Backpacking the John Muir Trail- The adventure of a lifetime!

[Music] [Music] morning everyone well here we are it's August 30th 2019 get ready to start the JMT john muir trail we've been planning this we're talking about it for about a year and planning it intensely since February yeah and it's finally here the days but yeah we just works super-excited this is gonna be a three-week journey but with our resupply is probably about 240 miles yeah take us about 21 days we'll end up at melt Whitney yeah anyway we're excited and we just wanted to start this video off with day one of about 21 all right we'll check back in with drill [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] actually planning on heading up the fun ride about seven miles or so we have to stop there because we're going to be getting clouds rest the next day about 30 pounds right now little too handy I think but it only get lighter at the EPP it's worth the wait and we're talking this much time out here it'll be pretty amazing [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] well we ditched the hiking boots for this trip these are polka one one speed goats how you liking your your Lone Peak [Music] beautiful okay Karen that's a good one Wow someone is very talented [Music] [Music] mr. paws rest [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] so this is our camp for the night on Saturday night August 31st there's a one of the sunrise lakes behind us Steve head we just finished eating some dinner beef stroganoff and spaghetti baby yeah so it's a nice little spot trails right up there behind us we're gonna be heading that way tomorrow morning over to meet up with the JMT and then on to to Walley me Meadows to camp and get our resupply we left in the bear box and get a burger possibly beer so you got to get up early to make sure we get there before the crow closes yep that's our home checking back in tomorrow [Music] [Music] well it's Sunday September 1st day 3 on the trail and we're just getting ready to leave sunrise and head over to 12 E Meadows maybe about 11 and a half miles to me at most hopefully crossing your fingers we want to get there before the girl closes because we want some real food beautiful one of the lates almost private care yes quietest yes quiet is always nice but it was friggin cold last night anyway it's gonna hit the trail we'll check in later [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] here we are heading out to Tuolumne meadows this trail here is freakin awesome it's so creepy got a nice meadow up there got a great day actually not crazy hot like my husband last couple days but then it's a nice breeze right now for sure we actually have some clouds in the sky so that face much Polar Plunge so they're blind plus a little bit about bath yeah [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] I paid for on the JMT it's Monday September 2nd it was a Nero date day yeah Ciara was in Mammoth so she actually came up to visit with the other Sierra so that was real nice to see her anyway we got to get at least four miles out of Tuolumne before we camp tonight and it's getting kind of late so we'll be hitting the trails a little pocket for the [Applause] [Laughter] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] morning everybody it is Tuesday September 3rd our fifth day on the trail and today we're gonna hike out a you see me over Donahue pass which heading towards Mammoth so we had a lot of moisture last night oh I miss ya the biggest bear I've ever seen in a while I mean it it looked and it's a black bears of course but it was the color of brown Johnny it was huge lanes and it was College but yeah I was walking towards the stream and crossed it but it didn't come over near us or anything you probably saw us but fathers but yeah we're excited about today yeah it's a great great spot Joaquin got to clean up and get on the trail huh [Music] [Music] [Music] still heading towards Donahue pass miss trelles absolutely gorgeous supposed to get up and over the pass but we still have a while to go and apparently there's a storm coming in I can kind of see by the clouds up there too so we'll play it by ear and see what happens those little craters out there squeak like birds but they stand perfectly straight up I'm just checking this out yeah [Music] [Music] [Music] prettiest place it is gorgeous probably the most beautiful things ever [Music] so cool [Music] [Music] give me a little no down to you pass yes in the rain and the threat of lightning [Music] you [Music] David Network our little trail family has grown from two to four today and now from four to six so just meet nice people on trail yeah we're all heading towards mammoth we won't make it there today we're gonna camp it before Island pass tonight and then head over the hills tomorrow be a long day about 18 or 19 miles so far a very very awesome hike in gorgeous country I can't believe all the wildflowers still our channels crazy beautiful [Music] mornin morning so it's day six between last night right now it's the first night that we have experienced a lot of mosquitos it's been pretty mosquito free for now yeah we're getting attacked not swarms but just annoying but yeah today's a big day we to make up some time for the setback in Tuolumne today we're looking forward to it