I met Alan Wechsler on the John Muir Trail this past summer. I hiked in parallel with his group, finishing the same day at Whitney Portal.
Alan convinced me to put Vermont’s Long Trail in autumn on my personal life list. He suggested I follow the changing of the leaves starting late September and hiking south.
Alan is a writer and photographer based in the Northeast. He recently spent a year section-hiking the Long Trail in various seasons. His 73-page narrative describes the challenge and history of the trail, along with the people he met along the way, and is generously illustrated with his photos. Download the e-book here:
Formerly called the Vancouver Island Spine Trail (VISpine), the Vancouver Island Trail is planned to end up close to 800km long.
About 95% of the Trail has been located and is defined on the ground well enough to be followed/hiked.
However, much of the route north of Port Alberni is not officially open since gaining the permission and support of several Indigenous Communities is on-going and a number of administrative arrangements (land use agreements, Section 57 approvals etc.) have not yet been completed.
Where the Trail is located across private forest lands, detailed planning and location of the trail has been progressing following completion of a Memorandum of Understanding that reflects the co-operative working relationship between Vancouver Island Trail Association (VITA) and Mosaic Forest Management, the timberland manager for both TimberWest and Island Timberlands. …
The southern section from Victoria to Port Alberni you can do right now. Brendan Sainsbury cycled it. I’ve cycled all of the southern section, as well — and would say it’s better cycling than hiking.
Alex and Sarah hiked the entire island summer 2021. For them it was 40 days of backcountry camping and nights in motels when they hit small towns.
Magpie and her partner hiked it summer 2020 putting together a LONG video trip report. Watch that here.
Variant no. 2 may be the easiest, but it leads through the roads used by cars, which may be tiresome.
Variant no. 1 is more demanding.
Variant no. 3 is the fastest traverse from all of the options. Going east-west requires more time and planning, and it is combined with bigger difficulties (less roads, more paths and sometimes the wilderness, crossing the rivers, long distances with no water). Choose it, if you are sure of your skills and you can survive far away from people. …
Kevin Ginisty and friends want to officially launch the Hexatrek by summer 2022. In fact, you can join them in the first year.
This 3000 km trail will connect 14 of the most beautiful nationals parks and crossing France from the Vosges to the Pyrenees.
The path follows the highest mountain regions of our hexagon, joining along the way some of the most emblematic summits, natural wonders and wildest places. …
The route has been designed to connect the most beautiful places and maximize wild camp use where it’s allowed.
… As the founder of the Florida Trail, co founder of the American hiking society, and president of Big City Mountaineers, Jim has led an awe-inspiring life and career that has gone far beyond the scope of just his own adventures, helping at-risk youth by introducing them to the outdoors and inspiring real change. …
What does a life driven by curiosity really look like?
In this episode of the 10Adventures Podcast, we sit down with Martyn Williams, whose extraordinary journey spans remote mountain ranges, Antarctica expeditions, teaching in the Yukon, and deep inner exploration through meditation and human potential work.
Martin shares how early experiences walking the hills of Wales sparked a lifelong connection to nature, how curiosity led him into some of the most extreme environments on Earth, and why inner exploration ultimately became just as important as physical adventure.
From pioneering expeditions to the South Pole and across Antarctica, to mentoring troubled youth through nature-based learning, to living and training in an Indian ashram, this conversation explores what happens when you keep asking, “What’s next?”
This is a wide-ranging, reflective episode about adventure, resilience, simplicity, and learning how to live with less fear — and more meaning.
Whether you’re an adventurer, a creative, or someone searching for a calmer and more intentional way of living, this episode offers powerful insights into human potential and the art of exploration — both outer and inner.
🎙️ Listen now and be inspired to ask better questions, take small steps, and follow your curiosity
👉 To learn more, visit:
https://martynwilliams.ca/
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Jai’s group finished one day before Forest Fire closures were announced.
We were lucky too. Aug 7 – 24, 2021. No closures. Haziest day was Aug 23rd near Whitney.
Climate change will — in future — increasingly make thru hikes of the John Muir Trail more difficult.
LIGHTNING
The other big worry on the JMT is afternoon lightning. This season Nicholas Torchia, 37-years-old, died after trying to take cover by leaning against a tree while hiking close to the John Muir Trail.
FRIENDS
For this adventure, I was happy to have my old hiking buddies Brian and Rocco join me for the first week.
Hiking with friends is more fun. But logistics more complicated.
