[pct-l] Lost on the JMT: Reds Meadow southbound

[Melanie Clarke]

Dear Steve,

Yes, Red's Meadow is really confusing.  On the JMT you walk by the Devil's
Post Pile and you get a good photography or "bird's eye" view.

After taking a nice warm shower we ended up on the Rainbow trail but
backtracked when my "Spidey Senses" were going haywire.  Lucky for us I
always found the maps fascinating and was always looking at them, how it
related to the trail, North, South, speed per half inch, elevation lines
etc.  My husband (now ex) looked at this obsession of mine as ridiculous so
it took me about 15-20 minutes on the Rainbow trail to convince him, the
much smarter "trip commander".

We were following a really nice set of maps we bought at REI.  When I saw
all the trails in this area, I perceived the potential for problems so I
knew I had to be "on my game".  Following Halfmile's GPS points would be
another way to avoid this confusion.

Melanie

On Fri, Sep 3, 2010 at 12:24 AM, Steve Cosner <stevec at sfsu.edu> wrote:

>  Last weekend I completed my last section of the JMT.  It's pretty
> crazy, but my friend and I got lost ...twice!  Never before have I had
> that problem.
>
> The problem is that there are a lot more trails in the area due to the
> horseback facilities at Reds Meadows and its proximity to Mammoth Lakes,
> plus the fact that the JMT / PCT is not labeled at all the trail junctions.
>
> We started at Devils Postpile heading south.   First thing I wonder is
> why the JMT avoids the postpile!!!
>
> We took the Rainbow Falls trail, expecting the JMT to split off to the
> right at some point.   We came to a junction, where the sign points to
> the north labeled "Muir Trail".  And the one to the right is labeled
> "Reds Meadows".    Since the RM trail was heading abruptly east, I kind
> of thought we'd come to another junction for the JMT.   Wrong.   Fifteen
> minutes down the RF trail, I looked at the map.  We had to backtrack.
> ...Ok, I SHOULD have checked the map at the "Muir Trail" northbound
> junction.
>
> Next day, we came to Crater Meadow.   See the map here:
>
> http://postholer.com/gmap/gmap.php?trail_id=1&lat=37.591145&lon=-119.058022&zoom=15&dist=0&vw=2
> <
> http://postholer.com/gmap/gmap.php?trail_id=1&lat=37.591145&lon=-119.058022&zoom=15&dist=0&vw=2
> >
> No trail junctions at all on the map, and all we saw was a well-traveled
> trail heading eastward along the northern side of the meadow, north of
> and parallel to the stream.  There is no trail shown on the map.
>
> However, we soon came to a junction, with a leaning tree with a sign:
> "Muir Trail" to the right, and Mammoth Pass, left.  Unfortunately,
> Mammoth Pass was off the edge of my map.  We took the Muir Trail
> direction, but the trail appeared to be little used.  I was worried.
>
> Pretty soon, we passed a tree with a white metal band nailed to it about
> 10' up, that read,  "John Muir Trail".  So I thought we were good.  If
> you are following on the map link above, it was somewhere about where
> the trail under the large "F" in "FOREST", or where the trail crosses
> the pink "Wilderness" boundary line just south of the "F".
>
> But then, there came a junction:  No label for the direction we had come
> in.  "Deer Creek" heading northwest, and "Mammoth Pass" heading
> southeast.  I was confused, took the southeast direction.  Remember, my
> map did not show Mammoth Pass.  And at the time I didn't see Deer Creek
> on the map.
>
> About 15 minutes up the Mammoth Pass direction, I could see we were
> heading due north, obviously lost.  Here's where I called my son in
> Michigan, he sat down at his computer and looked up my Spot signal
> location.  With his help, I finally determined which trail I was on.  We
> went back to the "Deer Creek" junction, which led, in 200 yards, to the
> real JMT!
>
> Apparently, we found an older section of the JMT -- must be that trail
> out of Reds Meadow that circles around the the east of Crater Meadow.
> And the horseback people have forged a new trail, which we erroneously
> took.  At that junction, I did not see the southbound JMT at all.  Only
> a large log crossing the creek to an inviting camp site.  Had I seen the
> trail heading south, I sure would have consulted the map there, and
> would have been ok.
>
> So y'all are probably laughing at me by now, thinking what a dumb
> cluck.   But I pride myself in my route finding skills.  I've never been
> as badly confused about my location as this time.
>
> I mentioned this problem to another hiker friend, and she said she also
> got lost in the Reds Meadow area just a week or two before my hike, and
> had talked to other hikers with similar problems.
>
> So I am just writing to let everyone know.   Beware in this area.   Keep
> your maps handy!
>
> If you're interested, there is a trip report and pictures here:
> http://www.whitneyzone.com/wz/ubbthreads.php/topics/7036
> In the set of pictures, the 8th one shows the spot where we got off track.
>
>
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