[pct-l] JMT finish

[David Hough on pct-l]

Although I hiked the complete PCT in sections from 2001-2013, I did not finish the JMT until this year.
I had been missing certain sections between Little Yosemite and Sunrise, Thousand Island Lake and Reds Meadow,
and from the PCT via Crabtree Meadow to the junction with the Whitney trail.    


I finally finished that last piece Sunday, and revisited the Whitney summit for good measure.
The contrast between the trail from Crabtree to the Whitney Trail, and the Wnitney Trail itself, was
striking.     The latter is a freeway of ill-prepared tourists arriving at the summit even later than me.
There are places on the trail that stink of urine.     There are places on the trail that are a little dicey
for casual tourists, as the trail through some of the steep talus was probably difficult to construct in
1928-30 (according to the summit plaque) and must be difficult to maintain.     There are a few slippery
spots with minor exposure.     I was glad to be done with it.   It took me 14 hours from Crabree, but I'm old and slow.


Interesting point about the west approach.    If you camp at Crabtree, you can use the toilet there instead
of carrying a waste bag.    If you shorten your summit day by camping at Guitar Lake or the tarns above, you are supposed
to use a waste bag and carry it out with you, which means Kearsarge or Horseshoe or worse.     I think you're
supposed to keep it in your bear can too...   so I camped at Crabtree and enjoyed milder weather.
Maybe you can dump your bag at Crabtree's toilet on your way out?

This late in the season, the PCT was in good shape.    Only one tree down, near Poison Meadow, with twin
12" trunks across the trail - but easily bypassed by stock.

Chicken Spring Lake looked pathetic with an orange bathtup ring and no outlet stream.
Guyot Creek was completely dried up and looked to have been that way for months.    Definitely not
perennial any more.

The Rough Fire smoke was very irritating from Onion Valley to Forester Pass.   One reward for the pain
of going over Forester was mostly clear skies on the other side.