we're gonna hoof it fire along the stretch it also only has no major passes violent past is not baby there's part Hills but nothing crazy all right Tata for now reaching the top of Island Pass not a killer pass not compared to what's ahead but still very very pretty a lot of green lot of flowers let's see how the moisture in the grass is water retinas up here the essence of beauty betrayal kind of meanders around there the water up section look at that mountain range [Music] well we're at the top of Island Pass gorgeous news were coming over the past towards heading towards mammoth and we're coming up over the top of Thousand Island [Music] well here we are at Thousand Island Lake beautiful so pretty banner peak hovering above long day wait one more beautiful view of the lake [Music] [Music] we have a little trail obstacle course going on here little limbo keep it low keep it low stay low stay low stay longer good job [Music] well we made it Red's meadow Resort in Mammoth long freaking day I started hiking twenty-two miles from just decided on easy path to Red's meadow and it kicked our ass I tell you and we're barely making it before the grill closes so we are happy about that so we're going to get some food we're going to find camp down when we put the shower and then get our resupply home excited [Music] coming down huh seven we just left breads meadow we're hitting up the hill but we was nice we got a shower dinner the cafe is very good good laundry see how free pretty happy I'm heading up this hill and we met some new friends a friend Oh from sweetie he is a good friend super nice and his birthday is tomorrow so we're gonna celebrate his 50th birthday on the trail pretty amazing coincidences we have him overnight we have up high we're about the same age and [Music] I was kind of getting more of his story and we both her went to the exact same thing a heart heart problem his was plumbing mine was electrical right around the same time I was getting a pacemaker he was having a stent put in had his his business for 25 years similar to me and we both sold our businesses reduces stress and he knew I had this little time off to bigger things in on it danielle has the time available from work and it worked out look at this ferns monkey 3 I know there's a lot of there's a fire through here oh yeah anyway yeah super nice guy real friendly and just gentle soul here they come we're getting into where there's some beautiful young Pines hey guys yes we're going up here we go [Music] okay I'm from Sweden and walking GMT because I saw on YouTube and actually I saw first a lot of obesity youtubers maybe it's too far because I'm from Sweden without my family GMT is three weeks exciting huh we're glad to have met you let's let's hike on [Music] that ails and it sounds Oh can I keep from singing [Music] beautiful yeah you have a beautiful voice thank you very much this has been a pretty long unforgiving and climb somewhere between duck no Deer Creek and purple Lake it's beautiful weirdly climbed up this Ridgeline look at that though oh my gosh that is beautiful Canyon not today [Music] [Music] good morning we had a long night it was rough had a lot of mosquito problems mixed it a you have to have your head net on and they just want to eat you while you're trying to eat as it tried it started to rain so made it a little tougher once we got our stuff set up for the night got to bed and it poured down rain on us all night so it's kind of one of the lows of the trail as Inga would say I'd say mosquitoes I hate worse than even the rain even though the rain makes everything incredibly messy and wet makes your pack heavier everything's dirty sucks but it happens so the highs are I've mentioned the low there's highs the highs are this gorgeous out here so we're gonna walk about 15 miles today to zvrs called Vermillion Valley Resort from the trail there's a boat will drive across and then get to VBR [Music] our eighth day on the trail now we are heading put silver past it's a good day feet feel good legs are strong waters clean and they're coming up on a beautiful big length it's just gorgeous yeah they're low early in the morning for the Polar Plunge look at this Lake wow it's beautiful you want to get away from cars and good away from people this is where you come Virginia Lake their coldest day yet out here it's certainly tolerable I don't uhumm zetz does that call me when you're rock hopping [Music] this place is amazing we're gonna hike our butts up and over that some reason John Muir decided to send us down towards I guess a thousand foot drop just so we can go 2,000 foot climb up went over it [Music] holy cow it's gorgeous [Music] bridge sure folder hopping [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] they're almost to the top of silver pass guide of some snow weather all right that's pretty [Music] finally reaching the lick Edison ferry gonna take us over to the Vermillion Valley Resort we've been running our asses off we left at 6:30 this morning it's been about a 17 mile day we thought it would be 15 Justin came to this boat I hope we can fit on [Music] hi here we are at bbr we're getting ready to leave and take the afternoon ferry back across the lake to head over to the John Muir Trail again we had a Nero day instead of a zero day the nice day though we