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Warning: The last day on the John Muir Trail almost broke me
We planned a 7 day trip from Tuolumne Meadows to Whitney Portal. Day six was fine, but day seven was a nightmare. We started at 4 AM to beat the heat on the final climb. By 10 AM, a freak hail storm hit near Trail Crest, with marble sized ice for an hour. Soaked and cold, we pushed to the summit but the wind was over 40 mph. My partner slipped on a slick rock and twisted an ankle bad. That last 11 miles down to the portal took us almost 12 hours total. Has anyone else had a final stretch turn that brutal on what should be a classic route?
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the_leo16d ago
Marble sized hail for a full hour? That's just cruel.
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caseyward17d ago
That final push off Whitney is no joke. We got caught in a late season snowstorm up there. Key was stopping to put on every layer, even wet ones, for wind protection. Split the last of our food to keep energy up for the slow hike down. Had to make a splint for a knee injury with trekking poles and a bandana. Just focused on getting to the next switchback, not the whole trail down. Took forever but getting out of the wind was the only goal.
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