One of the finest hikes in North America, the John Muir Trail won't disappoint. It was a VERY cold and rainy day. This snow is treasured by the state of California to irrigate its vast agricultural base, and loved by skiers flocking to Mammoth and Tahoe. Our route starts near, and then climbs, Mount Whitney – the high point of the lower forty-eight states – and continues north some two hundred miles ending in Yosemite National Park. Climb over 13,000ft passes, wander beneath high alpine peaks and traverse beautiful meadows and forested river valleys. I'd been that way a couple times before. We started with a 16 mile climb, gaining 3,700 feet to reach Muir Pass at 11,969 feet. Another time I spent a couple of nights in the stone hut during a spring ski tour when the weather turned particularly windy and cold. The first gem in the area is Marie Lake, just a mile north. Mount Whitney Cam (Scroll to the bottom of the page for a time laps video). Apparently, a lot of people were slipping and sliding by trying to cross too early in … There was rain, fog or hail every day I spent in King's Canyon National Park. One of the finest hikes in North America, the John Muir Trail won't disappoint. They said Mather Pass was steep with snow but if you started after 10am when the snow softened up it would be fine. Bill Crim and I hiked that portion of the John Muir Trail in ~1960. Weather: Wildlife: People: Marc + Tammi, The Dogleggers, Kate, Circus Act, Ziploc. It’s a 10 miles climb up to Muir pass but it is so beautiful, and it’s not as steep as some of the other passes. The John Muir Trail is one of the finest wilderness hikes to be found anywhere in the world and the trip of a lifetime. I would not like to be forced into this emergency shelter. You can spend the night in the amazing Muir Hut. It’s also the lowest of the major passes, at just 10,800 feet. We met all kinds of interesting people who were hiking the John Muir Trail and the 2,653-mile Pacific Crest Trail. Each pass on the John Muir Trail offers unique, wild, spectacular views that will leave you feeling speechless and in AWE! John Muir Trail Day 6: Donohue Pass to Thousand Island Lake John Muir Trail Day 7: Thousand Island Lake to Rosalie Lake John Muir Trail Day 8: Rosalie ... G-Man was able to find a few nice flat sandy spots in the marshy meadow about 1 mile after the pass. Looking North on Muir Pass AKA Planet Hoth. When choosing a base camp for your early morning ascent of Whitney, you want the highest flat spot with water. The following High Sierra forecasts and travel info are snapshots of conditions syndicated from various resources and are based on the latest and most accurate data known […] Get the forecast for today, tonight & tomorrow's weather for Muir, PA. Hi/Low, RealFeel®, precip, radar, & everything you need to be ready for the day, commute, and weekend! 15 November 2020 at 09:00-12:00: Clear sky, Temperature -3, 0 mm, Light breeze, 3 m/s from west-southwest We woke up at 5am and ambled out of the tent, ready to get Mather Pass over with. That’s not intended as a criticism of this trail nor an endorsement of Roper’s Route (Alan Dixon, for example, would argue that Roper didn’t get it quite right either). It was also the last 12,000-foot pass on the trail. 28 October 2020 at 12:00-18:00: Clear sky, Temperature 7, 0 mm, Gentle breeze, 4 m/s from northeast I met the cutest mountain marmot that I chased around for a good 20 minutes. Hike your way from south to north, cross through three national parks, follow the rugged spine of California's High Sierra and hike the highest peak in the lower 48 states, Mount Whitney. PCT Stats: Day 98 Daily Mileage: 16.96 Starting Mile Marker: 828.48 Ending Mile Marker: 845.44 Pack Weight: 30.60 Weather: Warm Health: Right heal is an Inside the hut. Whether it was all in the mind or not, I think the caffeine helped. nps.gov As we approached Muir Pass, the anticipation was killing me, and I nearly cried when I saw the hut because I was so overwhelmed with emotion. I was keeping up with Catwater step for step and sometimes I was a bit too close behind her because I nearly got stabbed with her poles on several occasions. Muir Pass with the Muir hut can also be seen from the lake. We hadn’t even gotten in to it. Today was another awesome day. Any earlier, and the snowpack on high passes can make the journey slow going and treacherous. On top of Muir Pass at a whopping 11955 feet (3644 m) there is Muir Hut built by the Sierra Club in 1930. But the scenery is very nice and the easy trail allows me to marvel at the mountains while walking steady uphill. Unfortunately, snow can be the bane of a John Muir Trail hike. Of all the passes on the John Muir Trail, loiter around this one the most. Beginning at Onion Valley, the Kearsarge Pass Trail travels through the John Muir Wilderness (area is unavailable). Hike your way from south to north, cross through three national parks, follow the rugged spine of California's High Sierra and hike the highest peak in the lower 48 states, Mount Whitney. These point forecasts are for a 2.5km grid and using Halfmile Project data makes it easy to find the forecast for a specific location along the PCT. Peaks: Muir Pass (sorted/filed as Muir) Place: California; Difficulty: class 1 Did any of you cross over Muir Pass about a week and half ago? (7.5 miles) – Mile 122.5 DAY 13 – Evolution Lake to Middle Fork Kings River (17.2 miles) – Mile 139.7 Ice was coating our jackets. It is 4 miles to the top of 11,700-foot Kearsarge Pass. I was starting to get hungry at this point but I wanted to save my lunch for Muir Pass. Muir pass is the