| Date | Day | Daily Miles | Total Miles | Starting Campground | Ending Campground | General Notes |
| July 17th | 1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | Backpacker’s Campground Yosemite Valley | Bridalveil Creek | Entry @ Pohono Trail |
| 18th | 2 | 13 | 20.1 | Bridalveil Creek | Cloud’s Rest Spur | Campground 1.04 (Wenks) |
| 19th | 3 | 10 | 30.1 | Cloud’s Rest Spur | Cloud’s Rest Spur | Hike Half Dome and Cloud’s Rest |
| 20th | 4 | 11.4 | 41.5 | Cloud’s Rest Spur | Lower Cathedral Lake | Campground 1.22 (Wenks) |
| 21st | 5 | 15.8 | 57.3 | Lower Cathedral Lake | East of Bridge Across Lyell Forks of Tuolumne | Campground 2.07 (Wenks). Resupply in T.M. Eat lunch in town. |
| 22nd | 6 | 9.5 | 66.8 | Campground 2.07 | 1000 Island Lake | Donahue Peak (add 3.3 miles)? |
| 23rd | 7 | 2.6 | 69.4 | 1000 Island Lake | Garnet Lake | Banner Peak? General wandering around. |
| 24th | 8 | 15.4 | 84.8 | Garnet Lake | Somewhere around Rainbow Falls | Resupply at Red’s Meadow. Dinner at town. Leave JMT @ Fish Creek Trail |
| 25th | 9 | 12.1 | 96.9 | Rainbow Falls | Iva Bell Hot Springs | |
| 26th | 10 | 11.5 | 108.4 | Iva Bell | Lake Virginia | Join JMT again @ Purple Lake. |
| 27th | 11 | 12.9 | 121.3 | Lake Virgina | Mott Lake/Blue Jay Lakes | |
| 28th | 12 | 16.9 | 138.2 | Mott Lake | Rose Lake | |
| 29th | 13 | 13.8 | 152 | Rose Lake | Somewhere near Piute Trail Junction | Resupply at MTR. Turret Lakes? Campsite? |
| 30th | 14 | 12.6 | 164.6 | Piute Trail | Darwin Bench | |
| 31st | 15 | 13 | 177.6 | Darwin Bench | Helen Lake | Side trips up Mt. Spencer and Black Giant (mileage included in daily total) |
| Aug. 1st | 16 | 16.8 | 194.4 | Helen Lake | Lower Palisades | |
| 2nd | 17 | 16.8 | 211.2 | Lower Palisades | Bench Lake | Side trip up Split Mt (mileage included) |
| 3rd | 18 | 21.9 | 233.1 | Bench Lake | 60 Lake Basin | |
| 4th | 19 | 11 | 244.1 | 60 Lake Basin | Vidette Lakes | West Vidette? |
| 5th | 20 | 24 | 268.1 | Vidette Lakes | Guitar Lake | |
| 6th | 21 | 5 | 273.1 | Guitar Lake | Mt. Whitney Peak | Side trip up Mt. Muir |
| 7th | 22 | 10.4 | 283.5 | Mt Whitney Peak | Whitney Portal | The End. |
Because the John Muir Trail is so remote and highly regulated, its important to make plans and make them early. Yosemite is notorious for their strict back-country permit system, and this permit is required the entire length of the trail. Its not uncommon to get rejected for a permit even if you apply months in advance. I’m starting from a VERY non-traditional trailhead, the Pohono Trail (the northern terminus, and where most people start, is Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley), so I didn’t have any trouble getting my permit approved.
The JMT travels through 3 National Parks (Yosemite, King’s Canyon, and Sequoia) and two wilderness areas (Ansel Adams, and John Muir). The southern terminus, Mt. Whitney, is also the highest point in the lower 48. It covers 218.5 miles along the way. Most people take anywhere from two weeks to a month to finish. I have a number of side trips planned, so I’m walking 283 total miles in just over three weeks.
What I’m looking forward to most:
The Pohono Trail
Half-Dome
Cloud’s Rest
1000 Island Lake/Banner Peak
Iva Bell Hot Springs
Darwin Bench/Evolution Lake
Guitar Lake
Mt. Whitney
Swimming in every lake I possibly can
tcmauer 