zero day

Hiking the JMT 2017? Here is what you should be doing, now.

Published by Ray Rippel on August 15, 2016 27 Permalink

My next major John Muir Trail hike won’t occur until next year. Wrapping up a fifteen-year effort to write, publish and release a book; wrapping up my “day job” here on Oahu, and moving to our new home just north of Lake Tahoe and west of Reno is keeping this year quite busy enough. I’ve spent a lifetime dreaming of living near the Sierra Nevada. Skipping a major hike this year seems like a small price to pay to finally make it happen.

My wife and I are planning a complete thru-hike in 2017 – fourteen months from now. Since we’ll be a short drive to Yosemite, there can’t be much to do this far out, right? Wrong! Here is what is on our list for the next few months:

We have about a week to pencil out an itinerary. We need to decide how much of the hike we want to do after Labor Day. If we decide to wait later in the summer we’ll see fewer hikers and mosquitos, but will have to contend with colder nights and potential transportation and accommodations issues along the way. Labor Day comes a little early in 2017: September 4. The JMT population falls precipitously after the holiday. I suspect we’ll settle on a start date around the last day of August or the first couple of days in September. That means the Tuolumne Meadows Grill and Tuolumne Meadows Lodge will still be open, and transportation to and from Red’s Meadow to Mammoth Lakes will still be in full swing, when we arrive at each.
Although we can’t be assured of getting a permit on the day we want, at this point we are going to assume we will be stepping onto the trail at Happy Isles on day 1. We will need someplace to stay the night (perhaps two) before, so we must decide if we are going with the convenience of Curry Village, the comfort of the Yosemite Lodge, or the opulence of the Ahwahnee. Why? Because reservations there fill up quickly in all of them, and they can be made a year and a day in advance.
We are planning a half rest day on day 3 in Tuolumne Meadows. If we want to spend a night in the Lodge (which is really a tent cabin), we’ll need to make that reservation a year and a day out, too.
We are going to start discussing our permit strategy. There are two ways to approach this: try repeatedly for the date and place you want and then re-arrange everything else around the date you ultimately get, or make your reservations along the way and figure out a day and place to start your hiking so that you can arrive when planned. We will go with the second option. That means we need to carefully assess what permits are available, when, and we need to be prepared to request them on the first day available. Since one of our back-up plans is to leave from either Chiquito Pass Trailhead or Quartz Mountain Trailhead, we need to be ready a year ahead to request the permit.
The last step isn’t absolutely necessary, but has the potential to help us avoid some unpleasant situations: we will start publicizing to our friends and family that we are going to be in the woods for three weeks in September next year. That way no one will depend on us being somewhere else!

Good hiking, Ray

Filed under: Blog and Tagged: itinerary, permits, zero day

Muir Trail Ranch

Published by Ray Rippel on May 9, 2016 8 Permalink

Not every memorable experience during your John Muir Trail thru-hike will occur on the trail. One of the real highlights, at least for me, is Muir Trail Ranch.

MTR is almost exactly half way between Happy Isles and the top of Mount Whitney. Nearly everyone stops there for resupply, but I am going to recommend you spend two nights and take a full zero day. I’ve enjoyed it so much that in the past the available dates at MTR acted as my “anchor” dates for planning everything else. That’s harder to do since walk up permits are no longer available that begin at Happy Isles, but I still try my best. Summer dates are usually made available to JMT hikers in mid-January.

MTR is about a mile off the trail, and the accommodations are log cabins and tent cabins. The log cabins have toilets and wash basins, but no showers. The tent cabins have no plumbing at all. Before you start worrying about roughing it, though, you should know that all customers staying at the ranch are allowed to use the natural hot spring bath houses. There are two, and they are nothing less than opulent. I wish I had one just like it at home!

They feed you twice a day: breakfast and dinner. Both meals are excellent. At breakfast there is a spread of bread, lunchmeat and other delicacies that you can select from to make your own lunch. (Including, by the way, the day you leave.) During my stays breakfast has always been served inside, while dinner is al fresco.

There is an old, ringer washing machine that I’ve used each time to clean my two sets of hiking clothes. I always pack something disposable to wear while my stuff dries in the sun.

