All I can say is WOW!!! Just Wow!! What a beautiful world we live in. And I’m so very fortunate to get to see what soooo many people will never see because they aren’t able, in one way or another, to backpack these trails.

This was a thru hike (which means start to finish) of the gorgeous 211 mile JMT. The trail starts in Yosemite Valley and ends at the summit of Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States. It stands at 14,505 ft. It is rated as a strenuous trail with 47,000 ft. of elevation change with multiple high mountain passes to navigate. It requires a permit to hike which is difficult to obtain. Your application is basically put in a lottery and if your name is drawn you’re given a permit.

There were three of us that agreed to apply together to hike this trail. There’s Caitlin, who I met on the Appalachian Trail, aka Little Seed and Jimmy, aka Wandering, who I also met on the AT at a different time. We applied and Jimmy got drawn, which meant we were all in, so we started our planning. Btw, some people apply for years before getting drawn so we felt very fortunate to get in so soon.

It was 2018. Caitlin was living in New Mexico, Jimmy in NC, and me in GA. We met in CA to begin the hike.

Jimmy and I had met Joe, aka Pilgrim, on the AT. Pilgrim and his wife, Joyce live in CA. They had agreed to take us to the trailhead so we spent the night with them and they dropped us off at Happy Isles Trailhead in Yosemite Valley. Here you camp the first night because you MUST stay at a designated campsite the first night on trail so no overcrowding. After that, you’re free to camp at any designated site. You just, however, always have to have your permit because if a ranger checks and you don’t have it, you will be fined and must get off trail.

We spent our first night at Happy Isles with many other hikers. We met Robert and his wife from CA. Robert was hiking, but his wife was there with him that first night to send him off. We were not assigned the same first night camp spot as Robert, plus the three of us had a permit to climb Half Dome and Robert didn’t, so we planned to meet him down the trail in a couple of days to hike together.

I would give anything if I had blogged day to day activities, but I didn’t. I can tell you, though, that although a very strenuous hike, I will say to this day, it’s the most beautiful hike I’ve done so far. The Colorado Trail is definitely a close second!

This hike went through two national parks and the Ansel Adams Wilderness, along with others.

I struggled with my knee on this hike. It was just before my knee replacement and it gave me fits. But….I was able to complete the trail as planned.

I will forever be grateful to have been able to do this hike with the people I did it with. It is definitely my favorite so far.

Photo Dump