John Muir Trail - Day Twenty

We got a decent start out of our campsite at Center Basin so that some of our morning hike was in the shade of the forest and Center Peak. The first part of our hike to Forester Pass was 3.4 miles and 1700’ of gain so for the most part it was a relaxing climb. We came to a meadow above the tree line and saw tons of pikas and chipmunks. The views back down to the valley were unbelievable. We switchbacked above the meadow and up to the unnamed lake at 12250’ [188.1mi, 12240’] where we met the group to recharge with a snack before our 900’ climb. That final section to the top of the pass followed the backbone of the mountain, giving us panoramic views on all sides. I had to stop to catch my breath several times but overall I felt really good.

The top of Forester Pass [189.3mi, 13110’] had one of the best views on the whole trail, both to the north and south. We could see the Kaweahs to the southwest, including areas we crossed years ago on our High Sierra Trail thru hike. Immediately below on the south side were several more alpine lakes surrounded by an expansive dry valley and a large plateau. The landscape was very unique compared to past days.

The switchbacks down hill were steep and rugged. It’s hard to imagine how this trail was originally created and maintained! We stopped at the highest Tyndall Creek crossing 1 mile down to filter some more water. From there we continued 4 miles to the valley below. I loved that hike – nice gradual downhill through meadows between spectacular mountain ranges. We even caught a glimpse of Mt. Whitney to the southeast. There were a couple small forests but the area felt like an alpine desert.

We reached a couple quick trail junctions then started up towards Bighorn Plateau, stopping just short to camp at the Tyndall Frog Ponds [194.8mi, 11030’]. I had no idea you could find a frog pond on the JMT but this was quite a popular campsite and it had some mosquitos. I imagine the bugs are pretty harsh earlier in the summer.

Once again we had a few afternoon hours to wash up, cook, explore, and search for tiny frogs! Overall we took the southern half of the JMT much slower and I liked having time after our hike to explore and enjoy our campsites. I didn’t feel rushed at all.