Except for the bathhouse, my favorite part of the ranch is the log cabin lounge, full of books and comfy chairs. A few hours in there will do wonders for your recovery. The last time I passed through Muir Trail Ranch I slipped two big packages of tortilla chips and a huge jar of salsa into my resupply bucket. I spent most of the afternoon reading, snacking, and enjoying the company of anyone who stopped by.

If you are heading south out of MTR you have five major passes ahead of you, not to mention the summit of Mount Whitney. A zero day here will provide a full day off your feet, several terrific meals, and a couple great nights of sleep. You will be ready for the challenges ahead!

Good hiking, Ray

Filed under: Blog and Tagged: zero day

Where to Stay Before You Hike

Published by Ray Rippel on May 12, 2015 12 Permalink

There will be plenty of time to rough it here. Why not treat yourself to some creature comforts before?

The two most popular places to stay before your John Muir Trail hike, assuming you are hiking southbound, are Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite Valley. (There are certainly other options, including Tuolumne Meadow, Oakhurst, and Mariposa, but Mariposa and Oakhurst are too low, and staying at Tuolumne means a Spartan, wilderness experience. Most folks want a little more, particularly since they’re going to get a whole lot of the wilderness in the following weeks. A new option is Fresno, since there is now YARTS service to and from the valley, but Fresno is even lower than Oakhurst!)

Before you decide where to stay, however, you are going to have to decide how long to stay. If you don’t live in the mountains, I would suggest three nights. I recognize that adding three nights to your time away can be difficult, but so can HAPE and HACE. Spending three nights (and all or part of four days) at a higher elevation can give you a tremendous head start at acclimatizing to the backcountry. If three is out of the question, two is better than one, and so on.

There are certain advantages to spending those nights in Yosemite Valley. To begin with, the options for accommodations run the gamut from a spot in a campground, to a tent cabin in Curry Village (which is an easy walk to the trailhead), to a room in Yosemite Lodge, to the luxury of the Ahwahnee hotel. Staying in the valley will also give you the opportunity to check in with the Wilderness Center, where you pick up your permit. (You even may be able to switch your permit for one you prefer.)

There are some disadvantages, though. The most significant is that Yosemite Valley, at 4,000 feet, is not very high. You’ll certainly gain some benefit if you are coming from a home near sea level, but you will likely be above 8,000 feet on the second day of your hike, and it will be nearly a week before you descend to Red’s Meadow.

The other disadvantage is that it is hard to get reservations, unless you can make them a year out. The park fills up quickly, particularly in the summer and fall.

My choice is Mammoth Lakes; it has a lot to recommend it.

First, you can fly right into the town from either San Francisco or Los Angeles. A cab ride to one of the town’s hotels from the airport is about $20.

Speaking of hotels, I like the Shiloh Inn. It is inexpensive, near one of the town’s shuttle stops (more on that in moment), has a restaurant next door with the best huevos rancheros I have ever eaten (The Breakfast Club), and is mere steps from the YARTS bus stop. You will take the YARTS bus into the valley the day before you begin your hike. There are plenty of other alternatives to the Shiloh Inn, at a very wide variety of prices.

Mammoth Lakes also happens to be a delightful place to relax for a few days. The town has a scheduled shuttle that is free, and it will take you to good restaurants, a movie theater, and a number of well-equipped outdoor stores, in case you want to make some last minute changes to your gear list. It is definitely a place that caters to tourists, but I’ve never quite been able to summon the condescension necessary to dislike those sorts of venues.

Most importantly, at nearly 8,000 feet, by the time you leave for Yosemite Valley you will be ready for the high country ahead.

Good hiking, Ray

Filed under: Blog and Tagged: altitude sickness, zero day

Five Things To Do Once You’re Done

Published by Ray Rippel on September 15, 2014 2 Permalink

The view from near the top of Mount Whitney, at dawn.

Success! You’ve done it. For the first week after you exit from Whitney Portal you’ll feel like a different person. You are a different person. Truth be told, you may never be the same.

Although a victory party—or two, or three— is definitely in order, there are also a few, more pedestrian, chores to take care of. Start with these five:

1. Download your data. There is a saying among us digital photographers: if it doesn’t exist in three places (one of which is off-site), it doesn’t exist. Get your photos, videos, and GPS tracks off your devices and onto your computer, and then back all that data up, twice. (FYI, my strategy is an external hard drive & Apple’s Time Machine for on-site, and Crashplan for off-site.

