So Much for the John Muir Trail

[Hobbes]

If you go to the beach, you will see: some people sunbathing; some people playing in the water/body surfing; some people building sand castles; some people surfing; some people playing volleyball; some people jogging; some people strolling; some people eating; some people bicycling; some people skating/skateboarding; some people fishing; some people offshore sailing/boating; some people listening to (street) music; some people cruising to meet other people; some people drinking (in bars); some people shopping; some people out for a drive; some people ...

Other than beach curfew hours (midnight to 5am) and some basic regulations regarding prohibitions about public intoxication, dogs, etc, there aren't really any rules, which is why everyone is pretty much having fun doing their own thing. The Sierra are the same exact thing.

[Cross Country]

As to what WD said - the experience is NOT totally different like she said. It is totally different for her.

[Wandering Daisy]

If you have been in the Sierra or to a certain location, then when you look at it on the internet (Google Earth, other's trip reports, etc), you are experiencing your past trips as well as what is in front of you. It brings back memories of the warmth of the sun, wind on face, etc. I think that is why a lot of us take photos- to help bring back those memories. I will be doing the same thing when I get too old to hike. BUT, if you are simply looking at places you have never been, you are getting a very different experience than actually being there. Even when "virtual reality pods" become popular entertainment, it will not be the same, because you do not interact with reality. For one thing the time frame is compressed. Now, that may be a good thing! I have a friend who does armchair world-wide touring. She went on one real trip and hated it; could not stand the smells, crowds, noise, discomfort of strage language or environments. I do suppose I would rather see someone's video of sitting out a big storm on Mt. Everest than actually being there during that event.

So one reson for doing the JMT would be to have the real experience. Then you can selectively remember the good parts in your old age.

[sekihiker]

Hell for Sure pass

It's not even Heck-for-Sure now and it never was on its west side. The trail used to come straight up the canyon wall from Goddard Canyon and I'm sure it was Hell-for-Sure back then on the east side.

bears in the more remote regions of Kings Canyon.

In my experience bears are not a problem in the more remote regions of Kings Canyon/Sequoia. They hang out near trails where people are careless with their food. In remote areas, they walk on by with barely a hello. NPI The bear problem is almost nonexistent compared to the 80's and 90's. Bear boxes and canisters and a strong education program seem to have taken care of most of the problem.

[marti124]

I hike the JMT every summer (actually, now I hike more than it, I do the High Sierra portion of the PCT, from Kennedy Meadows (South) to Sonora Pass). I've done the JMT 9 times now. I never worry about getting a permit, there are 100s of options. See the JMT Permit FAQ. http://bit.ly/JMTPermits -- I am the editor of the FAQ by the way. The FAQ explains the various JMT permit options: NOBO, SOBO, MOBO, Shifted SOBO, Shifted NOBO.