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Climate Matters |
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Skiing the John Muir Trail |
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Mt. Fuji, Japan |
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In 1992, Jeremy Sommer and I skied the John Muir Trail from Whitney Portal to Yosemite Valley in 16 days. For the first week, we were accompanied by Joe Pape. This is the story of our trip. Few people have skied the whole trail at one time. Doug Robinson and Galen Rowell were early pioneers and inspired us.
Generally speaking, our route followed either the John Muir Trail, or the Pacific Crest Trail, or someplace close. The snow makes route selection much more flexible. A northward direction of travel is preferable due to improved snow conditions for descents. As compared with summer perambulations, in winter the John Muir Trail is very isolated. During our 16 days we saw one party at Trail Crest (day one), one skier near Red’s Meadow (we heard, but avoided some other recreationalists nearby) and one party in Tuolumne Meadows (day 16). In most places along the trail an exit strategy would be very difficult indeed.
To plan the trip we consulted Starr’s Guide, but mostly we just worked from the USGS topographic maps. We traveled very light, both in terms of gear and in terms of food. However, remember that while “light is right” the definition of what is prudent for a winter trip is very, very different from what an August hiker of the JMT might carry.
Disclaimer This is a difficult ski trip. It is dangerous due to steep slopes, icy conditions, avalanches, weak snow bridges and other objective dangers. You are responsible for your own safety in the mountains. Days are short and route-finding is difficult. You should not rely on this information. You should not use this information as a guide. This is a story and a journal. Conditions differ from year to year, and these notes are more than 10 years old.
Approach Drive on US 395 to Lone Pine, turn west onto Whitney Portal Road at a traffic light. Continue roughly 15 miles on this road, sometimes steep, often boulder-strewn and snowy near the upper end (the road is not maintained in the winter). Park in the overnight parking area at about 2500 m.
Day 1 Get up by 4:00 AM. Proceed up the trail north from the parking area, turning west after a few hundred yards. Continue gradually ascending, crossing two streams during the next half hour. After 2-3 km the trail levels off for a short distance, then ascends the right side of a gully. A few switchbacks later, Bighorn Park (a meadow enclosed by high walls) is reached. Head for the west end of the meadow, aiming right of the creek; you will pass a solar toilet building. Ascend switchbacks to the right of the creek, reaching Mirror Lake. Cross the outlet (water should be collected here, as it may be unavailable for several miles) and head up the trail left of the lake, which soon cuts back and switchbacks up the ridge south of the lake. Once the top of the ridge is attained, maintain a westward direction, dropping at one point to the bottom of a narrow meadow area. Above this area, one can either go right (steep snow for 30-70 m until trail is met again) or left (longer but not quite as steep), eventually coming to the flat zone above Consultation Lake (12000'). Head across the flat area toward the obvious moraine at the bottom of the slope below Trail Crest Pass. Ascend left of this moraine, entering a gully to the right of the trail switchbacks. Start traversing the slope (wide at first, then narrowing) which leads to the pass. A few rock outcrops in the center of the slope provide safer rest during the ascent - transceivers are a must. The angle increases as the pass is approached, and the subsurface snow might be hard, in which case step-kicking may be preferable to skiing. When near the pass, compare the appearances of the routes to the left and the right of the central pinnacle - choose whichever appeals to you. Descend the west side and head north on the trail, where a camp may be set up near the trail intersection (or Whitney Summit may be reached if desired). Assuming a camp at the trail intersection (or on the trail, as flat places are few), arise early for a quick dash to the summit of Whitney, the official endpoint of the John Muir Trail.
