pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,646 
Location: The Grand Canyon
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Oct 19, 2017 3:50:29 GMT
The John Muir Trail is a popular 220 mile long trail in the Sierra Nevada that runs from Yosemite to the summit of Mt. Whitney (the tallest mountain in the lower 48). We didn't have enough time to hike the whole trail and did about half this summer (total of ~130 miles, plus some extra miles for my husband when he hiked out for our food resupply). We spent 12 days hiking over mountain passes, summiting Mt. Whitney, watching chubby marmots, bold chipmunks and ground squirrels; swimming in alpine lakes (well, only once - brrrrr), star gazing, watching beautiful sunrises/sunsets, admiring the gorgeous scenery, and meeting so many friendly hikers. It was an awesome trip! Selecting pictures was difficult, so sorry for the massive picture share! Thanks for looking.  Our highlight was hiking Mt. Whitney (14,505 feet). I was worried we had too high of expectations for the day - but it was fantastic. We got lucky with weather and the views were stunning.     Milky Way was fantastic every night.  Most days we had a pass to cross - this was one of my favorites.   Our best sunset. The colors were amazing.  Another sunset with some nice alpenglow on the mountains.  Another beautiful pass.   One of many beautiful lakes. My husband and I camped here 15 years ago on our first trip to the Sierra Nevada - was fun to return.  A favorite of my daughter.  This lake was technically off the John Muir Trail - we did the side trip because it was a beautiful spot, but also because we camped here two nights so my husband could hike out to get our food resupply.  It was a huge snowfall year for the mountains - which was good for drought and water, but not so great for hiking - mainly dangerous water crossings. By the time we went, luckily all water crossings were safe. We did have some remaining snow to hike through - this one being the largest snow field.  Pretty green for this time of year thanks to the snow.  One of our campsites.  Another campsite above tree line.  Our last pass of the trip and a great view of Bishop Lakes - all downhill from here!  I was very bad about getting family pictures this trip and this is the only one at the end of our trip - 12 days worth of dust and grime and sorely wanting pizza, beer, and a hot shower.  |
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Post by ntsf on Oct 19, 2017 3:55:00 GMT
loved you pictures. I used to take long hikes when younger.. but could not do it after I married (dh was disabled). look at website for steve mcmillan.. he has hiked that trail several times and made original aquatints of the scenery..
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,646
Location: The Grand Canyon
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Oct 19, 2017 3:56:39 GMT
loved you pictures. I used to take long hikes when younger.. but could not do it after I married (dh was disabled). look at website for steve mcmillan.. he has hiked that trail several times and made original aquatints of the scenery.. Thanks! Will have to check him out. |
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Post by kristi on Oct 19, 2017 4:00:22 GMT
Amazing pictures - sounds like a wonderful trip!
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Post by ntsf on Oct 19, 2017 4:05:58 GMT
www.sonic.net/aquatint/ he first hiked it in the 1970's, then again in the 1990's.. and I think national geographic quoted him as saying there were way fewer people on the trail in the 90's...his brother was my dh's college room mate.. and we have all been close for years. they grew up in the bay area.. their dad won a nobel prize for finding plutonium...
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Post by betty on Oct 19, 2017 4:10:39 GMT
Beautiful photos! I love the Milky way one with the tent glow!
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Post by Skellinton on Oct 19, 2017 4:11:49 GMT
Amazing. Thank you for sharing. What a wonderful way to spend some time with your family!
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anaterra
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,899
Location: Texas
Jun 29, 2014 3:04:02 GMT
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Post by anaterra on Oct 19, 2017 4:15:38 GMT
So wonderful.. thanks for sharing
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Post by ~summer~ on Oct 19, 2017 4:21:26 GMT
www.sonic.net/aquatint/ he first hiked it in the 1970's, then again in the 1990's.. and I think national geographic quoted him as saying there were way fewer people on the trail in the 90's...his brother was my dh's college room mate.. and we have all been close for years. they grew up in the bay area.. their dad won a nobel prize for finding plutonium... I’m related to the McMillan’s! He is a beautiful artist. We’ve hiked only short sections of the JMT - only out of Yosemite and June lakes I believe - it is a dream to do the whole thing some time... |
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compeateropeator
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,085
Member is Online
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Post by compeateropeator on Oct 19, 2017 4:37:36 GMT
As always your pictures never disappoint. Absolutely beautiful.