took shower data laundry said bye - oh this morning he had to make the morning ferry he was at a different schedule and had to finish the people John Muir Trail a certain day for his flight back to get ready to get out of here hits trail again [Music] morning Morgan day 10 September 8 it's a Sunday cutting up to Murray Lake today yeah supposed to be gorgeous out there and so we're looking forward to that and get there early enough get a good spot dry your kennel kind of get up and over this hill first yeah we can do it [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] whoo [Music] or just cooled streamwriter so deep luggage up granny [Music] gorgeous gorgeous how babe [Music] tomorrow we're going up over Seldon Pass which I believe is right over David's head right now but that day tomorrow should be a pretty mellow day at 8 miles hopefully [Music] [Music] good morning made it to the top of southern path day eleven Monday September something you don't know what is behind you is Murray Lake Soviet soldiers freaking freezing cold good all laughing friend who did but now it's better Sun glistens offense come up it's just a lot better so now we're gonna head down [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] we're all having fun with it lady hot springs and somewhere out by Muir Trail ranch on - Jeremy your trailer 2009 this is the crew right here southbound [Music] morning day 12 on the GMT we just left Muir Trail ranch which is the halfway point because of all the side tracks that we've taken to see some things he got Christina with us we drove her car all the way from Milwaukee Wisconsin she's hiking with us but she's going to end up heading out of Bishop house in a few days so she's here with us we had a really good time yesterday in Hot Springs with our traveling bunch of friends that we can't with last night we had a pretty good group it's a beautiful morning we're heading up holy Muir Trail ranch was all the way down the night before was ten thousand six hundred feet we camped at 7,900 so we really got to climb back up all right [Music] [Applause] [Music] laughing the San Joaquin you're getting mad [Music] [Applause] [Music] we shift our sandals back with a bunch of other items that we felt we didn't really need to keep carry the weight but now we wish we had them [Music] I don't use this acronym much but I'm gonna go ahead and say it o M G [Music] yeah [Music] one word for the evolution valley spectacular [Music] good morning it is day 13 on the trail September 11 and it's Danielle's birthday we're still in the tent because it got down to 28 degrees last night freaking cold we stayed warm but a little chilly we have to get out and go to the bathroom all night and there's some ice on the tent and we're gonna do it in the best to be you it's ready to go kind of suit your 11:00 so yeah it's starting to get cold at night yeah we're a near McClure meadow heading up and over near pass so it's gonna be like the 20 mile day or so Christina Christina has been hiking with us we've enjoyed her company yep we're going to put in some miles and enjoy this day [Music] [Music] [Music] people are loving new balloons everybody says happy birthday to go by this beautiful stream feeding evolution like is gorgeous so pretty up there it's beautiful love it here [Music] [Applause] [Music] amazing what human bodies can do you know just wouldn't need everything that we have at home or out here 13 days in sleep on the ground drinking the water from the melting snow which should be our walk so far over 125 miles no blisters on my feet no injuries no pains I love it [Music] one lake as huge as all would say we're heading right up there near pass you can see them your Hut right there [Music] [Music] [Music] live your life as if it were impossible to fail set a warrior-poet on the John Muir Trail I'm a meal for mosquitoes an ape without a tail a real spicy cheeto in the belly of a whale it's mostly humping in a schlepping with this big old tack I'm either dumb or intrepid didn't bring a weapon there's no half-stepping it's a long way to wit me and my dignity I'm reppin old John Muir must have got real lonely lying on his blanket thinking no one's here to hold me my biscuits got moldy my socks all holy what I wouldn't do for a bowl of guacamole but Mira never quit and I won't either even when I got the shits or a mighty high fever see I'm a believer that the mountains are the medicine they open up and let us in and never let us go again it's a privilege just to be here so thank you John Muir so far it's been worth every drop blood sweat coming down out the Muir pass [Music] now up here heads out about going back direction good job on that little first steps of doozy [Music] good morning it is September 12th day 14 of our hike on the JMT I found this great camp spot in the Kanto Canyon just got done having some coffee and breakfast biscuits and gravy it's really great there's a beautiful waterfall you can see through there I'll walk through there in a second but look at this Canyon want to walk down to this waterfall on the stream that we get water from this beautiful Canyon that waterfall it's gorgeous hood let's see it's one of our favorite spots huh yeah it's beautiful access to water I'm out of breath I think we're about 10,000 465 foot elevation and it is