The difference in trail conditions between early June and late July on the John Muir Trail was shocking

I hiked the first 90 miles in early June last year and had to wade through snowfields and creek crossings. Came back to finish the section around Evolution Valley in late July and it was bone dry with dust clouds. Has anyone else seen that kind of dramatic change on a route in just six weeks?

2 comments

2 Comments

miabennett14d ago

You ever get the feeling that trail conditions are just gaslighting you? I did the same thing on the PCT near Sonora Pass. First week of June I was postholing up to my thighs in snow. Six weeks later it was so dry I was rationing water because the seasonal creeks had completely vanished. @leo_mason hit it exactly right with that glacier to desert flip. My advice is to always check recent trip reports from the last week, not last month. And carry extra water capacity no matter what month you go. That snow can melt faster than you'd believe.

leo_mason14d ago

Used to think the window between snowmelt and dry season was way longer, but this trail made me a believer. Hiked part of the Sierra in late May and felt like I was on a glacier, then hit the same stretch in July and it was basically a desert. That quick of a flip from wet to dry still catches me off guard.