John Muir Trail Hike
Overview
This 6-day hiking trip was run by Call of the Wild, an organization offering outdoor adventures for women for the past 21 years. Their trips are famous for gourmet outdoor cuisine, and this trip was no exception! Pack animals carried most of the loads, and allowed us to have fresh, delicious meals everyday, since the food was stored in coolers - a luxury I’m not quite used to on outdoor wilderness trips! The leader, Bonnie Russell, and co-leader, Shirley Silveira, clearly relished the chance to bring a little luxury along with our camping experience. Sure beats the usual freeze-dried-instant fare I usually have on my own backpack trips... I could almost get used to this luxury! The easy pace of this trip gave me ample opportunity to run ahead and take my time setting up for photos, and literally gave me the chance to stop and smell the flowers... another luxury I could get used to!
The Journey, Day by Day
First views of some amazing scenery and wildflowers on the way to Shadow Lake, with an excursion to Lake Ediza at the base of the beautiful Minarets.
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An afternoon hail storm provides drama on the way to camp at Garnet Lake, at the base of Mt. Ritter and Banner Peak, but doesn’t detract from the scenery or the spectacle of wildflowers.
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Climbing past Thousand Island Lake, with wide open views all around - creates the perfect place to put together a panoramic image. And the flowers just keep coming!
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Why lay down on a layover day when there’s a mountain nearby? A solo cross-country climb up Donohue Peak at 12,023 ft becomes the highlight of my trip. What a super view!
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Meanwhile, back at the ranch..., Rush Creek sports its share of wildflowers and beautiful views.
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More views from rocky Donohue Pass at 11,040 ft, then a descent into lush Lyell Canyon.
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Caught in the act, or acting it up, everyone’s smiles tell the whole story!
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