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John Muir Trail - Red's Meadow to Tuolumne Meadows 2016
Previous
Tuesday September 6, 2016
Backpacking from Garnet Lake to Rush Creek

Wednesday September 7, 2016
Backpacking Rush Creek to Tuolumne Meadows
Next
Thursday September 8, 2016
Camping at Tuolumne Meadows


john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
Jed's pic

We knew we had a very long day ahead of us....

Yesterday I slowly started to get sore in my foot - upper right metatarsal area - from rubbing on my shoe where the padding was worn away.
I should have put duct tape on it
instead I slowly tore a deep mess into my foot all day long....
my perfect shoes that had treated me so well across so many mountains had finally broken down on me...

pct milemarker 926.9
elevation 10.083 feet
Distance hiked today 0 miles
Net distance from Red's Meadow on the JMT 20.5 miles
Our total distance hiked due to floundering up Minaret Canyon 27.9 miles


john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
07:28

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
08:28
Kent's pic

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
08:44
The last of the shade....

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
09:14
Donohue Pass is waiting

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
09:17
Kent's pic

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
09:29

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
09:29
Mount Lyell, Donohue Pass, and Donohue Peak

PANO - Scroll Right

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
09:36
Kent's pic

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
Jed's pic

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
09:42
Kent's pic

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
09:51
Kent's pic

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
10:05
You can barely see Jed in the upper right approaching Donohue Pass

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
10:16
Kent's pic
Mount Lyell

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
10:17
Looking south toward Mammoth Mountain, which is no longer very prominent - look for the ski runs

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
10:18
PANO - scroll right
Mammoth Mountain and Mount Lyell

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
Jed's pic

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
10:24

Donohue Pass
We made it!
But we had a long way to go still.
Time for a well deserved but short break...

pct milemarker 929.5
elevation 11,073 feet
Distance hiked today 4.9 miles
Net distance from Red's Meadow on the JMT 25.4 miles
Our total distance hiked due to floundering up Minaret Canyon 32.8 miles

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
2016-09-07 10:25


john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
10:34
We saw a few number of come up the trail south over the pass while we were resting.
We saw more people on our way down.
This section of trail was a little busy.

It was cool watching the reactions of the folks who had just climbed all the way up this beast from the bottom of Lyell Canyon.

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
Jed's pic of me taking a pano of Lyell Canyon

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
10:39

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
10:39
Jed and Lyell Canyon

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
10:41

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
10:44
Kent's pic of Jed taking a picture of me taking a pano of Lyell Canyon

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
11:11
Jed and Mount Lyell and Lyell Glacier

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
11:11
Mount Lyell and Lyell Glacier

PANO - Scroll Right

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
11:50

pct milemarker 930.5
elevation 10.475 feet
Distance hiked today 5.9 miles
Net distance from Red's Meadow on the JMT 26.4 miles
Our total distance hiked due to floundering up Minaret Canyon 33.8 miles

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
2016-09-07 11:59

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
12:38

by now I was really really slow, way behind Kent and Jed.

pct milemarker 930.8
elevation 10.490 feet
Distance hiked today 6.2 miles
Net distance from Red's Meadow on the JMT 26.7 miles
Our total distance hiked due to floundering up Minaret Canyon 34.1 miles

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
2016-09-07 13:43
Kent's pic

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
2016-09-07 13:44
Kent's pic

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
13:45

Lyell Fork Bridge

This was pretty much the last I saw of Jed and Kent for a while, my foot was a mess and I was struggling.
We still had ten long miles to get back to the car....

pct milemarker 932.1
elevation 9,650 feet
Distance hiked today 7.5 miles
Net distance from Red's Meadow on the JMT 28 miles
Our total distance hiked due to floundering up Minaret Canyon 35.4 miles

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
Jed's pic

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
2016-09-07 15:24

Looking north toward Toulumne Meadows
I've been hiking in Lyell Canyon forever.... and ever.... and ever...... and ever..............

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
2016-09-07 15:25

Looking south to Mouth Lyell and Donohue Pass

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
2016-09-07 17:06

Lyell Fork Bridge
I was almost there, only another mile or two to go.
But I was really slow and in real pain from my foot

The Vogelsang trail junction was just after the bridge.
Unlike the trail junctions in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, the trails here had plenty of signs so you knew where you were going.
I took a picture of the signs in each of the three directions

pct milemarker 940.1
elevation 8,723 feet
Distance hiked today 15.5 miles
Net distance from Red's Meadow on the JMT 36 miles
Our total distance hiked due to floundering up Minaret Canyon 43.4 miles

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
2016-09-07 17:06
The way we came

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
2016-09-07 17:07
the way ahead

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
2016-09-07 17:07
the trail to Vogelsang

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
17:10
Kent's pic


john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
2016-09-07 17:27
Jed waited for me at this intersection in the next three pictures - the junction where the trail to the campground goes straight and the trail to the lodge went right.
There was a large sign but none of us took a picture of that one

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
2016-09-07 17:28
The trail to the campground

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
2016-09-07 17:28
The trail to the lodge

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
2016-09-07 17:46

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
2016-09-07 17:46

Back at the car!
pct milemarker 942
elevation 8,596 feet
Distance hiked today 17.4 miles
Net distance from Red's Meadow on the JMT 37.9 miles
Our total distance hiked due to floundering up Minaret Canyon 45.3 miles

I finally made it to the car.
I was in serious pain, my foot was a mess..
All we wanted to do was drive to Mammoth, get a hotel, take a shower, and eat a huge meal and drink beer...
But we had a long drive first.
Jed drove my car since I my foot hurt so much..
I'm clearly not very bright, I thought we should try to get a room at the same craptastic Quality Inn in Mammoth Mountain.
Fortunately they were full, so we found the newly restored Sierra Nevada Resort and Spa just around the corner.
They gave us a great walkup rate and put us in their better room type with a 'free' upgrade.
After we cleaned up we walked / hobbled over to Roberto's Mexican Cafe across the street


john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
21:34

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
22:04



home

John Muir Trail - Red's Meadow to Tuolumne Meadows 2016
Previous
Tuesday September 6, 2016
Backpacking from Garnet Lake to Rush Creek

Wednesday September 7, 2016
Backpacking Rush Creek to Tuolumne Meadows
Next
Thursday September 8, 2016
Camping at Tuolumne Meadows