Day 2 If Whitney Summit was attained, and there is enough snow, one may descend on skis down the SW slope of Whitney, with a steep section right at the bottom. (No direct knowledge of this ski descent.) Otherwise: Rise early, proceed along trail to Whitney Summit. Return to camp. Head down the trail (obliterated by snow in places), finally reaching lakes at bottom of slope, at 11600'. Continue west across Guitar Lake, then maintain elevation while traversing south side of Mt Young. Aim for flatter area of west ridge of Young at 11880', or traverse lower if desired. In any case, round the ridge and head north to the lake at 10800', a half-mile east of the JMT. |
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Day 6 Ascend the left side of the basin, curving west then north to Pinchot Pass. Attain this pass by climbing the ridge-buttress to its left and then traversing up to the pass itself. Descend the basin to the north of the pass- this is an opportunity for great skiing when the snow is good. Follow the chain of lakes until the depression of the South Fork of Kings River is reached, then maintain elevation by traversing upriver. When the terrain becomes annoyingly steep give in to gravity and descend a couple of hundred feet, then cross the creek and do more traversing into the valley of Upper Basin. Ascend this valley to the last flat area before Mather Pass - cross this pass if the weather looks good, and time permits, otherwise play it safe and camp in the flats.
Day 7 From Mather Pass ski down toward the Palisade Lakes, keeping to the right side of the slopes. With care a rapid descent can be made which leaves you zipping across the upper lake with residual momentum. Watch out for rock fall from the slopes to the southwest. Attain the north side of the creek by the time the outlet of the lower lake is reached, because a gorge is coming up. Descend the narrow region of acceptable terrain just north of the creek; at some point walking may become a good idea. In good (plentiful) snow conditions, it is probably advantageous to avoid the Golden Staircase and attempt to return to the vicinity of the creek for that portion of the descent - but this must be verified at the scene. Otherwise, be prepared for tricky routefinding with deadly dropoffs in spots. Eventually the flatter regions are reached - ski many miles to the low point at 2500 m, then ascend LeConte Canyon to Little Pete Meadows, keeping always on the right side of the river.
Day 8 Ascend on the right side of the river toward Muir Pass. Prior to reaching Helen Lake a few tricky areas will be passed. The final ascent to Muir Pass from the lake is relatively trivial. From the pass ski anywhere you want on the descent past Lake McDermand, Wanda Lake; pass the inlet of Sapphire Lake on the left side to avoid cliffs. Watch out for the inlet of Evolution Lake. Make sure you leave Evolution Lake north of the outlet, on the north side of the bump in the vicinity, otherwise you will do some air-skiing. Good campsites are easy to find here. |
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Day 3 Head east along the north shore of the lake, then north to cross the low ridge. Continue north across Wallace Creek, immediately turning left and traversing up. After crossing a few low ridges, the meadow of Wright Creek is reached, with very good views of the Kaweah Peaks Ridge, Mt Tyndall, and other peaks. Head NW, aiming just west of Bighorn Plateau, where several ski tracks will probably be seen. Descend to the north, rounding and traversing some steep areas, then continue north on gentler terrain. Maintain a position reasonably close to the eastern limit of travel, but don't waste too much energy doing so. Eventually Tyndall Creek will be reached; keep your eyes open for exposed water where creeks come together. Cross to the northwest side of the basin, then traverse north up an occasionally-treed slope; Forester Pass is sometimes visible a few miles away. There is no need to hold to the creek coming from the lakes below the pass; the terrain to the west may be easier. Reach the area of the lakes, then continue north, finally climbing up a low moraine which arcs down from the face below Forester Pass. Use this ridge to reach the beginning of the slope, then traverse up and right. Several switchbacks will be necessary before reaching the final zigzags beneath the pass. In some years it may be better to kick-step up the gully to the pass due to unstable snow on the steep slopes of the trail. Beware of snow-holes in the vicinity of the rocks where the slope suddenly steepens for the last time. The trail finally cuts over toward the pass, then traverses the gully just below the pass - watch yourself here. If the pass is corniced, don't get too close; instead, scramble up the rocks to its left, which lead to easier ground and the north side, where one is met by expansive views. This side is designed for exciting skiing; the first few turns are the stuff of which dreams are made, on a not-too-steep but high-quality slope. Ski straight down to the initial leveling-off area, which lies just above a very steep slope. At this point, cut left, then down a ramp which heads right, beneath the steep slope, to the first lake. This ramp is steeper than the snow just below the pass, so don't screw up; on the other hand, there won't be any rocks to hit on the way down. Reach the lake, then cross it to the NE, and head down about a mile more until reaching another level area with a view of the canyon, at about 11700'. |
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The Black Diamond Megamid worked very well for us. We would dig a square hole about 75 cm deep and pitch the Megamid above it. With the edges covered by snow, the Megamid was very secure in the wind. The Megamid was fine for three people, and spacious for two.
