Hot take: The John Muir Trail is way better south to north

I was talking to this guy Dave at the bar last night who's done the JMT 4 times. He said going south to north gives you way better acclimation and you hit the high passes like Forester when you're actually warmed up from the lower sections. I always figured everyone went north out of Yosemite but he made a solid point about avoiding that brutal first day elevation gain. Has anyone else tried it reversed from Whitney Portal?

2 comments

2 Comments

william3201mo ago

Yeah that makes sense honestly. I did it south to north last year and the acclimation was a huge plus. Starting at Whitney Portal at 8,300 feet is rough but taking a day to camp at Trail Camp before the summit helps a ton. By the time I hit Forester I was breathing way easier than the folks I passed coming the other way who looked wrecked. The only downside is you end with that 8,000 foot elevation mile from Happy Isles to Tuolumne if you're not careful with your pacing. But man, having those big Sierra views build up over two weeks instead of hitting them right away felt more rewarding.

riverknight1mo ago

That 8,000 ft climb out of Happy Isles is no joke. I did JMT northbound two years ago and that last day from Tuolumne to Happy Isles wrecked me more than Whitney did. Your legs are already shot from two weeks of hiking and then you get that endless downhill that just pounds your knees into dust. Plus you're dealing with Yosemite crowds at the end instead of the solitude you had up high, which feels weird. But I totally agree on the acclimation thing, going south to north lets you get used to the altitude gradual like instead of hitting those 12k passes on day two.