2. Clean your backpack. You are going to want to use this again, someday, and you don’t want it smelling like is does now, only worse, the next time you put it on. Your best bet is to check with your manufacturer; they probably have suggested methods on their website. Failing that, check this out. (Thanks to Roleigh Martin for the link.)

3. Clean and hang up your tent. Want a brand new tent on your next trip? Just stuff your current, perfectly good tent into its sack and store it somewhere hot and moist. When you next pull it out it will be ready for the trash and you can start looking for a new one.

4. Make a decision about your footwear. I’m a boot guy, and I would never use a set of boots for anything except a day hike after a John Muir Trail thru-hike. By the end of the hike my boots are really roughed up and the risk of catastrophic failure is just too great. My experience is that trail runners tend to be even less durable than boots.

5. Send thank you emails. I have never done a Sierra Nevada hike without someone, somewhere, going out of their way to help. The assistance may come before or after the hike, during the hike, or somewhere I’m taking a zero day. I always try my best to get their email addresses so that I can follow-up. I also give my email address out from time to time, especially to people I lend a hand to. It always makes my day to get a nice email from them, later.

Good hiking, Ray

Filed under: Blog and Tagged: people, psychology, zero day

Seven Years of Lessons Learned

Published by Ray Rippel on August 19, 2014 8 Permalink

It has been seven years since I started hiking again in a big way, and I have learned a ton. That’s good, because I am no longer young enough to just “power through” my mistakes. Thinking-my-way along the trail is a far better approach.

Here are my top ten lessons. If you learned most of these in your first six months, I guess that gives you some insight into the way my mind works—or doesn’t.

1. Weight matters. I don’t care if it is weight around your waist or in your pack, nothing improves the experience of hiking quite like carrying less. You need to stay safe, and you don’t want to shave so many ounces that you no longer are enjoying yourself, but weight DEFINITELY matters. Imagine if you lost ten pounds of body weight and saved another ten pounds with lighter gear. Do it.

2. Get trekking poles and learn how to use them. Nothing will end a hike faster than an injury and the number one way people get injured on the trail is from falls. My trekking poles have saved me from a fall more times than I can count.

3. Take long and more frequent breaks. If you see someplace idyllic along the trail, don’t rush past it! My first thru-hike I often pulled into camp between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., then went to bed early. The second time around I took more and longer breaks. I got to my campsite later, but still in plenty of time, and with great memories of the places I stopped to enjoy. A nap alongside a babbling brook is a wonderful thing.

4. Your most important gear choice is your footwear. Wear what works for you, even if it is a little heavier and even if it bucks the current trends. Oh, and socks are part of the package. Here’s a tip: if you buy a pair of boots or shoes you are unsure of, wear them exclusively inside (perhaps at work) for a couple of days. Chances are you will be able to take them back if they start giving you problems.

5. If you are hiking with someone, work out how you are going to hike ahead of time. Morale is fragile on the trail, and can easily be damaged if one person’s expectations are different from another’s. Are you going to walk with each other, or go your own pace? What are your daily mileage goals? Work this out before you begin, and if you are hiking with your spouse, read this.

6. Take something to read on the trail. I love hiking in the Sierra Nevada, but by the end of the day, I am ready for a vacation from my vacation. Back in my sailing days, one of my favorite authors used to complain that he never understood why there were paintings of seascapes on the walls of boat cabins. His point was: if you want to see the sea, go topside and look at it! He much preferred landscapes. I feel the same way about reading material. No John Muir memoirs for me, after dark, in the tent; instead, give me a murder mystery in an urban setting.

7. The first priority when selecting food is bringing something you will actually eat. Rummaging through the hiking buckets at Red’s and MTR is always a lesson in human nature. Lots of people seem to consider a hiking holiday to be a good time to start eating healthy. What many folks don’t realize is how hard it is to eat enough calories to keep yourself going. You aren’t going to do that if you refuse to eat what you brought. Chocolate, nuts, sweets, pasta—whatever you will eat should be in your bear canister. Leave the kale and sugar-, gluten-, or fat-free stuff for after the hike.

8. If possible, take a zero day at Muir Trail Ranch. It isn’t always possible; reservations can be hard to get. But, for me, the very first date I set (upon which everything else depends) is my reservation at Muir Trail Ranch. The food is wonderful, the camaraderie satisfying, the bath facilities opulent, and, with a location almost precisely half-way along the trail, there is much to recommend spending two nights.

9. Don’t let the big climbs worry you. The climb out of Yosemite Valley? The first day energy will carry you through. The fifty-one switchbacks of Bear Ridge? Hike it early and you’ll be done before you know it. The Golden Staircase? Nothin-but-a-thing. Glen Pass? Okay…there you got me. I do wish they would install an escalator there.

10. Take photos and videos with yourself in them, and keep a trail journal. There will come a time when you are not going to be able to do this anymore. Don’t you want some great memories? Photos, videos, and a trail journal are the best way to memorialize your experience—to yourself. Sure, take a few of the “pretty” pictures so you can remember what you’ve seen, but then get yourself in there, too. Years from now, this will be pretty neat to see.

Good hiking, Ray

Filed under: Blog and Tagged: books, falls, gear, psychology, safety, spouses, zero day

Five Great John Muir Trail Meals

Published by Ray Rippel on August 12, 2014 17 Permalink

The patty melt is always the first thing I eat at the Mule House Cafe. The last thing: fruit pie ala mode!

Not everything you eat during a John Muir Trail hike comes from your bear canister. There are other opportunities before, during, and after the hike. These restaurants may not be considered fine dining or feature famous chefs, but the meal you eat in each will be special, especially compared to what comes out of that bear canister.

Yosemite Valley. Remarkably, there aren’t any really good options here. The main dining room at the Ahwahnee was once superior, but my experiences there lately have been unexceptional. The pizza in the dining room above Degnan’s isn’t bad. Perhaps your best bet is the Mexican place at Curry Village.

Tuolumne Meadow. There are two choices here, and both are good. First is the Tuolumne Meadow Grill. Located on the south side of the Tioga Pass road, it shares the same building as the store. Breakfast has all the necessities, with portions that are the appropriate size for hungry hikers. For a JMTer who is shooting for ten-to-thirteen miles a day, and who started at Happy Isles, you will likely come across the TM Grill at breakfast time on day three. If you are taking a half-day off and spending the night at the Tuoulumne Lodge, be sure to make a reservation at their restaurant. The food is terrific, the menu changes frequently, and (unless there are eight of you) you will be seated with strangers. It is hard to beat good food AND good conversation with new friends.

The Mule House Cafe. Since I take a zero day at Red’s Meadow, I get to eat at the Mule House Cafe more than once. My first meal, usually midday on day six, is their patty melt. It is superb. The tuna salad isn’t bad, either, and the fruit pies are amazing. Oh, and anyone who is walking more than ten miles a day for two or more weeks can drop a couple scoops of ice cream on that pie.

The Dining Room at Muir Trail Ranch. This is another place where I spend two nights and a rest day. The meals are amazing. One breakfast I particularly remember was an egg/tomato/avocado combination that was well beyond tasty. Dinners are delightful and—weather permitting—are served outdoors. The morning you leave MTR for the last half of your hike, make sure you make yourself a sandwich for lunch. In fact, make two!

Seasons in Lone Pine. Why on earth does Lone Pine have a restaurant as good as Seasons? Don’t get me wrong, I like the town of Lone Pine, but it isn’t a very big place, and one would expect the Denny’s to be about as good as it gets. Instead, based on the quality of their food, Seasons would succeed anywhere. The steaks are quite good, and they have a twist on an insalata caprese that is out of this world.

The further along the trail you get, the food just keeps getting better. Another reason to hike southbound!

Good hiking, Ray

Filed under: Blog and Tagged: food, resupply, zero day

Five Wildly Different John Muir Trail Hiking Tips

Published by Ray Rippel on January 21, 2014 9 Permalink

None of these tips alone are worthy of an entire blog post, but all are little nuggets I’ve picked up either on the trail or reading various books, magazines or blogs. Enjoy!

