| Day 9 Profile |
|
 MapSource |
 Google Maps Terrain |
49 low, 79 high
Up at 6:15am, hiking by 7:45am.
I figured out what that group of hikers was doing last night. They were going up and down the river looking for a way to cross without getting wet. No way. I put on my Vincere Grip Socks and forded Bear Creek. It was cold this early in the morning!!
Rosemarie Meadow
Outlet from Marie Lake
Marie Lake
Seldon Pass was easy. And cool (as in, I liked it!). No snow on Seldon to worry about. Marie Lake, Heart Lake, Sallie Keyes Lakes, all spectacular. I especially thought Sallie Keyes, after coming over Seldon Pass, was beautiful. I met two gentlemen at Sallie Keyes, and it turned out that they were Chefs at MTR, going hiking and fishing on their day off. They assured me that the Chef filling in for them was very talented when I expressed concern that they were out here loafing when I needed them creating culinary masterpieces down at MTR!
Between Rosemarie Meadow and Marie Lake
View of Marie Lake as you ascend to Seldon Pass
It was a long downhill hike from Seldon to MTR. It levels out at Sallie Keyes but then heads sharply down all the way to MTR. It was interesting to see the changes in the ecosystems as the topography changed. When I hit the spur trail that leaves the JMT and goes down to MTR (Florence Lake Trail) it was amazing how different the two trails were. The JMT is MUCH easier to hike on. The Florence Lake trail was rough. Not anything particularly difficult, just a much rougher trail.
South side of Seldon Pass
Sally Keyes Lake
Just past Sally Keyes Lake
Muir Trail Ranch in the distance
Florence Lake Trail Junction
Muir Trail Ranch junction
Soon, I saw signs of civilization, and was at the gate into MTR. I was at MTR by 2:30pm. I was met by the MTR person assigned to help backpackers, and I let her know I had booked a "short stay". She gave me the tour, and showed me the mess hall, showers (outdoor, but very nice), hot tubs, and my tent cabin. The rest of the evening was spent sorting through my resupply (they had TONS of extra stuff to sort through, but as usual, I dropped some things off, but didn't pick anything up), showering, and doing laundry. I bought a fresh fuel canister at the tiny store. I took advantage of their PC and SLOOOWWW connection to send an email to my wife. It took 15 minutes to send one short email. No phone or cell service.
Dinner was fantastic. We had lamb shish kabobs with baklava for desert! Yum! It was pretty much all you can eat since they had cooked so much. I sat at a table with a group of JMT hikers (Tom, Jerry, and their wives), and we had a great time getting to know each other. I would see this group several times over rest of the hike since we had about the same pace. I also saw Renee again, along with her boyfriend Justin who was joining her at MTR. She was not staying at MTR, but did a resupply there.
If you rent a tent cabin at MTR, be aware, it is rustic. It had 2 beds and a light, but that is it. The walls have gaps that allow the bugs in, so having the light on at night was BAD. I had 600 billion bugs in my little tent cabin, attracted to the light. Mosquitoes were not an issue, fortunately. After dinner, I soaked in one of the two natural hot spring hot tubs for a bit. They let you secure the tub so you have it to yourself, which is nice. The tubs are large, clean and nice!
MTR has only recently started booking "short stays" for the JMT thru-hiking community. Their usual clientele books a week stay at a time. I hope MTR continues to provide this service for hikers. Since this is the last vestige of civilization on the JMT, it was definitely worth it to have clean clothes, a clean ME and a full stomach to start the second half of the trail. I will be a repeat customer if I do the JMT again!
Backpackers area at MTR
Tent cabin at MTR
Natural hot springs at MTR
I have been thinking about Muir and Mather Passes, and am a bit worried. I don't handle snow crossing very well, and have been getting warned repeatedly about these two passes from Northbound hikers.
| Previous Day |
Next Day |
 |
 |
