364 Days and Counting......
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 1:35 pm
We have not been on this website for a couple of years - well, since our last failed attempt at the JMT. It's been a few years, snow fall was massive and Donahue Pass was barley passable and 100% snow from the switchbacks North of D Pass all the way to Reds Meadow.... in July. So, we bailed at our second attempt to hike the JMT. My husband said to me, no more. My hopes and dreams were crushed 
! But I understood his position. We had two bad experiences trying to hike this great trail from Tuolumne to Mt. Whitney. The experiences have become great memories even if we didn't complete our trip as planned. Nevertheless, he said enough was enough.
Then one day about 8 months ago, my husband rented the movie Into the Wild. Not knowing exactly what this movie was about, we loaded the DVD. As we both sat quietly watching this young man follow his dream, I wondered if I would ever be able to attempt the JMT again. OUT OF THE BLUE, my husband paused the movie, turned to me and said "If you want to try to hike the John Muir Trail again, I'm in and will do it with you". It was like the entire world stopped turning for those few seconds. I could not believe what I had just heard.
I almost fell off of the couch.
So, with this summer already planned, we set our sites for August, 2009. I started the countdown chart at 500 days to go. I just crossed off number 365. I can't believe we are on the home stretch. My husband has not changed his mind. He blames his irrational thinking on the beer
that night but says a promise is a promise and he's sticking to it. What a guy.
We are absorbing every story regarding the trips posted on this site. The information is priceless, the photos are great. It is so motivating. I can hardly wait.
We were able to get permits for the Grand Canyon for October and will be spending a week backpacking to a couple of different camps down in the canyon this fall. That is just around the corner. But....my heart belongs to the JMT. It has been a dream of mine for a while to do this hike. The article in the recent "Trailer Life" magazine inspired me even more. I am glad it's on my bucket list! DON'T EVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS!
! But I understood his position. We had two bad experiences trying to hike this great trail from Tuolumne to Mt. Whitney. The experiences have become great memories even if we didn't complete our trip as planned. Nevertheless, he said enough was enough. Then one day about 8 months ago, my husband rented the movie Into the Wild. Not knowing exactly what this movie was about, we loaded the DVD. As we both sat quietly watching this young man follow his dream, I wondered if I would ever be able to attempt the JMT again. OUT OF THE BLUE, my husband paused the movie, turned to me and said "If you want to try to hike the John Muir Trail again, I'm in and will do it with you". It was like the entire world stopped turning for those few seconds. I could not believe what I had just heard.
I almost fell off of the couch. So, with this summer already planned, we set our sites for August, 2009. I started the countdown chart at 500 days to go. I just crossed off number 365. I can't believe we are on the home stretch. My husband has not changed his mind. He blames his irrational thinking on the beer
that night but says a promise is a promise and he's sticking to it. What a guy. We are absorbing every story regarding the trips posted on this site. The information is priceless, the photos are great. It is so motivating. I can hardly wait.
We were able to get permits for the Grand Canyon for October and will be spending a week backpacking to a couple of different camps down in the canyon this fall. That is just around the corner. But....my heart belongs to the JMT. It has been a dream of mine for a while to do this hike. The article in the recent "Trailer Life" magazine inspired me even more. I am glad it's on my bucket list! DON'T EVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS!