According to the Pacific Crest Trail Association, the John Muir Trail is “the land of 13,000-foot and 14,000-foot peaks, of lakes in the thousands, and of canyons and granite cliffs.”  Cal Smith took this stunning photo of one of those many lakes during his recent thru-hike of the John Muir Trail. 

Although opinions vary as to the most scenic trail in America, a large portion of experienced hikers and backpackers place the John Muir Trail at the top of the list.

According to the Pacific Crest Trail Association, the 211 mile trail “is a land of 13,000-foot and 14,000-foot peaks, of lakes in the thousands, and of canyons and granite cliffs…blessed with the mildest, sunniest climate of any major mountain range in the world.”

The California path runs from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney and features many of the most beautiful parks in the National Park System including Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia, as well as both the John Muir and Ansel Adams Wildernesses.

Cal Smith, a New Orleans resident who is originally from Meridian, began his 18-day trek on this scenic trail on August 2 and finished high atop Mount Whitney on August 19. The 220 miles that Smith covered along the way left him with a lifetime of memories.

“When I turned 50, I wanted to do something epic,” said Smith. “I looked at several different options, but it took another two years due to COVID before I could get serious about any extended adventure.”

What was his inspiration for choosing the Muir Trail? Smith explained that watching the Ken Burns documentary on the National Park System really sold him on the area. “Ultimately, the appeal of hiking the Sierras was too much to pass up–that scenery every other mile is majestic,” he explained.

In terms of preparation, Smith, who has exercised routinely since college, says he also added wind sprints into his normal gym regimen. He also explained that while he had been on frequent camping trips over the years, he had never spent more than three nights out.

“I had done enough research that I felt prepared, but looking back I should have made a few test runs to dial in my gear,” he said. However, within the first four days on the trail Cal said that he had gotten into a good rhythm with his gear and hiking.

There are many ways to hike the John Muir Trail and each requires a permit from the National Park System. The fact that he was a solo hiker helped Smith draw the coveted permit to start hiking at the Happy Isles Trailhead in Yosemite Valley, CA. From there, he hiked east for the first three days on trail and then due south all the way to Mount Whitney.

Many hikers do just the opposite, starting at Whitney and hiking north to Happy Isles which, according to Smith, is an easier permit to draw. Altitude was another factor in the route that Cal chose. In fact, he arrived a couple of days early and spent time at Mammoth Lakes, which is at around 9,000 feet, to allow his body to acclimate before heading to Yosemite.

“I was a little bit nervous about making sure I had acclimated to the altitude,” Smith explained. The extra time proved to be just what he needed to fully adjust before heading into the high country.

According to Smith, he broke his hike into two sections based on resupply options. During the first half of the hike there were three resupply posts where he was able to shower, wash his clothes, and replace any needed items.

“I never really took a whole day off, but I did take some ‘nero’ or half days to resupply and rest before heading back out,” said Smith. The second half of the hike was a different story as resupply options were not easily accessible.

“The heaviest my gear and food ever was came during the last eight day stretch on the trail when you were basically out in the wilderness,” he explained, adding, “the resupply stations during the first half of the hike were no more that 1/4 to 1/2 mile off the main trail, however, to resupply during the second half required adding an extra 20 to 25 miles hiking over a pass and back.”

Even with the additional food, Smith kept his gear in the ultralight range with his pack never topping the 22-pound mark. Carrying a lighter load enabled him to average just under 13 miles a day with his longest day coming in at 17 miles.

Weather and fire and smoke were all concerns going in and although he lost a day and a half due to heavy rain, Smith said that the altitude, along with scrambling over the rocks in some of the smaller passes, proved to be his biggest challenges. In fact, he says that hiking above 12,000 feet required him to take occasional “micro-breaks” to catch his breath before resuming his peregrination.

In terms of highlights of the hike, Smith said that the lakes along the trail were breathtaking. In his words, “The alpine lakes out there are amazing. Hands down, the Rae Lakes were by far the most spectacular of all the lakes that I saw.”

The walkabout also renewed a love for the trail in Smith. “I am definitely going to start backpacking more, this trip was absolutely amazing,” he said.

Congratulations, Cal, on achieving this thru-hiking milestone! Until next time, here’s to epic quests and here’s to seeing you out there in our great outdoors.

Email outdoors columnist Brad Dye at braddye@comcast.net.