[pct-l] Lost on the JMT: Reds Meadow southbound

[Don Billings]

NOT laughing at you at all, my friend. How frustrating.

Glad you were able to use SPOT to help yourself get an accurate fix.
And thanks for posting to warn others of the confusion there.

Don



----- Original Message ----
From: Steve Cosner <stevec at sfsu.edu>
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Sent: Fri, September 3, 2010 12:24:38 AM
Subject: [pct-l] Lost on the JMT: Reds Meadow southbound

  Last weekend I completed my last section of the JMT.  It's pretty 
crazy, but my friend and I got lost ...twice!  Never before have I had 
that problem.

The problem is that there are a lot more trails in the area due to the 
horseback facilities at Reds Meadows and its proximity to Mammoth Lakes, 
plus the fact that the JMT / PCT is not labeled at all the trail junctions.

We started at Devils Postpile heading south.   First thing I wonder is 
why the JMT avoids the postpile!!!

We took the Rainbow Falls trail, expecting the JMT to split off to the 
right at some point.   We came to a junction, where the sign points to 
the north labeled "Muir Trail".  And the one to the right is labeled 
"Reds Meadows".    Since the RM trail was heading abruptly east, I kind 
of thought we'd come to another junction for the JMT.   Wrong.   Fifteen 
minutes down the RF trail, I looked at the map.  We had to backtrack.  
...Ok, I SHOULD have checked the map at the "Muir Trail" northbound 
junction.

Next day, we came to Crater Meadow.   See the map here:
http://postholer.com/gmap/gmap.php?trail_id=1&lat=37.591145&lon=-119.058022&zoom=15&dist=0&vw=2
 
<http://postholer.com/gmap/gmap.php?trail_id=1&lat=37.591145&lon=-119.058022&zoom=15&dist=0&vw=2>

No trail junctions at all on the map, and all we saw was a well-traveled 
trail heading eastward along the northern side of the meadow, north of 
and parallel to the stream.  There is no trail shown on the map.

However, we soon came to a junction, with a leaning tree with a sign:  
"Muir Trail" to the right, and Mammoth Pass, left.  Unfortunately, 
Mammoth Pass was off the edge of my map.  We took the Muir Trail 
direction, but the trail appeared to be little used.  I was worried.

Pretty soon, we passed a tree with a white metal band nailed to it about 
10' up, that read,  "John Muir Trail".  So I thought we were good.  If 
you are following on the map link above, it was somewhere about where 
the trail under the large "F" in "FOREST", or where the trail crosses 
the pink "Wilderness" boundary line just south of the "F".

But then, there came a junction:  No label for the direction we had come 
in.  "Deer Creek" heading northwest, and "Mammoth Pass" heading 
southeast.  I was confused, took the southeast direction.  Remember, my 
map did not show Mammoth Pass.  And at the time I didn't see Deer Creek 
on the map.

About 15 minutes up the Mammoth Pass direction, I could see we were 
heading due north, obviously lost.  Here's where I called my son in 
Michigan, he sat down at his computer and looked up my Spot signal 
location.  With his help, I finally determined which trail I was on.  We 
went back to the "Deer Creek" junction, which led, in 200 yards, to the 
real JMT!

Apparently, we found an older section of the JMT -- must be that trail 
out of Reds Meadow that circles around the the east of Crater Meadow.  
And the horseback people have forged a new trail, which we erroneously 
took.  At that junction, I did not see the southbound JMT at all.  Only 
a large log crossing the creek to an inviting camp site.  Had I seen the 
trail heading south, I sure would have consulted the map there, and 
would have been ok.

So y'all are probably laughing at me by now, thinking what a dumb 
cluck.   But I pride myself in my route finding skills.  I've never been 
as badly confused about my location as this time.

I mentioned this problem to another hiker friend, and she said she also 
got lost in the Reds Meadow area just a week or two before my hike, and 
had talked to other hikers with similar problems.

So I am just writing to let everyone know.   Beware in this area.   Keep 
your maps handy!

If you're interested, there is a trip report and pictures here:
http://www.whitneyzone.com/wz/ubbthreads.php/topics/7036
In the set of pictures, the 8th one shows the spot where we got off track.


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