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My entire JMT section fell apart on Day 3 near Thousand Island Lake
Planned this John Muir Trail section for 8 months. Day 1 and 2 were perfect. Then Day 3 hit. I woke up to a thunderstorm at 5am. Tried to wait it out but the lightning got too close. I had to pack up soaking wet gear in a panic. My tent fly ripped on a branch during the scramble down. Lost my favorite trekking pole somewhere on the rocky descent. Walked 5 miles in freezing rain before finding an empty ranger station to hide in. The whole trip was supposed to be 8 days. I bailed at the first resupply and hitched back to Mammoth. Has anyone else had a perfect plan crater that early on a big route?
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kellys7829d ago
@the_emery that's rough. I once planned a trip for six months and forgot my stove.
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the_emery29d ago
Man that sucks hard. @jasonf17 hit it right, the universe seems to love kicking you when you've got a solid plan. Had a similar thing happen on the Colorado Trail a few years back - Day 2 I rolled my ankle bad on a loose rock and had to limp 6 miles to a dirt road to get picked up. What worked for me was taking a hard look at why it fell apart and swapping out my gear. I switched to a freestanding tent that sets up fast even in wind and rain, and I started using a shorter carbon fiber pole that's less likely to snap or get lost. Also started keeping my rain jacket and emergency bivy in an outer pocket so I can grab them without opening my whole pack. It doesn't fix the trip that got wrecked, but it makes the next one a little more solid.
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