R03/R01 TR: Southern JMT on the brink of winter, October 2018

[rightstar76]

I bet where you were on Colby was snow free by the beginning of November last year.

Yes, we've done really well this winter. It was a cold one! I was looking at the Mineral King web cam and there is still excellent snow coverage. It looks like it will be quite awhile before there is any dry hiking in the High Sierra.

[kylekuzma]

OP,

What an adventure and like the first commenter said, what a great learning experience. Really happy that you and your team made it back safely with no notable injuries. What part of October are we talking here? I just made reservations for Columbus Day weekend to hike out to evolution valley which happens to be 14 days into October. I've done a yosemite trip around this time and it was cold, but your TR is making me second guess being in the high country that deep into autumn.

[SoCalCPA]

Great trip report - My daughter and I will be doing the exact same trip you had planned to finish the JMT but at the end of July this year when its much warmer - Those dead animals were probably deer (not Elk) - Saw the same thing last year at Bishop Pass - I think you guys were wise to take it easy and enjoy yourselves - What we do now is take diamox for the altitude and try to get up at least a day early to acclimate - My daughter got altitude sickness a year and a half ago at Mather Pass - Part of the problem was we were pushing ourselves too hard - What also helps are electrolytes (I like Hammer nutrition) and something called Beet Elite (Gives you an extra push in the morning) Loved the pix - We are Training now to make it in 5 days to the portal from Kearsarge - only a little over 50 miles so should be doable - Although the 3000 feet at Kearsarge will be a bear for sure starting off