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Post by greeny on May 26, 2016 19:27:48 GMT -8
Mid-August my wife and our college-age daughter have a reservation to enter the JMT northbound via the Duck Pass Trailhead, thru to Happy Isles. We're slow hikers -- 5 to 9 miles per day. We were planning to take our time, do a few side hikes especially around Ediza Lake. We had allocated 12-14 days, which is probably more than enough time.
ONE HITCH: There's no reasonable way to carry 12 days of food (we tried that in 2011 and it damn near killed us). I can't think of an easy strategy for resupply: Red's meadow (~mile 15) is probably on day 2 or 3 for us; June Lake is a bit of a trip off the JMT; We could resupply at Tuolumne for the final 23 miles from Happy Isles, so that's 2-3 days.
We own a couple of 6-day Bearikade Weekender cans, and I would've liked to avoid the 9-day Bearikade Expedition thing, but unless we resupply out of June Lake I'm not sure how else we can manage to go so slowly. (heck, most people just add a week and do the ENTIRE JMT!)
Stephen
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Post by High Sierra Fan on May 26, 2016 20:44:41 GMT -8
Resupply twice. Reds for three days then Tuolumne for another three. That drops the largest to 6.
Or a variation on this.
Starting with a lighter load is nice anyway.
Another adfitional option is add some days after Tuolumne: go over Vogelsang or Tuolumne pass and down Fletcher or Lewis and poke around Merced Lake and exit Happy Isles.
For Tuolumne either send it to the post office like you would for Reds or just grab stuff at the store.
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Post by greeny on May 27, 2016 8:04:05 GMT -8
Excellent ideas! I like your idea about post Tuolumne: my understanding is that the section from Tuolumne to Happy Isles can be quite busy with day hikers.
I think that middle section might be in the 7 day range, but the day coming out of Red's Meadow we wouldn't need to pack that day's food in the bear cans. I could also get ONE 9-day can, which would give all three of us one extra day.
Thanks for the ideas!
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speacock
Trail Wise!
I'm here for the food...
Posts: 378 
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Post by speacock on May 27, 2016 8:43:54 GMT -8
High Sierra Fan has some of the better ideas here. Especially when it comes to his three meals a day  You 'could' pack 8 days for 2 in an Expedition, but that does not include any commercial freeze-dried prepared meals. It is layered dried humas, corn and other grain,bean powders and milk powders, tortilla, oil, peanut butter, freeze dried veggies/fruits and meat, etc. 8oz plastic jar of honey carried separately - just make sure no spilled honey around the lip. Each layer, wrapped in plastic, is tamped down into the can with a full water bottle. It takes creative planning, persistence and lots of seasonings and technique to keep it from feeling like a bread and water diet. It takes about 50% more fuel for the cooking rather than just hot water. Look here for a few ingredients. bpbasecamp.freeforums.net/thread/1962/mountain-house-et-al?page=4The drawback is the can is full of dense calories, needs more preparation time and more than just a pot to boil water in and a cup and spoon to eat with. But it does get lighter as days pass. I spent a solo 15 day cross country with it, and much of the last week dreaming of what I'd eat when done with that trip. I made two extra holes in my belt before I left. Even 15 Snicker bars and Tootsie Rolls take up an amazing amount of space and get ho-hum after a week. Check out the food forum here for some amazing ideas for packing food.
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Post by hikerchick395 on May 31, 2016 9:17:24 GMT -8
When we did our last JMT hike we had food drops at Tuolumne and at Red's. So that seems like an easy solution.
I wouldn't depend on the Tuolumne store being stocked...although there is a new concessionaire, Delaware North had let the store get surprisingly low on food (and beer) on occasion.
Do you have to go over Donahue Pass on a certain planned day? I don't really understand how they're enforcing quotas there. |
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toejam
Trail Wise!
Hiking to raise awareness
Posts: 1,795
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Post by toejam on May 31, 2016 10:25:37 GMT -8
I understood the Donahue Pass quota to be for those starting in the park and hiking south.
If it was me, I'd try to spend several days in the southern section avoiding the JMT - Cascade Valley, Iva Bell hot spring, maybe even Ram Lake or Deer Ck Lakes. Maybe work up to Minaret Lake and over to Ediza in the first week. At some point catch a bus to Mammoth or buy stuff at Red's. I'd go to Garnet/1000 Island from Agnew Meadow. Last year Tuolumne store had everything and I wouldn't bother sending a package there. And I'd avoid the JMT between Tuolumne and Happy Isles, which was the worst 48 hours of backpacking in my life, punctuated by the euphoria of climbing Half Dome.
I like the idea of a shower and over-priced fatty food at June Lake - something I may try on a future hike.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on May 31, 2016 13:35:12 GMT -8
When we did our last JMT hike we had food drops at Tuolumne and at Red's. So that seems like an easy solution.
I wouldn't depend on the Tuolumne store being stocked...although there is a new concessionaire, Delaware North had let the store get surprisingly low on food (and beer) on occasion.
Do you have to go over Donahue Pass on a certain planned day? I don't really understand how they're enforcing quotas there. Not a specific day like HD, just total traffic via issuing a set number per day starting from the various trailheads within the park to limit the total traffic averaging just out of the park along that corridor to 45 per day. They're trying to avoid having more and more of the park's trailheads overwhelmed by people simply wanting the fastest way OUT of the park..... and I can sympathize with that. Once the load spread to Mono Meadows, Glacier Point, Sunrise, Cathedral, Lyell etc. too many of the parks trailheads were getting blocked from people interested in the actual park I expect. Whether they can keep that corridor from turning into the out of doors toilet that is the trail up to Trail Crest and beyond to Guitar Lake is something for the future to see I suppose, here's hoping. Enforcement is easy enough, similar to HD, set up at a whole point: just park a ranger at the Lyell Basecamp area and have them ask to see the permits. Anyone without the exit get's their ID recorded and directed to exit the park and check into the Tuolumne Ranger Station: fail to check in and that's "failure to follow the lawful instructions of a federal agent" the fine for that is $500 and up to $5,000. In late July last year the store was fully stocked. But having my own choices is what I prefer and as it's got a PO right there, easy enough. |
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