Biggest John Muir Trail Surprises According to Hikers (2024 Survey)

During the John Muir Trail Hiker Survey, in addition to sharing the scariest moments and their lowest moment(s) of the trail, hikers are also asked what they found most surprising about the Trail. This could be anything from what didn’t quite align with their misguided expectations to a bear falling out of a tree right next to them and then chuffing off into the woods.

It doesn’t matter how much preparation you do for a John Muir Trail hike – it doesn’t even matter if you have hiked the JMT before – the trail will always have some curveballs. There’s no way to predict everything awaiting you in the backcountry. The best you can do is be prepared for (not plan for) anything, but expect nothing.

Here are the most surprising things about hiking the John Muir Trail, according to the JMT Class of 2024.

Notes on the Data

• There were 468 completed surveys. Sign up for the survey here if you’re hiking the John Muir Trail next year.
• I refer to respondents collectively as the year’s “class.” Remember, this is a sample, not a comprehensive survey of every JMT hiker.
• Please note that each bullet point below is from a different JMT hiker (and not from me personally).
• I will release more detailed posts focused on other aspects of the John Muir Trail Survey data. To be notified of new posts, click here.

Surprises

• I wasn’t prepared for the lack of solitude when camping. You can find some lovely secluded spots, but usually, I was so tired by the end of the day that I didn’t have the energy to try to find something more off the beaten path. One night near Tyndall Creek, someone asked if they could camp in a spot right next to us. I said it was fine because I wasn’t prepared to tell someone to scram. Unfortunately, this person seemed to have undiagnosed sleep apnea because he snored very loudly all night long. I got maybe three hours of sleep that night, and we had to tackle Forester Pass the next day. The worst part was that the next morning, he specifically asked me if I had noticed him snoring, because he wasn’t sure he had slept at all. I’m sorry, but if you know you snore, please don’t post up almost right on top of another camp.

• After seeing four bears on the JMT in 2020, we didn’t see a single one this year. We were also surprised by how quickly we tired of dehydrated mashed potatoes. Also, the rising cost of shipping resupply buckets was surprising in an unsurprising way.

• The number of northbound Pacific Crest Trail hikers I encountered. The quantity of mosquitoes was something I knew would be there, but for 3-4 days, I looked like I had smallpox. They cleared up, though, probably from my somewhat early start, as the ground was still moist from snowmelt.

• It is more grueling than I thought.  I’m 62.  I should have backed down to no more than 10 mi / 16 km a day and taken a few more days to complete.  Also, coming down the Mist Trail is an absolute shock to the system, thousands and thousands of people.

• For the first week, my brother and I were pretty chatty.  For the last week or two, personally, my mind had become a blank canvas, and the desire to engage in small talk had disappeared.  For hours each day, I’d hike along the trail, paying attention to my footwork and just staring at the fantastic environment.  I didn’t think about anything else.  No politics, no climate change, no issues back home, no nothing.  This surprised me.  I thought my brother and I would be recounting childhood memories for the entire 21 days that we were out.  My brother probably thought I’d lost my mind.

• Despite all my preparation, nothing prepared me for how beautiful the JMT was. I was also surprised by how quickly I adjusted to the life of a thru-hiker. After day one, I loved almost every minute of the JMT.

• What surprised me was how rude the hikers were; a lot of them just said what was on their minds to you. Additionally, some hikers were downright mean – an unfortunate sight to see.

• I was surprised to see so many people and receive so much help and trail magic. Two people helped us pack out our trash, for example. Another person gave me a coat when I was cold, and I am sending it back after I do my laundry. Another person gave me water filter tablets!

• WHY IS THE WEATHER SO NICE ALL THE TIME? Coming from the northern UK, where rain is a given while hiking, regardless of the time of year, I didn’t understand how it was so sunny all the time. We did get caught in one thunderstorm, which was admittedly miserable when everything was soaked afterwards. Still, the weather was generally quite lovely, and that made the whole experience pretty straightforward and easier. The sun was quite intense at times, so we took numerous precautions to prevent ourselves from burning.

• The drops to the rivers and streams were demoralizing.  They took longer than expected, and knowing I had to turn around and go up made them harder than the passes.

• It was much more physically demanding than I expected.  It was more strikingly beautiful than I expected.  It kinda surprised me that I finished the trail.

• How dusty everything got, especially feet and legs. There were so few animals (I wasn’t expecting Yellowstone National Park, but I felt like there should be more out there).

• It was my sixteenth year on the trail – every year is different and a surprise. This year was frickin HOT! My Six Moons Designs sun umbrella was a lifesaver!

• I was really surprised at how gorgeous it was in person. Photos don’t do it justice. I also like foliage and greenery. I was thinking I wouldn’t be that much into the first half of the JMT above the treeline. But once I was hiking, I was truly awestruck. There’s something wonderful and magical about the raw beauty of the barren, stark landscape. Especially bathed in the morning and evening light.

• Honestly, how smoothly things went during those first two weeks of July. It was pretty amazing. Everything happened exactly as I had planned, without a hiccup.

• The people are amazing. Everyone is incredibly supportive and willing to share a great deal of themselves. Going to keep in contact with so many great people I met on my trip.

• I was surprised that the trail at Golden Staircase is overgrown. I was astonished that the blowdown and avalanche trail blockages have not been cleared.

• There were a lot of blowdowns between Muir Pass and Glen Pass. While I suspect this was due to the intense 2022-2023 winter, it is rather surprising to come across so many downed trees along the trail, given its reputation for poor maintenance. I respect that the level of damage from avalanches during that winter was so extensive that trail crews were unable to remove all the debris.

• My abilities surprised me – I hiked out of Yosemite Valley and gained a total of 6,000 ft / 1,829 m on the first day (including Half Dome subdome). Also, how great hiker legs are about a week and a half in – the miles felt so effortless by the end.

• I was surprised to find myself camping alone most of the time. I know that I did the trail early in the season, but there was only one night on the trail where I was in a campsite with others.

• I was surprised by how few southbound hikers I came across in my first few days on the JMT. I felt a little isolated at first, but I eventually caught up with people.

• There are very few places on the entire trail that aren’t completely stunning. Everywhere you look, there is a new alpine lake, waterfall, or meadow to see. I was worried the latter half of the trail would be all rocks and desolate, but you almost always go back below the alpine zone into the trees every day.

• Crazy temperature differences during the morning. You wake up in a near-freezing tent, pack up while doing exercises, put on your pack, shivering in your hiking clothes, and then step out onto the already sunny trail. You start shedding layers until the last one, and then you start to sweat. All within hours.

• We hiked as a family with three kids (ages 14, 11, and 9), and when the kids needed a break or rest from hiking, what they really needed was to play! As soon as they dropped their packs, they were playing in the rivers, skipping rocks, wrestling, and so on. Good reminder that play = rest.

• I’m pretty introverted, but I was surprised at how easily I made friends on the JMT and how much I enjoyed making new ones.  I had just wanted to be “alone with nature,” but I found that hanging with other hikers was a whole lot of fun.

• Insane mosquitoes. I would pay an ungodly amount of money for 100% DEET. I thought we would beat them if we started earlier in the season, but that was dumb. I am from the East Coast, so I know nothing of California. I have never been so itchy in my life.

• I was very surprised at how few hikers I saw on the trail.  Due to the difficulty getting permits, I expected to see many more people.  I was also surprised at how many people did not complete the trail, especially the large number that turned back at Red’s Meadow going south.

Have a tale of woe from a John Muir Trail thru-hike? Leave a comment below and warn future JMT classes of the awfulness that awaits them on their thru-hikes.

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