As I approached Guitar Lake it was clear that I was in for some weather. It didn’t disappoint.
My last night on John Muir Trail in 2013 was a night to remember.
That day I had awakened a little later than normal, at my campsite near Wright Creek. I had slept late for a couple of reasons: first, I didn’t have far to go this day. My hike would be less than nine miles to Guitar Lake. Second, the day before had been a difficult one. After climbing the highest of all the passes on the John Muir Trail, the 13,200 foot Forester Pass, I had gotten caught about a third of the way across the Bighorn Plateau when the thunder and lightning began. My jog-a-hundred-steps-then-walk-a-hundred-steps approach to getting off the high ground quickly had been successful, but it had been stressful and tiring. Also, thanks to a problem with a packer, I was in severe calorie deficit.
The hike to Guitar Lake went as planned and I arrived a little after noon. By 12:20 p.m. I had found a suitable site to spend my last night on the trail. By 1:00 p.m. my tent was up, my water topped off, and everything that needed to stay dry was protected.
At about 1:20 p.m. I was in my tent when the sky opened up in a big way. It began with heavy rain and wind. My Big Agnes Seedhouse 1 seemed hopelessly fragile and inadequate against the deluge, but, to my delight, not a drop of water intruded. After about of hour of this it was time for the hail.
It wasn’t particularly large hail – I’d say larger than a pea but smaller than a marble – but it was coming down hard and there was a lot of it! I started watching the seams of my tent, assuming that if it was going to start coming apart, it would begin there. Again, I was happily surprised. My little tent was providing all the refuge I needed against this raging storm, at an exposed campsite, well over 11,000 feet elevation.
By mid-afternoon I was rather enjoying myself. The storm, with all its fury, was providing nothing more than background music in my snug sanctuary. Time for supper!
I eased open the downwind flap of my tent to provide a little ventilation and put together my Jet Boil. I had three things left to eat: two energy bars (for breakfast and lunch the following day) and a complete Mountain House fettuccine alfredo! Soon I was pouring boiling water into the pouch and the aroma of pasta and cheese was filling the small space. Fifteen minutes later I was warm in my sleeping bag, reading my lightweight e-reader, and enjoying a hot meal.
There are moments on the trail that are so perfect that they leave memories that endure for as long as one lives. This was one for me. Later, the storm turned quiet as the rain and hail turned to snow, although less than an inch accumulated. The next day wasn’t clear, but it was dry.
The next night was spent on a mattress between clean sheets after a great meal at a Lone Pine restaurant. I’m sure it was far more comfortable, but I don’t remember a thing about it. There’s a lesson there, somewhere.
Good hiking, Ray
Hi Ray,
I enjoy reading your blog as I prepare for hiking the southern half of the JMT. I start 4 weeks from yesterday at Horseshoe Meadow/Cottonwood Pass to Piute Pass/ North Lake.
In your blog about your Guitar Lake day, you mention a packer problem. Did you miss your resupply? I ask because I have a resupply set up with Berner’s at Charlotte Lake. You don’t have to mention names but I’m curious about the details. Also, I noticed in one of your videos that your finger tips were taped. My finger tips split after more than a few days on the trail due to dryness, pulling zippers, closing zip loc bags and opening bear canisters. It is very painful. I posted about this recently on the forums looking for preventative tips and advice. Can you provide any information?
Thanks,
Bruce Goodman
Thanks for the kind words, Bruce. For more on my packer problems, see: http://jmtbook.com/going-hungry-the-john-muir-trail/. In regards to keeping hands in good shape, I am strong believer in gloves. I find that even though they sometimes are uncomfortable because my hands get too warm, by keeping them clean I don’t need to wash them as often, which tends to dry them out. Also, the gloves keep the sun and wind off my hands. I don’t carry any lotion. Good luck with the hike!
Great article as always. I remember the post about the packer. You did a fantastic job on that post. I’m not anti-packer either, but the one time I used one was not a good experience either.
Love hearing the story about the storm. For some reason, I tend to enjoy them quite a bit, as long as I’m in my tent!
Thanks for the kind words, Kathy. Storms are neat…if you aren’t running across the Bighorn Plateau with a heavy pack to avoid them!
Ray,
Fantastic article as always. I love reading about other people’s experiences. Though, we may hike the same trail our experiences will be different. Just a few hours I stepped off the trail after doing a day hike to Upper & Lower Cathedral Lakes, plus the pass. What an amazing experience! It left me wanting so much more. However, it gives me a good taste of what to expect for the entire JMT. My good friend who is wanting to hike the JMT with called me to say, “I better get my a** ready.”
Keep the great articles coming, I always look forward to reading them.
Jason
I deeply appreciate the positive comments, Jason. Congratulations on completing the training hike. Upper & Lower Cathedral Lakes are two of the reasons I always urge people NOT to skip the HI to TM section. And you are exactly right: that stretch gives you a very good idea of what to expect, especially in the northern half. Good luck on the longer version!