Just found out the John Muir Trail has over 800 switchbacks total and I'm not sure I can handle that many

I was reading the trail stats on the PCTA website yesterday and that number blew my mind, has anyone tackled it and survived the endless zigzagging?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_pat17d ago

I counted once on a hike near Yosemite and gave up after 47. You just put your head down and walk.

josephl6717d ago

Nah man I gotta disagree here. Counting steps is part of the whole experience for me, it keeps my mind from wandering into how much my feet hurt or how far I still have to go. I did the Half Dome cables route last summer and I counted every single step from the subdome up to the top, came out to 847 exactly. It makes the hike feel like a puzzle or a game instead of just a grind, you know?