the date back 2 weeks so he could come which would have us starting the trail on the 26th of August. Now I’ve heard some people claim that September is a great time to hike the trail, but I’m a little concerned that the cooler temperature might make conditions a little less than perfect. So what do you think? Should we stick with mid August or would late August turn out to be pretty nice? Either way I know the trail will be amazing, but I’m just trying to get the best conditions possible as this will be a good chunk of the honeymoon. Thanks so much!

zacariah

#2

That’s one week later than our JMT hike, and it was a perfect time. I wouldn’t worry at all. Just bring warm enough clothes for 30 degree nights, otherwise plan your hiking so that you sleep at the lower elevations. Personally, i would have a tent and a good rain jacket since it’s possible you could get a storm, but most likely you’ll get perfect weather. I’m jealous. Oh wait, i’m going through again this summer myself!

markv

#3

If I were you I would consider leaving immediately after the Labor Day weekend. The backcountry becomes much more quiet and the weather is beautiful. You may run into snow at any month of the year on th

SteveJ

#4

If I were you I would consider leaving immediately after the Labor Day weekend. The backcountry becomes much more private and the weather is beautiful. You may run into snow at any month of the year on the JMT so you need to be prepared. A light snow up there is something to experience and really doesn’t cause a lot of inconvenience. Rain is another matter and September is usually very dry. In 2005 I started the JMT from Yosemite on August 25th and a snow storm hit Mount Whitney that day – Yosemite had had daily rain the two weeks before. I never saw a single drop of rain, or flake of snow, the entire trip. In fact, the sky was so intensly blue and cloudless that UV block was a must. The temprature usually ranges from the low 80’s in the day to 30’s right before dawn. It may drop into the low 30’s or perhaps high 20’s at night above 10,000 feet. This was a great solo hike so you are in for an incredible honeymoon. Congratulations on finding someone who wants to share it with you.

SteveJ

#5

My biased opinion - early Sep is better than mid Aug. But it depends on your goals. If solitude is a priority, Sep is definitely better. One data point - I spent a lot of time last Aug in the Upper Kern south of Forrester. I was amazed at the number of people I saw who were doing the JMT. Easily one or two groups per hour. Sep will be colder and the days shorter, but nothing to be concerned with.

booger

#6

In late August of '06, we didn’t see more than a few people a day (4-8 about), except in Yosemite and at VVR. Of course, if we had been hanging out at one spot, we would have seen 4-8 per hour, but with everyone moving south at similar speeds, you just don’t see that many if you’re moving yourself. Do whatever works best for your schedule…you’re not going to go wrong.

markv

#7

Once again, thank you all for the feedback. I think we will be starting on Aug. 26. I feel a lot better about hiking in Sept.

zacariah

#8

Sept. is perfect in my opinion. Less crowds, nice crisp mornings, etc. My coolest temps were about 28-30 around 10,000 feet. It snowed and was colder on Whitney, but that made it fun anyway.

weez