only pass you needn’t worry about getting stuck at. The hike up the pass was not challenging, so it was nice to sit and relax and eat lunch on the pass. The trail leading to Muir Pass was the best I have ever hiked. Standing on top of Muir Pass. Seasonal accumulations regularly reach into dozens of feet. Selden Pass is the third major pass one encounters when hiking southbound on the John Muir Trail. Three nights ago the tent was frozen inside and out by 5pm. We use the National Weather Service (NWS) point forecasts from Weather.gov. Crossing safely each pass is another whole different endeavor. The nearest weather station for both precipitation and temperature measurements is BISHOP AP which is approximately 25 miles away and has an elevation of 4,102 feet (7,873 feet lower than Muir Pass). The weather has been getting rapidly colder. Several hikers have asked about Pacific Crest Trail weather forecasts. Discover John Muir's Giant Sequoia in Martinez, California: A sparse, solitary sequoia still stands as a living tribute to the famous conservationist who planted it—but it's dying. There is an entrance fee of $15.00 for a vehicle. John Muir Trail crosses six mountain passes over 11,000 feet from north to south, Donohue Pass, Muir Pass, Mather Pass, Pinchot Pass, Glen Pass, and Forrester Pass. Once while hiking the JMT. The trail is primarily used for hiking and backpacking and is … Bishop Pass Trail to John Muir Trail to Piute Trail is a 50.5 mile lightly trafficked point-to-point trail located near Bishop, California that features a lake and is only recommended for very experienced adventurers. ... Mountain Topo Maps National Weather Service Mount Rainier. Wanda Lake and Muir Pass Looking back to Evolution Basin. What it lacks in elevation it makes up in beauty. The pass is good for 7 days. Most said there was still a lot of snow through Muir Pass to slog through. Once I crossed the boundary to John Muir Wilderness however, I hardly saw a drop of water again. We now know the signs, very high cloud by lunchtime and a pickup in the wind, usually means snow by nightfall. Climb over 13,000ft passes, wander beneath high alpine peaks and traverse beautiful meadows and forested river valleys. We passed lake after high altitude lake, stopping for lunch at Wanda Lake, just before the final push to the pass… pcta.org. As the rain turned to freezing rain, hail and ice and the temperature dropped we decided to bail out early, not being equipped for a true winter storm. The High Sierra is known for its snowfall. Climbers usually hike to Camp Muir the day before they climb to rest and acclimate to the altitude, a little over 10,000 feet. The worst of the snow, we believed, was finally behind us. Per Guthook: “Muir Pass is a long and gradual ascent to almost 12000 feet, and is often cited as one of the most difficult passes on the trail due to the miles of snowfields you must cross in either direction to reach the summit. Technically, our guidebooks showed the elevation of Muir Pass to be 11,950 feet above sea level, but we all considered it a 12,000-foot pass. Muir Pass This is Muir Hut, atop Muir Pass. Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trail Weather The purpose of this website is simple: to provide AT and PCT hikers with a reliable and easy way to obtain weather for their location. Any later, and you could get caught up in the grasp of Fall storms. Simply pick your trail, state and location from the lists below and the National Weather Service (NOAA) forecast for … Camping inside the shelter is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Muir Pass. Finally we made it to the top of Muir Pass and took a break in the hut at the top. 06.09.2018 – Day 55 Miles: 21.5 Camp: PCT mile 835 (3.5 miles and 1700 feet from Muir Pass) Weather: Wildlife: People: Marc + Tammi, The Dogleggers, Ass Maggot, Circus Act, Ziploc, Kate (Sleeping Beauty). We decided to bail out at Kersage pass near independence. Trail Condition Reports: (Check back for updats as conditions change.) As we climbed towards Muir Pass from Florence Lake, we started chanting “People don’t die of exposure in the Sierras any more” … and then we arrived at the Muir Hut. Current Snow Levels. The ideal time to hike the John Muir trail is from June through September. Point forecasts are for the elevation of… Camp Muir is a climber’s camp with an impressive stone shelter, a couple of outbuildings and toilets. DAY 12 – Evolution Meadow to Evolution Lake (7 miles) – I had to stop here due to an afternoon thunderstorm, otherwise I would have continued over Muir Pass. Great weather, great scenery, and it seems to just keep getting better. The JMT passes through some gorgeous scenery: Rae Lakes, Muir Pass, Forester Pass, the Bighorn Plateau, but it also has some sections of 10, even 20 miles with fairly “lackluster” scenery. High Sierra Nevada Weather Conditions / Forecasts and Travel Resources Weather forecasts and current travel conditions for select locations in transit to, and within, the High Sierra Nevada. Weather Radar. The trail climbs through forest and alpine tundra and past several lakes, including Little Pothole, Gilbert, and Flower Lakes. Because the nearest station and this geographic feature may have differences in elevation and topography, the historic weather at the two separate locations may be different as well. We think it got down to -10 overnight. This fee is in addition to the climbing permit fee and does not guarantee a spot in the public shelter at Camp Muir. Fortunately weather was getting better as I headed north. 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