Interactive Map – how to use
On a PC, drag the map around and zoom in/out. On a mobile device, use 2 fingers to move the map around and to pinch for zoom. Click or tap on a track or a waypoint dot for more details about that feature. Mouse or finger slide over the elevation profile graph and look to see where that point is located on the map as you move along it.
Click the white arrow in the lower right corner of the main map to expand a mini-map that gives reference to the surrounding area around it.
Download this map file for your own use:
Download the tracks and waypoints files in various different formats via clicking the small icons on the top right corner (GPX, GeoJSON, KML, or GeoRSS) and saving to your computer/mobile. GPX format is the most versatile, and has all track and waypoint data. The KML download feature currently is only providing some waypoints, but no track data.
Mouse over this icon (if visible) in the upper right corner of the map to get an option to select an individual track section for which you’d like to see details, or to see it on the elevation profile graph below the map. (for maps with multiple tracks only)
Date: August 10, 2017
Distance: 12.1 miles
Leaving from Woods Creek bridge, this section of trail has an almost 3500′ climb in 8 miles. Up and up it goes along the beautiful Woods Creek drainage with many rock slides and small waterfalls along the way. There are side tributaries that get in the way of the trail, causing wet feet along the way unless you’re really creative. Look around for a bit, and you can likely find a dry crossing at most of them.
Pinchot Pass was a grind, but overall really one of the “easy” passes at least from the south side. It’s a climb, but it’s very gradual so you can find your pace and knock it out. After the initial few miles, you sort of level out at the foothills of the range that has the pass in it. The geology variety is amazing, as the darks and lights contrast each other, accented more by the white blobs of remaining snowpack. Green grasses stand out in the wetland drainages like they don’t belong there. Due to the abundant water and grasses, this pass approach never feels fully like “moonscape” like some of the others do. Views from the pass are spectacular, with the geology in the background and sapphire blue lakes in the foreground. Lake Marjorie didn’t even look natural because its blue tint was almost artificial.
After the descent off of Pinchot Pass, it drops quickly back into heavy woods again and comes to the infamous crossing of the South Fork of the Kings River. 2017 had taken some lives earlier in the summer at this and other crossings on the JMT due to the record snowfall over the winter that was still thawing and causing much higher than average crossings. The sun was setting and I had some camp chores to do, so I established a camp before the crossing, and bathed quickly and rinsed my stinky clothes and hung them to dry while I made dinner in the safety of my tent to keep away from the swarms of mosquitos. I’ll conquer the crossing tomorrow. The alternate crossing suggestion is a couple miles upstream where the river is more shallow tributaries than a single river, and staying on the east side of the river instead of crossing in this area. The true JMT runs on the west side of the river, and I’m trying my hardest to only walk on the actual plotted trail itself. I’ll look for a reasonable crossing, and if I don’t find one, I’ll take option B.
