It’s a little after 7 A.M., on June 4th, when I sit down and check my email. I have several unread messages but an email from Yosemite Wilderness Permits immediately catches my eye. I click on it and read the following: You are receiving this email regarding your Yosemite Wilderness permit reservation. Access to Yosemite Wilderness will open for existing wilderness reservation holders beginning June 5th. Your reservation is still valid.
Wait, what? What Yosemite Wilderness Permit? And then I think all the way back to last January, nearly 6 months ago when I applied for a permit to hike the John Muir Trail (JMT). Was that accepted? I swear I never remember reading an email saying I had been granted a permit to hike the JMT. And yet, here I was, reading a reservation still valid email. This is nuts.
After the shock of reading the email wears off, I start to think is this actually that crazy? I had originally planned to attempt a thru-hike of the PCT this summer, only to have it called off due to COVID-19. The PCT is a 2,650 mile trail that runs from Canada to Mexico, often taking 4 1/2-5 months to complete. If we want to talk about nuts, thru-hiking the PCT seems nuts. The John Muir Trails seems…. Doable. The JMT is officially 210 miles, ending at the top of Mt. Whitney. However, you have to hike down to Whitney to Whitney Portal Road, another 11 miles, making the hike 221 miles. Most famously, it goes through Yosemite National Park and then follows the High Sierras through a number of other wildernesses and parks. According to the Internet, it takes in the ballpark of 3 weeks to complete.
Well, I think. Well. I have absolutely no plans this summer and yet a ridiculous amount of backpacking food and new equipment due to the PCT hike that never was. I read the fine print of the email which tells me my permit start date is June 19th. That’s 15 days from today, which is somewhat daunting. However, I realize I’m at a huge advantage sitting on piles of backpacking food and new equipment. All of a sudden, I realize I am 100% without a doubt going to hike the John Muir Trail this summer. I feel the excitement buzzing in and out as these facts start to settle themselves. Maybe, I think, maybe this was meant to be? A 220 mile hike of the JMT seems like a good way to…. Dip my toes in thru-hiking before trying something like the PCT. And already having all the backpacking necessities here at my house feels like a godsend. I realize I’ll have my work cut out for me with logistics in regards to itineraries, resupply points, and rides, but it feels manageable. No, not manageable. Exciting. Yes, I’m excited about planning AND executing this trip.
