{"id":1795,"date":"2020-09-05T13:47:44","date_gmt":"2020-09-05T20:47:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wandering.earth\/?p=1795"},"modified":"2022-01-29T19:37:23","modified_gmt":"2022-01-30T03:37:23","slug":"jmt-2020-day-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wandering.earth\/index.php\/2020\/09\/05\/jmt-2020-day-9\/","title":{"rendered":"JMT 2020 Day 9"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Goal for the day: To get to or past Fish Creek<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was some color at sunrise as I packed up and climbed back to the JMT to continue heading southward. Of course, a half mile further down the trail I saw a very nice flat area against some boulders with a great view a little ways down the slope. Would have been a bit nicer than where I did stop the night before. Ah well…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Duck Pass was nice, had water, and was a nice place for a short morning break. I had to resist any idea of aborting. Like TM and Reds Meadows, Duck Pass is an exit route to civilization that may be tempting after 9 days and 72 miles on the JMT (which is now the longest time I\u2019ve been on any trek).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Duck Pass would have been a good place to camp, but hiking the extra 2 hours the day before may have pushed me beyond my limit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until Purple Lake, the trail mostly ran along the side of steep mountainsides (which is why I had such fun finding a campsite the night before).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After Purple Lake, the trail climbed 600 feet to Lake Virginia through some meadows and small forests. A beautiful lake and would have been a great place to camp, but it was just too early to stop for the day at that point. So I descended down to Tully Hole and then towards Fish Creek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The only downside of continuing was the switchbacks I had to use to get down to Tully Hole. They weren’t bad as switchbacks go, but switchbacks in the afternoon are always irritating. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I could have gone a half mile more to get to my original goal for the day (Fish Creek), but found a nice campsite along the creek near Tully Hole and decided to stay for the night. Fish creek would be a similar forested area and it was miles and at least 1,000 feet to climb until a view might be likely, so once I found a nice spot I might as well stop for the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I even took a refreshing (if cold) swim in the pools in the nearby creek to cool off. Then I did a quick wash of my hiking shirts and underwear to keep the smell under control. Even only two days from my change to wash them in a real washing machine, they were quite… pungent. As was I. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lots of ups and down this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10.5 miles hiked, 8:30 hours, 1,950 feet climbed
78 total miles hiked on the JMT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highlights:
\u2022 Duck Pass
\u2022 Purple Lake<\/strong>
\u2022 Lake Virginia
\u2022 Tully Hole
\u2022 Daily goal achieved!<\/strong> (or close enough)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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