Glad you guys had a great trip. I hope you will always share some pictures from your adventures, I so look forward to seeing them.
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Post by ntsf on Oct 19, 2017 5:06:41 GMT
summer you are??? dh keeps in touch with dave, steve and ann... that makes it a very small world.
dave and dh were roommates at Bellingham.. and we know all the el cerrito friends.. dh used to go over to the mcmillans and hang out with Ed and Elsie.
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Post by lucyg on Oct 19, 2017 5:24:58 GMT
Pudgy, you are amazing, as always. I sat on my ass all summer.  |
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Post by flanz on Oct 19, 2017 5:52:01 GMT
WOW!!!!
Thank you soooo much for sharing your stunning photos!
So glad you got to experience such a wonderful adventure as a family!
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tuesdaysgone
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,832
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Post by tuesdaysgone on Oct 19, 2017 9:14:32 GMT
As always, your pictures are amazing. Thanks so much for sharing.
My dad and I hiked the John Muir when I was about the same age as your daughter (but for 4 days, not 12!). Seeing these pictures brings back such memories. What fantastic memories you are now making for your daughter.
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wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,877
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Oct 19, 2017 9:45:52 GMT
I love when I see you say you have photos to share, love it. Always thrilled at the images and I'll admit to being a bit jealous of your great adventures. Beautiful, just beautiful. |
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Post by Bridget in MD on Oct 19, 2017 10:59:58 GMT
absolutely amazing. i am in awe!
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Post by GamGam on Oct 19, 2017 11:08:30 GMT
Your outstanding, beautiful photos and dialogue about your trip have given me a blissful start to my morning. Thanks so much for sharing your incredible trip. Your photos are stunning.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 26, 2024 18:46:48 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2017 11:51:16 GMT
I love it when you post your amazing photos, you never disappoint and these are no exception. Beautiful images and what a great adventure.
Your daughter is one lucky young lady to have parents that gives her the opportunity to see such beauty this world has.
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Post by malibou on Oct 19, 2017 12:13:33 GMT
Thank you for capturing the beauty and awe of the Sierras for all of us to see.
I love what a trooper baby pudge is. Oh dear, and she is certainly not a baby anymore.
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Post by Restless Spirit on Oct 19, 2017 12:21:43 GMT
Stunning photos as usual! What were your temperatures? It’s an interesting juxtaposition to see all the snow, yet you are hiking in shorts! Brrrrr. Thanks for sharing. |
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Deleted
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Jun 26, 2024 18:46:48 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2017 12:25:45 GMT
Wonderful! So glad to hear you got good weather for your summit. We did Wheeler Peak in Great Basin N.P. last month on what was probably the last snow-free day they’ll get up there this season (snowed the following day.) Do you blog? If so, I’d love to follow along.
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Post by Yoki on Oct 19, 2017 12:28:41 GMT
I don't think I'm just speaking for myself when I say don't worry about posting too many of these photos! Your pictures are gorgeous & your family adventures inspiring! What kind of camera do you use? |
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Post by anonrefugee on Oct 19, 2017 12:33:43 GMT
Thank you so much!
