If you don’t have time to do the entire 220 mile John Muir Trail, consider this shorter alternative.
40 miles
4 days
… Along this loop you pass by the beautiful Tenaya Lake, hike over Clouds Rest, take in several great views of Half Dome, and hike through Little Yosemite Valley and the Lost Valley.
The route has a peak elevation of 9,900 feet (atop Clouds Rest) and you climb roughly 9,000 vertical feet over the course of the ~40 mile trek.
Highlights include epic waterfalls, expansive views of Yosemite Valley and the surrounding granite peaks and domes, alpine lakes, grassy meadows, …
Yoho Lake was the site of the original Alpine Club of Canada camp in 1906.
Early alpinists climbed Mt Wapta (south) and Michaels Peak (north).
Mt Wapta
Returning from our Twin Falls hike, we resupplied at the vehicles parked at the Takakkaw Falls trailhead.
Then started with great views over to Takakkaw , the second highest Falls in Canada.
One of our group forgot his sunglasses at the lookout.
ET and I asked some hikers going the other direction to see if they could find them. And it worked! We found them on ET’s vehicle 2 days later.
We climbed steadily up to the lake on a route that many switchbacks.
More wildflowers here than on the Twin Falls side.
You catch a glimpse en route of Hidden Lake.
Here’s a first look at Yoho lake.
Yoho lake is deep emerald green, more so than Emerald lake.
You’d have to be CRAZY to swim.
Warren set up a cook tarp to protect from sun and rain.
It’s a peaceful campground.
Next morning we had one deer hang around the tents. I assume he was salt deprived, looking for urine.
We took a day hike to look down on to Emerald lake.
There are some impressive waterfalls en route.
Warren and I decided to extend the walk and circumambulate Emerald lake. (Actually, we had originally planned to return via Burgess Pass trail — but it seemed to be unsigned and closed in 2020.). So we walked around Emerald lake and back the way we came.
The only difficult section was about a half hour of flooded alluvial plain.
Once back in camp we found our group had decided to hike out a day early. Forecast was for big storm.
Rather than camp at the Takakkaw Falls campground, we instead drove to Banff and enjoyed a dry night at the Hidden Ridge resort.
… Muir was not immune to the racism peddled by many in the early conservation movement. He made derogatory comments about Black people and Indigenous peoples that drew on deeply harmful racist stereotypes, though his views evolved later in his life. …
Other early Sierra Club members and leaders — like Joseph LeConte and David Starr Jordan — were vocal advocates for white supremacy and its pseudo-scientific arm, eugenics. …
For all the harms the Sierra Club has caused, and continues to cause, to Black people, Indigenous people, and other people of color, I am deeply sorry. I know that apologies are empty unless accompanied by a commitment to change. I am making that commitment, publicly, right now. …
… we are redesigning our leadership structure so that Black, Indigenous, and other leaders of color at the Sierra Club make up the majority of the team making top-level organizational decisions. We will initiate similar changes to elevate the voices and experiences of staff of color across the organization. …
I commend the Sierra Club for taking action to make outdoor adventure more welcoming to everyone.
Of course it’s not entirely fair to measure the racism of John Muir by today’s standards. For his time, Muir was comparatively enlightened. And did far more good than bad for all hikers.
The 38-mile Resurrection Pass Trail through the Kenai Mountains is by far the most popular multi-day backcountry route in Southcentral Alaska. Ideal for backpackers and mountain bikers—and a great destination for skiers and snowshoers during snow season—the trail links historic gold mining areas near Hope with a trailhead near Cooper Landing close to the Kenai River.
It is a true classic, drawing hundreds of visitors over the entire year. Many Alaskans return annually—often taking at least five days to traverse the route. …
You have two options for accommodations on multi-day trips: rent cabins or carry a tent. …
If you want to hike from one end to the other, you need to set up a shuttle or book a trip on a local trail taxi. …
The Kenai Mountains feature prime brown bear habitat, and the forests abound with black bears. So take all the usual precautions—including storing food in bear lockers or portable vaults, keeping a clean camp and carrying bear spray for deterrence. Make noise and pay attention. Hikers regularly report encounters with or catch sight of both species. Having said that, the trail gets regular human traffic and does not have a reputation for unusual bear problems.
Mid-June through early September is the window.
Kraig Adams expanded on the standard route. And put together a video which reveals the massive landscape very well.
Though I’m now bikepacking with solar, to be SURE I’ve got enough juice to get my devices through a weekend hike I’ve also purchased the Anker PowerCore 26800 PD with 30W.
This is the largest portable battery currently allowed for airline carry-on baggage.
26800mAh of power charges most phones over 7 times, tablets at least 2 times or notebooks at least once.
There are two parts: battery and USB-C wall charger.
Charging devices from a wall socket (including the battery) is claimed to be up to 3x faster.
On longer cycling trips when I’m carrying a laptop, this unit IS powerful enough to recharge a MacBook Pro. That will help me keep up-to-date with photos, video and trip reports.
Today he and his team lead people to exciting destinations, teaching skills along the way: planning, gear, fitness, food, navigation, responding to emergencies, etc.
In a recent podcast interview Andrew explains why he still prefers map and compass, using electronics as a back-up. And you have to believe him since it was sponsored by the Gaia GPS app.
In the Out and Back podcast today, find out how backcountry navigation expert Andrew Skurka uses paper and digital maps, what’s in his navigation kit, and the one simple thing people can do to stay found in the wilderness. Tune in with the link below:
Hikerstore.co.uk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk.
“As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you”
There are two parts: battery and USB-C wall charger.
