Ep 054. John Muir Trail Day 19 & 20 (Trail Series). From Showers to Sprinting—The Plot Twist That Changed Everything

Welcome to the John Muir Trail Podcast Series - I'm taking a little summer break from the podcast while I head off on some new adventures (and guide some epic client trips too!). But I didn’t want to leave you hanging—so I’m sharing something special: a never-before-released Trail Series from our John Muir Trail thru-hike.

After an early morning descent to Red’s Meadow, we were ready for a true zero day—showers, sodas, and milkshakes in hand. We earned our trail names, did laundry in our sleep clothes, and basked in the luxury of a hot meal and real soap.

But the break didn’t last long.

Just as we were settling into camp and burgers, we overheard the news: all national forests were shutting down—again. Cue a sudden scramble to pack up and hike out, desperate to make it across the Yosemite border before the midnight deadline.

So much for our chill resupply day. We pushed hard with sore feet and heavy packs, camped just below Donohue Pass, and crossed our fingers that we wouldn’t get kicked off trail again.

In this episode:

• The joy of soda, milkshakes, and semi-clean clothes
• Our official trail names (meet Ankles, Trout Scout, and Twiggy)
• The chaos of resupply bees and shower token logistics
• A sudden forest closure throws everything off track
• Racing uphill toward Yosemite with tired feet and fading daylight
• Wildfire season realities and hard trail decisions
• The ant-infested “secret” campsite near Thousand Island Lake

🎧 Come hear the twist that nearly ended our JMT hike… again.

JMT Resources on the Blog:

• The Stress-Free Guide to John Muir Trail Permits
• The Ultimate John Muir Trail Planning Guide
• 15 Reasons I’m Excited to Hike the John Muir Trail

Where to learn more about Allison:

• She Dreams of Alpine Blog
• Instagram @shedreamsofalpine

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