John Muir Trail

Sierra Nevada, California. August 2026. Happy Isles to Bishop Pass, southbound.

Jagged granite walls lit orange by alpenglow above a wide field of talus — Sierra Nevada, California. August 2026.

happy isles down to leconte canyon and out over bishop pass, southbound and solo. 164 miles of trail, 13 days out from august 2 to 14.

planned it the way i plan everything, which is a spreadsheet. resupply points, calories per day, pass elevations, all of it. dehydrated my own dinners at home for weeks beforehand, chicken tikka masala, korma, saag chicken, thai peanut, targeting around 3,700 calories a day.

gear was the two from gossamer gear, a 20 degree enigma quilt, a nemo tensor elite pad, a pocketrocket 2, a sawyer squeeze, and a bv500 for the bear regs. garmin instinct on the wrist and an inreach mini for the stretches with no signal, which is most of them.

the permit is the part people underestimate. i pulled a group permit and gave the second slot away for free so a friend could walk any stretch of it without going through the lottery themselves.

whole trip came in under $500.

Trail miles: 164
Days on trail: 13, August 2 to 14
Pace: About 13 miles a day
High point: Bishop Pass, 11,972 ft
Style: Solo, southbound
Total cost: Under $500

A single-track trail through a green meadow below granite slabs and a peak under building clouds — the trail through the basin

A still lake below broad granite slabs under a blue sky — granite basins above 11k

Warm light on a ridge above a still lake, with meadow and scattered granite in the foreground — last light on the ridge above camp

Rain falling from heavy cloud over forested granite ridges — weather coming across the range

A deep blue alpine lake held in bare granite

Sierra ridgelines receding into haze at last light behind pines — last light over the sierra

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