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,646
Location: The Grand Canyon
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Oct 19, 2017 12:59:45 GMT
Thank you for the kind comments everybody. www.sonic.net/aquatint/ he first hiked it in the 1970's, then again in the 1990's.. and I think national geographic quoted him as saying there were way fewer people on the trail in the 90's...his brother was my dh's college room mate.. and we have all been close for years. they grew up in the bay area.. their dad won a nobel prize for finding plutonium... The parks and trails in general have seen a huge spike in popularity (I would say especially in the last decade, I think a lot of it fueled by the internet). It is actually pretty difficult to get a JMT permit and there are a lot of people on the trail. We met people who had hiked in years ago and said it was a completely different experience. I think veterans of the Sierras have hiked the JMT and might still do portions, but most visit other parts of the mountains. Amazing. Thank you for sharing. What a wonderful way to spend some time with your family! It was A LOT of family time, lol. Lots of time for chats and games. I joked that my daughter spent about six hours trying to convince my husband to get an Instagram account. As always, your pictures are amazing. Thanks so much for sharing. My dad and I hiked the John Muir when I was about the same age as your daughter (but for 4 days, not 12!). Seeing these pictures brings back such memories. What fantastic memories you are now making for your daughter. Nice to know you have great memories from your trip - hopefully Little Pudge will too! Thank you for capturing the beauty and awe of the Sierras for all of us to see. I love what a trooper baby pudge is. Oh dear, and she is certainly not a baby anymore. She was such a trooper! We had to have a little pep talk on the way up Mt. Whitney because we had to get an early start (she is NOT a morning person). I ended up having to pinkie swear we would do what she wanted when we got back to camp after summiting Whitney. I had to jump in the freezing cold lake.  Stunning photos as usual! What were your temperatures? It’s an interesting juxtaposition to see all the snow, yet you are hiking in shorts! Brrrrr. Thanks for sharing. Not sure what exact temps were, but overall we had great weather. I would say low 70s during the day if sunny (it was in the hundreds in the valley). At times it even felt a little hot. Once the sun went down it got pretty chilly. We had some frost on our tent a few times, but otherwise was not below freezing at night. We would usually start out in layers in the morning, then end up in shorts and shirts during the day, then put the layers back on when we got to camp. Wonderful! So glad to hear you got good weather for your summit. We did Wheeler Peak in Great Basin N.P. last month on what was probably the last snow-free day they’ll get up there this season (snowed the following day.) Do you blog? If so, I’d love to follow along. It did feel like a short season this year. We haven't been to Great Basin yet - want to go! Some day I plan to have a true blog, but for now I post trip reports and pictures here (I don't have this trip posted yet): www.pbase.com/pudgy_groundhogI don't think I'm just speaking for myself when I say don't worry about posting too many of these photos! Your pictures are gorgeous & your family adventures inspiring! What kind of camera do you use? Thanks! I have an old dinosaur - Canon 5D with a 24-105mm lens. It's very heavy - plus I had a full size tripod, extra batteries, and filter set. Everybody commented on the camera (most people were just using their phones or small cameras). It was a PITA, but worth it! |
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Post by Yoki on Oct 19, 2017 13:04:20 GMT
pudgygroundhog, thanks! I'm in the market for a smaller camera for travel, but I should not be complaining because that's a lot of equipment to hike with!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 26, 2024 18:46:48 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2017 13:07:13 GMT
Thank you! I will bookmark it and will undoubtedly get some good ideas and inspiration!
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,646
Location: The Grand Canyon
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Oct 19, 2017 13:10:03 GMT
pudgygroundhog , thanks! I'm in the market for a smaller camera for travel, but I should not be complaining because that's a lot of equipment to hike with! Have you looked at the Sony mirrorless cameras? Not as small as a point and shoot, but definitely smaller than traditional DSLR. If I already didn't have a lot of money invested in my current setup, I would take a look at it. We have a fantastic small point and shoot (Canon G16 - considered a "bridge camera"), but I can never give up my DSLR for our big trips. |
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,646
Location: The Grand Canyon
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Oct 19, 2017 13:10:32 GMT
Thank you! I will bookmark it and will undoubtedly get some good ideas and inspiration! If you ever have questions, let me know! |
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rickmer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,130
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Post by rickmer on Oct 19, 2017 13:15:13 GMT
beautiful pics! looks like an awesome time and great that both you and your DH enjoy it.
we have started doing some "drive in" camping over the last couple of years at a friend's who has 95 acres of forested land. i cannot imagine arranging for all the gear - our minivan is packed to the HILT for 4 days camping!
stars/tent photo is amazing!!
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,646
Location: The Grand Canyon
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Oct 19, 2017 13:20:00 GMT
beautiful pics! looks like an awesome time and great that both you and your DH enjoy it. we have started doing some "drive in" camping over the last couple of years at a friend's who has 95 acres of forested land. i cannot imagine arranging for all the gear - our minivan is packed to the HILT for 4 days camping! stars/tent photo is amazing!! Ha ha - yes, it's very different from when we car camp! We've been backpacking since the early 2000's, so by this point have it pretty dialed in. You quickly learn what your essentials are. And thank goodness for Kindles! |
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