Was dead set on the John Muir Trail, then one weekend in the Wind River Range flipped me

Reese Harris · 2026-10-11T18:55:07.155028+00:00

I spent about 8 months planning a JMT thru hike out of Yosemite, had my permit window circled and everything. Then my buddy dragged me to the Wind River Range in Wyoming for 4 days last month, just the Big Sandy to Cirque of the Towers loop, around 28 miles. I always figured a real route had to be one of the famous long trails, but standing under those granite spires with maybe 4 other people around made me rethink the whole thing. The bugs were bad and one creek crossing soaked me to the waist, and I still liked it more than any crowded section I have hiked. Now I want to hear from people who bailed on the big name trails for shorter loops, what made you switch?

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Was dead set on the John Muir Trail, then one weekend in the Wind River Range flipped me | Backpacking Routes - HW Forums