The John Muir Trail with Mule Support

The John Muir Trail is one of the finest hikes to be found anywhere in the world. The route starts in at Mt Whitney and winds it's way over two hundred miles to Yosemite Valley. Along the way it climbs over 13,000' passes, wanders beneath high alpine peaks, and traverses beautiful meadows and forested river valleys. The spectacular scenery is combined with the generally clement weather of California and warm summer temperatures. For all participants this will be a trip of a lifetime, one to be remembered for years to come.

However if you are carrying a heavy backpack perhaps the main thing you will remember is the heavy pack and the sore feet. Or maybe you are thinking that your hiking days are over and such a long trip is not possible for tired bones.

This is why we work with Rock Creek Pack Station to offer pack-supported trips where you simply shoulder a light daypack and leave the hard work to our four-hooved friends.

We offer high quality meals, a relaxed pace and if not all the comforts of home a few of those things that make all of the difference at end of the day such as a chair to sit in rather than a chunk of granite to lean against.

Think of these trips as not just “doing” the John Muir Trail but as a stress-free relaxing sojourn amongst some of the finest mountains in the world.

Itinerary

A normal backpacking John Muir Trail takes over twenty days and not everyone has the ability to a prolonged time off work we have divide the trip annual segments.  This enables you to plan ahead, take your time and truly enjoy the experience.

You can expect to cover 6 to twelve miles a day and then we build in layover days to simply relax, sit by the stream, fish or, if you are feeling energetic, to climb a peak.

Below are very tentative day-by-day itineraries. There are a lot of things that can change this schedule such as weather, minor injury, tired mules or just the desire for a rest day so the actual camps are certain to vary but they give you a general outline of the route

So be flexible and adapt to the inevitable changes that will occur.

Section One: Cottonwood to Onion Valley

Ten Days, Fifty Miles

Day 1              Cottonwood to Chicken Springs Lake

Day 2              Chicken Springs Lake to Rock Creek

Day 3              Rock Creek to Crabtree

Day 4              Crabtree to Guitar Lake

Day 5              Climb Mt Whitney and descend to Crabtree

Day 6              Crabtree to Tyndall Creek

Day 7              Layover day

Day 8              Tyndall Creek to Upper Bubbs Creek

Day 9              Layover day

Day 10            Bubbs Creek to Onion Valley

Section Two: Onion Valley to Bishop Pass

Ten Days, Fifty Miles

Day 1              Onion Valley to Charlotte Lake

 Day 2             Charlotte Lake to Rae Lakes

Day 3              Layover day

Day 4              Rae Lakes to Woods Creek

Day 5              Wood Creek to South Fork of Kings River

Day 6              South Fork of Kings River to Upper Basin

Day 7              Upper Basin to Deer Meadow

Day 8              Layover Day

Day 9              Palisade Creek to Lower Dusy Basin

Day 10            Lower Dusy Basin to South Lake

Section Three: Bishop Pass to Red’s Meadow

Eleven Days, Sixty five Miles

Day 1              South Lake to Lower Dusy Basin

Day 2              Lower Dusy Basin  to Le Conte Canyon

Day 3              Le Conte Canyon to Colby

Day 4              Layover     

Day 5              Colby to South Fork of San Joaquin River

Day 6              San Joaquin River to Rose-Marie Meadow

Day 7              Layover

Day 8              Rose-Marie Meadow to Quail Meadow

Day 9              Quail Meadow to Horse Heaven

Day 10            Horse Heaven to Deer Creek

Day 11            Deer Creek to Red’s Meadow

Section Four: Red’s Meadow to Yosemite

Eight Days, Fifty Miles

Day 1              Reds Meadow to Gladys Lake

Day 2              Gladys Lake to Thousand Island Lake

Day 3               Thousand Island Lake To Upper Rush Creek

Day 4               Upper Rush Creek to Lyell Canyon

Day 5               Lyell Canyon to Cathedral Lake

Day 6               To Sunrise Creek Day

Day 7               Layover

Day 8               Sunrise Creek to Yosemite

Logistics

The big question everyone asks is "how much will I have to carry?" And the answer is - not much. A day pack, water, extra clothing etc. It should be less than 10 pounds.

These are long trips and for many people may be the longest backcountry trip they have ever done. Because of the length there is always the potential for things to go wrong and the unexpected to occur. Your guide will be trained in wilderness first aid and will carry a radio or cell phone for emergency communications. (No, not for personal use and calling home!). Family and friends can contact you through our office, but because of the problems of communication in the backcountry the delay can be substantial. 

You need to be in good shape for the trip. This does not mean being a super fit marathoner though. Some days are long; some are short and some we do not move camp at all. But you need to be prepared for up to twelve miles a day with a light daypack, although these will be not the norm. The most important thing is endurance and the ability to deal with whatever happens. Please contact us for details if you have specific questions.

 Backcountry Conditions

We do this trip from late August to early September to get what we consider to be the best conditions. Most biting insects and bugs should be gone. Days, while getting shorter should be warm with day temperatures in the 60-degree region and nights dipping to about 32 degrees rarely and only at the higher elevation. There may be small snow patches on the highest passes, but not enough to warrant ice axe and crampon use. Stream flows will be well below peak flow and most should be easy to cross. There is the possibility of afternoon thunderstorms that may be heavy for a short time. You will be in the high mountains so there is always the chance of snow, but prolonged storms are not common at this time of year.

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