Note: This blog was originally posted on The Trek.

Day 1

Reality sets in sometime between the flight to Fresno and the bus ride to Yosemite. It’s finally here. The hike I’ve been dreaming of for over four years. I’m really going to hike the John Muir Trail (JMT).

Giddy with excitement, my friend and I stare out the bus window, watching flat desert turn into foothills, then into the distant shapes of mountains. We picked up our permits from the ranger station, then head over to the backpacker’s campground where we’re allowed to stay the night before our trip.

We take the Yosemite bus around in search of cool stickers and one last real meal before hitting the trail. After a dinner of pizza, it’s time to get to bed early in preparation for a big day of hiking.

The Happy Isles trailhead is packed with hikers, even early in the morning. Due to trail work on the JMT, we take the Mist Trail up past Vernal Fall. The trail is one endless conga line of day hikers, with a few backpackers mixed in. After Nevada Fall, the crowds slip away. We find an amazing lunch spot along the Merced River and take a swim.

Refreshed by lunch, we continue to climb past the junction for Half Dome. We opted to skip Half Dome since it adds about 2000 ft of climbing onto a day with a lot of elevation gain. We camp just past the Cloud’s Rest junction.

Day 1 Stats:

JMT Mile 7, Elevation Gain 3200 ft

Homemade Beef Raman for dinner, 8/10

Day 2

We start Day 2 by hiking through a burn area. The landscape is littered with the charcoaled remains of trees and peppered with vibrant wildflowers.

We catch up with two other hikers, G and S, that we met yesterday, around lunchtime. They’ve found the best lunch spot with a dramatic view, and we eat lunch together and watch as a thunderstorm begins to roll in. Lightning crackles over a distant valley as thunderheads surge over the far off ridge line.

We get moving. The storm catches us as we approach Cathedral Pass, and we shelter under some large pine trees. This is the first time I’ve worn my rain kilt while hiking, and it’s a very questionable fashion statement. Once the storm passes, we head over Cathedral Pass and down to Cathedral Lake to camp. It’s my first alpine lake in the Sierra Nevada and it’s absolutely gorgeous.

Day 2 Stats:

10.2 miles hiked, 3200 ft of gain

Homemade Chicken Pad Thai for dinner, 7/10 because I added too much soy sauce

Day 3

Our third day on trail starts off strong by descending into Tuolumne Meadows and getting burgers from the grill. The burgers are okay, but the fries are fantastic! I also mail a postcard to my husband and daughter. Every time I hike past a new beautiful place, I think about how much I want to be able to bring my family there someday.

After Tuolumne, the day goes downhill a bit. I’ve developed bad heat rash on both of my feet, and it’s uncomfortable. I switch into shorts instead of pants, and take off my gaiters. It helps, a bit. We stop for a swim break in Lyell Canyon, and the frigid water makes my feet feel so much better.

We push on to the end of Lyell Canyon, knowing that tomorrow we have to climb over Donahue Pass. When we get to the tent site, we’re happily surprised to see our new friends, G and S! We all have dinner together and stay up a little too late chatting. It’s well worth it!

Day 3 Stats:

14.5 miles hiked, 1010 ft of elevation gain

Homemade Cashew Coconut Curry for dinner, 7/10 because I added too much water

Day 4

We’re super excited when we wake up on Day 4. Today we are hiking over Donahue Pass! The approach to Donahue Pass is long but gradual. For me, this is a completely different pace than the hiking and backpacking I’m used to in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. In the Whites, most trails go straight up and are very rugged. By contrast, the sections of trail that we’ve hiked so far on the JMT have nicely graded switchbacks. I’ve really enjoyed being able to put myself in “turtle mode” and make slow and steady progress up the big climbs. I happily blame my cardio shortcomings on the altitude.

The views get progressively more stunning as we break out of tree line. Tiny blue lakes are nestled in the stark grey granite, and wildflowers are scattered throughout the landscape. I take tons of photos and videos, and the camera on my phone doesn’t even come close to doing the views justice.

G and S catch up to us, and we gush about how beautiful the views are. They both regularly hike in the Sierra and let us know that the views are only going to get better from here. We are so excited!

At last, we reach the top of the pass at 11,073 ft. I feel so accomplished. This is the highest altitude that I’ve hiked to. We eat lunch on top of the pass and then continue down towards 1000 Island Lake. We make very slow progress down the back of Donahue Pass because everything is so stunning and we keep stopping to take pictures and enjoy the view.

On our way up to Island Pass, we catch up to Pockets, who we met at the tent site the previous night. Island Pass is a bit of a slog on tired legs, and has several false summits. However, it’s all worth it when we arrive at the top of the pass and see the gorgeous view of Banner Peak and its glaciers.

We chat with Pockets as we descend towards Thousand Island Lake, and the miles go by faster with a new person to talk to. At last, we turn a corner and see Thousand Island Lake below us. It’s absolutely stunning. There’s a lot of people camping at Thousand Island Lake, and we have to hike more than a quarter mile down the lakeshore until we start to see available camp sites. Excitingly, we find our friends G and S setting up their tent in a big campsite! S mentions that the campsites further down the trail aren’t great and invites us to share the campsite. We’re able to fit all three tents in the site, and spend the rest of the day swimming in the lake before eating dinner together and watching the sun set.

It’s incredible how camaraderie builds on trail and how quickly you become friends with other hikers. Today has been my favorite on trail so far, not just because of how beautiful the scenery was, but also because of the people I got to spend time with.

Day 4 Stats:

11 miles, 2600 ft of elevation gain

Homemade lentil cottage pie for dinner, 7.5/10

Previous Articles In This Series:

Before the JMT: Permits, Planning, and the Sheer Joy of Hiking

JMT 2026 Gear List