Rant: That stretch on the JMT that nearly broke me

Last August I hit the stretch from Muir Trail Ranch to Evolution Valley on the John Muir Trail. Three days of nonstop uphill with a pack that felt like 50 pounds after my food bag got soaked. Rain started on day two and never let up, so my boots were waterlogged and I got blisters between my toes. By the third morning I just sat on a rock and stared at the trail for 20 minutes before I could move. Has anyone else hit a section that just totally wrecked your motivation?

2 comments

2 Comments

park.adam21d ago

Used to think those dramatic trail breakdowns were just people being dramatic, but then I hit that stretch from Crabtree to Whitney on my last trip and sat down crying in the rain for a solid ten minutes. The weight of everything just hit me at once and I couldn't take another step until I let it all out. That moment changed how I see those stories now because sometimes your body and mind really do just need to shut down for a bit before they can keep going.

grant.richard21d ago

Oh boy, here we go again. People act like a tough hike is some kind of spiritual crisis, @park.adam, but sometimes it's just a bad day on the trail and you need a snack and some dry socks.