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Heard a couple of younger hikers talking about the John Muir Trail like it was just another trail to tick off
I mean, it made me think about how planning for the JMT used to be this whole big thing with paper maps and waiting for the mail. Now you can get a permit online and see a million trip reports before you even pack. It just feels different, maybe less of an adventure? Anyone else get that feeling about the old way of planning a big route?
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noahs8220h ago
Carry a physical backup map anyway, even if you have all the GPS stuff loaded up. I learned that one the hard way on the High Sierra Trail when my phone died and I had to piece together landmarks with an old ranger station handout. Before you go, call the ranger station a couple weeks out to ask about water crossings and snow conditions, the online reports are often a week behind. And leave a few extra days in your schedule for weather or just a random zero day at a lake that looks good. The trail hasn't changed, you just have to work a little to keep that sense of discovery alive.
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