Under my failed leadership in the past, we are known as the Backcountry Bunglers. AND we managed to bungle logistics again — though the hiking itself was superb.
We had Pacific Crest Trail 500+ mile permits rather than JMT permits. PCT are much easier to get. BUT require that you start exactly the day and trailhead on the permit. Also, you have to carry a print copy. Lessons learned.
Thousand Island Lake
Near Reds Meadows we made the short detour to Rainbow Falls.
And Devil’s Postpile.
TREES
Rocco is a student of flora and fauna. He particularly enjoyed the many kinds of beautiful (and weird) trees.
FOOD
When in town we felt obliged to CARBO LOAD in advance of our freeze dried future.
One of our favourite restaurants was Breakfast Club in Mammoth.
On the trail my dinners were mostly based on ramen, instant mashed potatoes and instant stuffing. REAL bacon pieces were one of my treats as were Jelly Belly.
FEET
Critical to a successful hike is footwear and foot management.
What worked best for me in the California dry heat was trail runners and Injiji toe socks. In fact, I left my usual Merrell Moabs in Mammoth after the first 5 days.
I cleaned and cooled my feet as often as possible during the day.
Mid-day I’d stop for about an hour to use solar power to recharge my devices.
CAMPSITES
In the Sierra Nevada there are plenty of opportunities to wild camp. Set up your tent anywhere not too close to water. … Unless it’s posted.
Late afternoon we had set up our tents … before noticing this sign.
It’s EASY to find fantastic places to tent. Actually.
SIDE TRIPS
Many on the JMT stick to the trail, unwilling to miss even a single official step. Not me.
I took 4 side trips:
Reds – Thousand Island lake on the PCT
southern Red Cone from Lower Crater Meadow junction
Goodale Trail to Vermillion Valley Resort (VVR) because the boat wasn’t running
Mt Whitney
southern Red Cone
VERMILLION VALLEY RESORT (VVR)
On past hikes I’d never made the famed side trip to VVR.
On arrival, the new owners welcome you warmly and offer a free cold beer.
I’m really glad I did VVR this time, taking a ZERO miles recovery day. I met more people there than the rest of the days combined. Found myself at the same table with PhD students and veteran thru hikers.
I stayed for the Saturday night all-you-can-eat barbecue. $26.
Due to drought and low snow fall the previous winter, governments had held back water from Lake Thomas Edison. When this happens, the ferry can’t shuttle hikers to VVR. It’s a half day extra walking.
For me it was well worth the side trip.
Lake Thomas Edison – DRY in 2021
I skipped the Ranch.
SUNSET, NIGHT SKY & SUNRISE
Highlights for one and all. Yet I’m disappointed I didn’t take more photos. I should have woken up more often to see the Milky Way.
PASSES
The story of the southern JMT is climbing a high pass every day.
I enjoyed it. By Seldon I was feeling fit. My feet were great. In fact, I was in the BEST physical shape for hiking at the end of 19 days. It would have seemed EASY to hike back north.
MUIR PASS
Weather was good — but cold and windy when I reached famed Muir Pass hut.
PEAKFINDER APP
Navigation is easy on the John Muir trail with most of the popular hiking apps.
I used Guthook and the free Maps.me app.
Another I really appreciated is the free PeakFinder app. You must download the regional data when online as there’s very little service on the JMT.
FIN DOME
Of many, many impressive peaks en route — including Whitney — my favourite was Fin Dome.
Fin Dome and Arrowhead lake
BOOKS & WHITNEY
The south gets higher and bleaker. I re-read DUNE on this section as it was appropriate to the environment. Hiking alone I was able to finish quite a few audio books, in fact.
Here’s the final push to the top of Whitney.
I was briefly the highest person in the lower 48.
Since the weather was good, I decided to have dinner atop the peak. Stay for sunset. It was very hazy.
A highlight, however, was walking down to Trail Camp on the far side of the mountain by headlamp and moonlight. My only night hiking of the trip.
Next morning I was up for dawn to enjoy my final morning on the John Muir Trail.
Whitney massif at dawn from Trail Camp
Finally down at Portal, we celebrated with the traditional burger and fries. Relived highlights with hikers whom I’d been walking with in parallel for many days.
After a difficult life as a farm wife, mother of eleven children, and victim of domestic violence, she became famous as the first solo female thru-hiker of the 2,168-mile (3,489 km) Appalachian Trail (A.T.) in 1955 at the age of 67.
She subsequently became the first person (male or female) to hike the A.T. three times …
besthike.com 