Hot take: the JMT is overhyped after hiking it last September

I did the whole thing in 12 days and honestly the crowds made it feel like a conga line the entire way. Has anyone else felt like the popular routes lose their appeal once they get too busy?

2 comments

2 Comments

pat_murray161mo ago

... and on top of that, I met a guy who tried to thru-hike the JMT but quit after two days because he couldn't handle the altitude. He was from Florida and thought he could just drink a lot of water and be fine. I remember seeing him sitting on a rock near Tuolumne Meadows looking totally miserable, like he was waiting for a bus that was never gonna show up. Crowds or no crowds, people underestimate how hard that elevation is, especially coming from sea level.

ruby_sanchez451mo ago

Poor guy, I really feel for him.