laundry day we were able to do laundry one time at or Tuolumne Meadows and then we were able to use the washing machine at breads and then again at VBR but we are well past due for doing laundry again we had nothing clean so that bucket right there to see this on the bucket is awesome see we have clean clothes [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] we just left camp it's like 115 in the afternoon but we feel so good because we're clean we laugh and we had a can I say bitchin it was awesome we had a waterfall as our backdrop and it was just awesome so but now we're walking through these meadow it's already so we're gonna do about 10 miles probably today look at my water so much water everywhere gorgeous yeah it's the weather's perfect today and again all of our clothes are clean little things in life that make us happy yes yeah it's all good happy days [Music] [Music] good morning everybody morning it is Friday yeah we're gonna have to climb the golden stair case yeah it's about a two-mile stretch of I think like just big chunks or blocks of stairs girl sounds killer but at high elevation [Music] [Music] [Music] we finally conquered the golden staircase I'm babe and now we reached lower palisade Lakes it's very pretty [Music] oh that was well needed but it was freezing but it felt so good and now we're out in the Sun time to relax lunch before we head up over that pass [Music] [Music] tough time [Music] [Music] this is the south side of Mather pass I was a Yankee we're heading that way into the trees [Music] good morning from bench Lake area this spot was amazing we were basically we had seventeen and a half miles yesterday over the golden staircase over my other pass and then down here it's getting close to dark we're getting a little worried but we came came upon this spot it was like perfect perfectly flat close to the street not very cold last night low 30s for sure but we weren't cold because we have our ugq quilts she's got a zero degree I got a ten degree and we're laying on top of our Nemo tensor pads we just played directly on them it's just amazing how long we stay we can turn and twist and outside a stream and this area looks like what Disneyland tried to make California Adventure look like it there it's just the granite rocks and then [Music] water beautiful natural golden trout down in here look at that it's so cool it's like bear country and we know we're in bear country but it just looks like this is where bears live it ooh oh man 16 days of living out of our backpack it's crazy yes yes all right let's do it [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the water color the clarity everything about this lake marjory might be the prettiest yeah - I think I'm we're coming for you lake marjory so we did it we took the Polar Plunge into lake marjory and now we're eating ramen and cup of noodles that was freaking cold so another thing too about six miles ago we left camp not one not two not any and this lake it's like there's nobody here we have the whole lake to oneself and it's also cool because we're sitting here in our underwear [Music] [Music] [Applause] peejoe pass 12100 fortunately we just climbed up that this is the other side we're heading down that way keep pushing on [Music] [Music] well good morning is day 17 on the John Muir Trail September 15th and we're heading towards Rey Lakes we have about 10 miles or so to get there yeah yeah we camp in the trees at the beginning of the street that you line up there beautiful stream here but yeah we're gonna get to relay because have a relaxing afternoon anyways gotta hit the trail because we're getting good vibes yes [Music] [Music] check out this woods creek coming down this beautiful granite it's so cool look at this water slide we get caught up in that it could be slick could be a long haul down of a yeah major slip and slide [Music] we are approaching the world-famous suspension bridge on the John Muir Trail goes over Woods Creek [Music] it was always a one person at a time it probably still is let her go first [Music] little wobbly up here [Music] [Music] hey everyone know that our camp here at Rey Lakes we've got 200 miles on these feet I can say that we have not had a blister which is incredible exciting we haven't twist an ankle thank God nothing like that so you're still walking oh we thought today was gonna be an easy day but it was still it doesn't matter if it's a pass or not it's everything's a freaking Mountain it's tough so we're gonna have dinner after we finish our tent set up right along the lake [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] yeah holy all right here we are September 16th our 18th day out on the John Muir Trail we're just reaching the top and Glen pass there's a windy very cold gusty no big deal huh screw you [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] we're at the top Kearsarge we're meeting Jake Alicia is that the Ironman resupply company [Music] we're so glad to see you Jake Alicia and her friend brought up five days of food for us so we can finish the the JMT that is so cool of you guys we're so grateful I can't tell ya thank you so much [Music] [Music] and is a little chilly but turned out to be a pretty nasty [Music] [Music] hey guys it's September 17 Trail great I love it that's so good to see you I got