John Muir Trail - Day Eighteen

A night of sleep at a lower elevation (8500’) really helped and I woke up feeling better than the day before. We ended up sleeping in an extra hour or so since we had a short day planned, just heading to Rae Lakes. After a relaxing breakfast we packed up and set off for an entirely uphill day from Woods Creek. The trail was a beautiful climb up a valley carved by Woods and Baxter Creeks. The forest started to open up and we had nice mountain vistas behind us, with clear stream crossings and wildflowers at our feet. I had to stop quite a bit to catch my breath and relieve the burning in my lungs, but overall I kept a good pace.

We met up with the group at Baxter Pass Junction [172.4mi, 10220’] about 4 miles into our hike, and continued on to Dollar Lake for a perfect shady lunch spot. I was optimistic since our hike was mostly done for the day, but in retrospect I think that was the wrong state of mind because the last 2 miles were pretty difficult for me. It was a gorgeous walk though. We followed a stream through a green marsh to Arrowhead Lake. After a short climb we ran into the first Rae Lake under Fin Dome. The trail continued around the east side of the lake and we soon came upon the middle lake. We hiked past the Ranger Station [174.4mi, 10590’] and after a short walk found the main campground near the lake.

We were early enough to get a great group spot right near the water, but I can see how this campsite can get really crowded! With our short day we had a lot of time to swim/wade, relax, and take in the scenery. It’s really obvious why this spot is so popular with backpackers.