1. If you are going to use those dehydrated meals that are cooked by pouring hot water into the package, consider this weight (and space) saving plan. Open all your meals except one ahead of time, and pour the contents of each into the smallest paper bags you can manage. If you can’t find a small enough one, cut a larger bag down to size; apply a little tape to secure the bag. Then, on your first night, use the meal in the original packaging. On subsequent nights, poor the contents of one of your paper bags into the “cook-in” bag you used on day one. If fire regulations permit, you can even burn the paper bag, saving a little more weight. Replace the “cook-in” bag at each resupply point.

2. I never carry a wallet with me on the trail, but I do take a few things out of it for the hike. First is a photo ID, preferably a driver’s license. You’re probably not planning to rent a car somewhere between the beginning and the end of the hike, but bailing halfway can happen, and the ability to rent a car can sometimes make getting around easier. Second is your medical insurance card, for obvious reasons. Third is a credit card. If you are sharing an account with a spouse, take a card from a different account. That way if your spouse loses his or her card, and the number is canceled, it won’t affect the card you have. Last is some cash. You never know when it might come in handy, and a few $20 bills are awfully light! Continue reading →

Filed under: Blog and Tagged: gear, John Muir Trail, odds & ends, safety, zero day

Ten Blog Posts to Read Before You Begin

Published by Ray Rippel on July 23, 2013 2 Permalink

I’ve been writing this blog for well over a year now, and certain blog posts have generated the most interest and (at least according to some readers) have been the most helpful. Here is a list of ten you might want to visit (or re-visit) before you start your adventure.

1. Resupply Packages. Five good ideas on what to take and what to leave out.

2. Near Perfection, at Seventeen-and-a-Half Ounces. The best field guide to take on your trip.

3. Probable Dry Stretches. There was little snow this year in the Sierra Nevada. Here is a list of places unlikely to have much water.

4. Cameras on the Trail, Part 2, Part 3. This three part series discusses the options and leaves the decisions to you.

5. Zero Days, Part 2, Part 3. Should you take one or more days off from hiking while on the trail? Another three-part series.

6. Altitude Sickness, Part 2. A two-part series on the dangers associated with altitude sickness and strategies to avoid it.

7. The Evening I Almost Quit. Read what I did wrong and learn to avoid the same mistakes.

8. Trekking Poles. Get them. Learn how to use them.

9. Taking Care of Your Wheels. All about taking care of your feet on the trail.

10. The First Day. What’s it like stepping off from Happy Isles?

Special bonus for hiking couples: Hiking with Your Spouse. (This is actually one of my most read posts.)

One last point: read the comments on the blog posts, too. There are some real nuggets of wisdom in there!

Good hiking, Ray

Filed under: Blog and Tagged: altitude sickness, books, camera, falls, John Muir Trail, obstacles, people, photography, psychology, resupply, safety, spouses, zero day

Resupply Packages for the John Muir Trail

Published by Ray Rippel on June 25, 2013 5 Permalink

Part of thru-hiking the John Muir Trail is arranging resupply. It’s possible to hike the JMT fast enough to dispense with that chore (Andrew Skurka hiked the entire trail in seven days, last year), but few do so.

The primary purpose of the resupply is to position the food you will eat during the next segment of your hike. What to eat, and to pack, is beyond the scope of this post.

What I can offer is some tips in regards to how to pack, and what extras to include.

1. Probably the most important thing to remember is that there are prohibitions against mailing or shipping fuel. This includes self-contained fuel canisters. If you’re coming from the continental United States, Canada, or Mexico, and assuming you pack and mark your package correctly, you may be able to send certain items (like canisters) via GROUND transportation. Check with your local post office or shipping company.

Courtesy of Muir Trail Ranch Website

2. Consider using a paint bucket for your shipping container. (The five-gallon version is a good size.) True, it’s a little heavier than a cardboard box, but it is also far more secure. The thick plastic makes it impervious to mice and rats. If you pack in cardboard, they may smell your food and decide to do some snacking, either in-transit, or while it sits in a storeroom waiting for your arrival. If you are intending to resupply at Muir Trail Ranch (which is a likely spot, since it is almost exactly half-way), you are required to use a bucket. They have a terrific web page that describes exactly how to pack it, seal it and mark it, along with other great information.

