The Schedule

If you are interested where we might be for the next month, below is our schedule.  We pretty much have to stick to the schedule so we do not run out of food.  The map numbers are from Tom Harrison's map set of the John Muir Trail.

July 1 -- Tuolumne Meadows to the base of Donahue Pass -- Map #12
July 2 -- Donahue Pass to Thousand Island -- Map #11
July 3 -- Thousand Island to Gladys Lake -- Map #11
July 4 -- Gladys Lake to Devil's Postpile National Monument -- Map #11 and 10

SLEEPOVER AT MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN -- YEAH -- HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

July 5 -- Devil's Postpile to Deer Creek -- Map #10 and 9
July 6 -- Deer Creek to Lake Virginia -- Map #9
July 7 -- Lake Virginia to Mott Lake Trail -- Map #9 and 8
July 8 -- Mott Lake Trail to Lake Edison Junction -- Map #8

SLEEPOVER AT VERMILLON VALLEY RESORT -- YEAH AGAIN!

***DAVID LEAVES and ALLISON STARTS**

July 9 -- Lake Edison Junction to Rosemare Meadow-- Map #8 and 7
July 10 -- Rosemare Meadow to Muir Trail Ranch -- Map #7
July 11 -- Muir Trail Ranch to McClure Meadow -- Map #7 and 6
July 12 -- McClure Meadow to Saphire Lake -- Map #6
July 13 -- Saphire Lake to Big Pete Meadow -- Map #6 and 5
July 14 -- Big Pete Meadow to LeConte Canyon -- Map #5
July 15 -- Le Conte Canyon to Palisade Lake -- Map #5 and 4
July 16 -- Palisade Lake to no name spot -- Map #4
July 17 -- No name spot to South Twin Lakes -- Map #4 and 3
July 18 -- South Twin Lakes to Dollar Lake -- Map #3
July 19 -- Dollar Lake to Bullfrog Lake -- Map #3
July 20 -- Bullfrog Lake to Center Peak -- Map #3 and 2
July 21 -- Center Creek to Tyndall Creek -- Map #2 and 1
July 22 -- Tyndall Creek to Timberline Lake -- Map #1
July 23 -- Timberline lake -- to MT WHITNEY -- to Trail Camp -- Map #1
July 24 -- Trail Camp to Whitney Portal -- Map #1

Our bucket arrived!

Yesterday, we received an email saying that our food bucket had just arrived at Muir Trail Ranch for us to pick up along the way. We are very excited that we have food there. We will arrive at Muir Trail Ranch on July tenth to pick up our food. We are also excited that the next day mules will take our heavy backpacks thirteen miles through Evolution Valley. It will be our longest day hike but it will be worth it because we will not have to carry our backpacks!!!

Allison Baggett

Allison Baggett is our second trip leader.  She will meet us at Vermillon Valley Resort at Lake Edison and continue with us for the remainder of the trip.  She has been our substitute teacher, art teacher and friend.  Allison has lots of experience backpacking.  She hiked the John Muir Trail with her mom Phyllis (she was our school principal) when she was fourteen.  Two years ago she skied the John Muir Trail in the winter with her dad Art and sister-in-law Lindsey.  Allison went to school at Evergreen College in Washington.  To get there she spent her entire summer hiking more than 700 miles.  Allison also has her wilderness first responder training, however, we are really hoping she does not have to use those skills.  She is an amazing artist and does lots of screen printing.  She has her own company called Pontilla Press.  When we are hiking with Allison we will work on our sketching.

Allison Skating on Tenaya Lake -- Notice Screen Print on Sweater and Jeans

David Guy

Maren's dad, David Guy, will be hiking with us the first eight days from Tuolumne Meadows to Lake Edison and the Vermillon Valley Resort.  He has spent lots of time backpacking in all seasons throughout Yosemite National Park.  His favorite place to backpack is in the Pate Valley.  He knows a lot about geology so we are sure we will hear lots about the igneous and metamorphic rocks.  We have already learned a lot about geology from our Project Pluton trips with Nature Bridge so we might be able to tell him a thing or two.  David is also really into water and he is excited to cross over Rush Creek which we learned drains into Mono Lake.  We will be crossing Rush Creek on our second day.  He is really excited about that part of the trip because he has not spent time in the Ansel Adam Wilderness. Lots of new places to see for all of us!