Day 4 Descend a few more bowls and slopes, then traverse right until the canyon opens up more. At this point, any route will suffice - knock yourself out. Water is easily found in this region. Just remember to turn right at about 9600', and start ascending to the saddle east of Charlotte Lake. This saddle is reached after many switchbacks. Once there, head NW until the slope steepens, then try to traverse on a gently rising route to the west. Charlotte Dome will become visible to the west. The trail is easy to lose here, don't even plan on finding it at all. Rounding the curve of the slope, one will soon find the entrance to the basin just south of Glen Pass. Ascend only as far as necessary to attain this basin on the south side of the entrance, then pick the easiest path, eventually switching to the north side. Traverse the northern slopes prior to reaching the lake - don't drop elevation here. After passing rocky slabs, a shallow gully will appear, which may be used (although steep) as the route to the upper part of the basin. Once out of this gully, ascend a bit more, then start the final traverse, on the west slopes of the upper basin region, which leads to the switchbacks below the pass. These are not as steep as they look from afar. Once just below the ridgetop, head uniformly east, finally reaching Glen Pass, with more great views. Ski down the north side, first slightly right of the fall line, then traversing west before the slope steepens radically. Cross an open area and reach the rocks on the far side, then traverse back to the east, dropping the whole time. Beware of icy areas. Link turns down the last steep part of the slope, then zip across to the left side of the prominent hump below. Round this hump on the left side, then descend behind it toward Rae Lakes. There is no need to adhere to the trail here, one may head toward the southern shore of the lake for a more gradual descent with more choices. Cross the lake to the isthmus, but avoid open water. If camp is made in this area, water may probably be found due to the faster-flowing current. |
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Day 5 Ski down the lakes, ascending to the right bank when the lakes narrow to avoid the thinner ice of the outlet area. Continue down-canyon, passing Arrowhead Lake on its right; cross Dollar Lake and get on the left side of the canyon. Traverse down-slope, staying on the left side; in some spots careful route-finding is necessary to avoid more difficult terrain. Steep little bowls abound in one particular region; a short ascent is necessary at one place, which leads through a gate in a livestock fence. Eventually the worst of the annoyances are left behind, and a rapid descent of sparsely-treed shallow ridgetops leads to the final brushy terrain close to Woods Creek. The trail winds westward through flat terrain for a quarter mile, then turns north to cross the creek on a suspension bridge at 8500'. Head northeast up the trail on the other side, until in the neighborhood of 10000', at which point the trail switchbacks up to the basin southeast of Pinchot Pass. Continue to the left of Twin Lakes, ascending a ridge which leads to a long traversing ascent up an open slope. Aim for the bottom of the steeper ridge on the left, where it intersects the more level terrain to the right; just beyond is a flat area with a small lake at 11100'. |
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Jeremy Sommer negotiating the top of Forester Pass (left, above). Looking back southwards across the long, gradual approach to Forester Pass (left, below) |
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Joe Pape packing up on day 2 following a quick jaunt to the summit of Mt Whitney. About this time, two hikers topped the rise on their way to the summit (having no doubt camped below the switchbacks). Observing our large packs and purposeful demeanor, one asked, “Where you headed?” To which I replied with a vague gesture to the north, “Yosemite. I think it’s that way.” The crisp mountain air carried the man’s sotte voce response to his companion which I still recall fondly. “No way!” |