A Hike along the John Muir Trail in Issue 49

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

@jansenjournals shares this story detailing his hike of the John Muir Trail - check out the article at the links below:

A Hike Along the John Muir Trail in Issue 49

Granite and Gold: A Hike Along the John Muir Trail - Republished on the TrailGroove Blog

Issue 49 Page 1

[highpointguy]

Hi Aaron,

Great post. I couldn't agree more. Whitney is one of the most scenic trail hikes I've ever experienced. In September of 2019 I managed to get a permit in the lottery and took my family on a summit attempt. The great thing about this hike is there is truly something for everyone. My daughter and I got an early morning start before sunrise and broke out of the 99 switchbacks before the sun came up. I think you are spot on with your title "Granite and Gold."  I'll never forget the golden hue of the sunrise hitting the rock spires as we made our final trek to the summit.  Unlike you, I only had a light summit pack. I can just imagine what it would have been like with a week's worth of food!  Fortunately, we had amazing weather - not even windy. On the way down we got caught in a thunderstorm but at least we were at the treeline. Meantime, my wife stayed back at Outpost Camp where we set up our tent. She snapped some photos that we still treasure to this day. I agree, this is one trail you don't want to miss!