my little bitty taste of the John Muir Trail or at least what it's like yeah so he's gonna go up and over to you start to pass right there just car and home and we're gonna go out into the deeper into the passes Forster is the last pass before all right guys [Music] we are heading up towards Forester Tafel day we're trying to get over the pass and over to Tyndall Creek Forester up there so yeah a little bit more decline but it's all good love you know [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] all right all right we are reaching the top huh Forester pass it's about it's almost 6 p.m. yeah day 19 Forester pass 13,200 feet oh it came from down that Valley and around the corner and hope cure starts fast pushers legs yeah after what we did it and we're gonna go over this side yeah we're gonna head that way this was her last pass until Mount Whitney exciting huh [Music] all right over Danielle's head you know that a little crack is what we were standing in top of Forester pass it's crazy the cliffs yeah we're down on the way down still I'm pretty amazed at every pass that we've come over you drop down into a completely different area and it's absolutely gorgeous it's just so different from that previously but this is exciting for us this is our coming down off our final pass and flowy before we head up Whitney and then head down so then keep walking even if it's dark and we're setting up camp we're gonna get feel like we're walking on the moon you've been talking and we're getting a little a little emotional because we're reaching the end pretty crazy adventure I probably have about 25 miles left headed down to without meadow and guitar Lake by tomorrow night and up and over Whitney and it's just it's been an incredible experience and we're just really grateful because we know we're more blessed to be able to not only do this walk by the time we're done it's going to be nearly 250 miles and that's a lot of miles over three weeks there were some beautiful country a lot of people won't ever get to see it or experience it and we're just--we're bus because we can do this and because we can do this as a husband and wife the married couple experiences together has been pretty wonderful [Music] we do not take it for granted and it really makes you also appreciate what you have at home just how easy you're having it on Forester pass dark hide it [Music] good morning morning everybody it's Wednesday September 18th the 20 of our we ended up hiking at night for a couple hours yeah so excited once it's exciting and also kind of sad because we've land for this thing all year yeah 11 to get down Mount Whitney is the end of the joggers rub a huge bucket list for us and super fun with Danielle we just worked so well together in these 20 days so we haven't got on each other's nerves got a good we're sad that it's almost over yes some heat some beer get down to Lone Pine the shower first get a motel room do that it's like Petra fires guitar Lake here we come [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] we love the Sierra Nevadas gosh you tell her every year that far so we're very fortunate for that because John Muir Trail has taken us through the most beautiful parts of it and it's just been amazing yeah what I love about this place I love the ease I just love being trees but I also a big swing skill [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] scotchy meadows and we bout know about two miles from guitar lake and the tree out here you wouldn't expect this you're looking at meadows trees it's very very cool wasn't expecting this on the side I've had to be more jagged rocks and you know kind of like how it is up there [Music] [Applause] [Music] we found a nice spot in this rock shelter a little bit of blockage from the wind it's really cold I'm filtering some water through the squeeze and Danielle is in here getting the bed ready and we use these down quilts to sleep on we actually just sleep right on that insulated pad and they actually work really anyway we're just giving a quick update pretty cool [Music] so I said I am mid-20s coldest we've been the whole trip just I'm walking on ice we're pretty okay everywhere but our hands are freezing and gloves we're in it's about 7:30 8021 on the John Muir Trail September 19th got very very cold guitar heard from the backcountry Ranger out here it's gonna be like close to 10 degrees up there not counting windchill so a little bit later so beside this is my third time your fourth time laughs yeah yeah it just wasn't worth it were cold enough as it is we're excited though this is a it's been an epic journey and their last day so we're heading up to Whitney and then we're gonna go down the other side about 11 miles down to the to the car evening a night alone fine yep eating and celebrating yeah heading up to trail crust at about 13 5 and over the Whitney at 14 5 so yeah it's up there somewhere [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Choose Outside

Views: 18,762

Rating: 4.9487181 out of 5

Keywords: JMT, john muir, john muir trail, thru hike, hiking, backpack, yosemite, mt. whitney, mt whitney, osprey, chooseoutside, choose outside, sierra nevadas, big agnes, ugq, z packs, garmin

Id: TivK-jQJOjY

Length: 95min 50sec (5750 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 18 2020