3. Leave out the flask of whiskey. Alcohol is strictly forbidden in packages delivered by the post office, and UPS and FedEx make it so difficult that it isn’t worth the trouble.

4. Here are some items to include that you may not have considered: laundry detergent for the washing machine, a set of “disposable” clothes to wear so that you can wash everything, replacement batteries for electronics, hotel-sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner, a magazine or two to read while you’re relaxing (if you are taking some time at the resupply location), and copious amounts of your favorite junk food.

5. Finally, here is an idea for those of you with a family. Once you finish packing everything you want, if there is space still available at the top of the bucket, mention to your family that you won’t be mailing it until the next day. Suggest that they slip in whatever tickles their fancy. (Good ideas include notes of encouragement, greeting cards, tasty treats and photographs.) Once they’re done, seal and send–no peeking!

Good hiking, Ray

Filed under: Blog and Tagged: John Muir Trail, resupply, safety, zero day

John Muir Trail: Zero Days, Part 3 of 3

Published by Ray Rippel on March 12, 2013 2 Permalink

Today we’ll take a look at the last two easy opportunities to take zero days at places that offer meals and accommodations.

Vermillion Valley Resort. VVR is the most hiker-friendly of the places to stop along the trail. Tuolumne Meadow is within the park and is run by the park service, through the Delaware North Company. Their first priority is following their own policies. Red’s Meadow caters more to car campers and fishermen, and Muir Trail Ranch gets the vast majority of its customers in large groups that come in via Florence Lake. All of them tolerate JMT hikers, and occasionally even go out of their way to be helpful.

At VVR hikers are a significant part of the business model.

Unfortunately, it is also located the furthest from the trail. If the ferry is running across Lake Edison, it’s about a mile-and-a-half each way between the John Muir Trail and the pick-up point. You’ll climb aboard the ferry and they’ll take you right to the resort.

If the water in the lake is low, which happens frequently in September and sometimes in August, you have about six miles to walk, one way, to get to the resort. (Unless we get some more snow this winter, it’s likely the ferry will stop running by mid-August, or perhaps even earlier.)

Once you get there you may experience a little sticker shock.

There are two reasons for this: one is what I call the “Thénardier” pricing scheme. (The Thénardiers, you may remember, run the inn that appears in the musical, Les Misérables. They are the folks that, “Charge ’em for the lice, extra for the mice, two percent for looking in the mirror twice.”

While I’ve never seen mice there, and I’m quite sure there are no lice, the list of things that they charge you for is, shall we say, comprehensive. (Example: the fee for the staying in the tent cabin does not include use of the shower. The use of the shower does not include the use of a towel.)

Some folks lose track of what they are consuming, and then are a little surprised at the bottom line when they check out.

The second reason that the prices are a little steeper than in your local strip mall is that VVR is a long way from civilization. Everything that comes into the resort has to travel miles and miles over roads of varying quality, not to mention over Kaiser Pass, at 9,175 feet. On top of that, the season is very short, and the recurring maintenance on a facility that is subject to Sierra Nevada winters, year after year, must be enormous.

I think the prices are fair, but be forewarned.

But should you stop there? If at this point in the hike you need a break, then I believe you should. Otherwise, as the least convenient of the options, it is the one I tend to skip.

Muir Trail Ranch. MTR is about a mile off the trail, but chances are you are going to be stopping here anyway to pick up your resupply bucket. The accommodations are log cabins and tent cabins. The log cabins have toilets and wash basins, but no showers. The tent cabins have no plumbing at all. Before you start worrying about roughing it, though, you should know that all customers staying at the ranch are allowed to use the natural hot spring bath houses. There are two, and they are nothing less than opulent. I wish I had one just like it at home!

This is trail living! The bath house at Muir Trail Ranch.

Except for the bathhouse, my favorite part of the ranch is the log cabin lounge, full of books and comfy chairs. A few hours in there will do wonders for your recovery.

Unfortunately, short stays at Muir Trail Ranch are sometimes tough to get. They usually know by mid-to-late January when they will have openings. My advice is to book early.

I also suggest that this be where you take your last zero day. A full day off your feet, combined with two great night’s sleep, and you’ll be ready for the challenges ahead!

Good hiking, Ray

Filed under: Blog and Tagged: John Muir Trail, psychology, sleeping, zero day

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