Ice Skating Tenaya Lake, Yosemite National Park

Cache for Muir Trail Ranch

Last week we put together our food cache to be picked up at Muir Trail Ranch which is about three hours east of Fresno.  It is not easy to get into Muir Trail Ranch (8 mile hike) so we sent a laundry size bucket full of meals and snacks.  The toughest part was making sure the bucket weighed no more than 22 pounds and that we could fit all the food.  We needed to include meals for four days plus snacks, drinks and of course dessert (our favorite part).  Our first night meal is couscous with dehydrated vegetables and a can of chicken.  We need to eat it the first night so Allison does not have to carry the heavy can of chicken.  For dessert we can choose from salted caramels or chocolate covered cranberries.  The next night is ravioli alfredo with more dehydrated vegetables.  We think this might be our favorite meal.

Food for four days!

The Bucket!

Candy Sorting

To save weight and space for the bear box, we had to take all of our candy out of their bags or boxes and put them in light plastic bags. When sorting them we also got to test some of them like jujubes, sour patch kids and more. There was this one candy that was supposed to be sour but turned out to be just disgusting. We do not want to try that candy again!

Maren

Cameron

Dehydrating

We decided to put together all of our own food instead of buying the backpackers food from REI.  There has been lots of dehydrating of fruits and vegetables -- mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, peppers, apricots, peas, corn, kiwis, basil, oregano, celery and cilantro.  We have also dehydrated beef jerky which is our favorite.  Unfortunately, Maren's brother Nielsen has been busy eating up the beef jerky.  We are going to make some really yummy dinners out of all these dehydrated ingredients!

First Aid Class

On Thursday, June 21 we went and took a first aid class in Woodland which is a little north of Sacramento. We were the only two people who were doing that class that day. We learned a lot of useful things like what to do if somebody is having a seizure or if somebody gets burned. We also learned what animals and plants we should stay away from and what to do if they harm us in any way. I was suprised by how much information we learned in that one class.  Hopefully, we will not have to use any of our new skills on the trip!

Shopping

OMG!  You know the feeling of shopping for the right pair of jeans?
You have to get the right color, size, and style you like.  It's
complete torture!  Shopping for the trip was like this, but a hundred
times worse because we had to get the shoes, backpacks, and stuff for
the trail.  What made it worse was that my backpack got stolen when I
was taking my sister to French camp, so I had to do the whole thing twice!
But just like the jeans, it is rewarding once it's all over and you
get a good fit.  Hopefully our backpacks will be as comfy as our
favorite jeans.


Posted by Cameron Moore

JMT Inspiration -- Betsy Gledhill

I guess you could say hiking runs in my genes. I've been hiking with
my grandma since before I could walk.  My dad would carry me in a
backpack. My grandma is the most awesome hiker I know, and my dad
hiked the Appalacian Trail -- the whole thing!  I took this picture of
my Grandma on our hike to the Bristlecone Pines during spring break.
It was freezing, and the road was closed so we didn't think we could
go see them.  But my grandma didn't care.  She just said, "Oh well,
we'll just walk from here."  And so we did.

I was inspired to do this trip by my grandma, Betsy Gledhill.  One day
we were hiking together on a part of the John Muir Trail trail.  She
said it would be a good experience to get to do the whole JMT, and I
agreed.  I never thought that it would actually happen, but it did!  I
talked my friend Maren into doing it with me, and we have been
planning it ever since.  I am so nervous and excited. . .


Posted by Cameron Moore

Cameron's Grandma -- Betsy Gledhill