Am I the only one who used to ignore trailhead elevation?

Last year on the John Muir Trail, a ranger at the Tuolumne Meadows station told me my planned daily miles were unrealistic because I wasn't factoring in the 2,000 foot climb right at the start. I argued that my fitness was fine, but after a brutal first day, I changed my route planning. Now I always check the elevation profile for the first five miles of any new route and adjust my campsite targets. Does anyone else have a specific trail detail they learned to check the hard way?

3 comments

3 Comments

victor1012mo ago

Oh man, elevation is the silent killer. I got wrecked by not checking water source reliability once, that was a long, thirsty lesson.

benflores1mo ago

Wait, elevation isn't really silent though. You hear yourself breathing hard a mile away. Dehydration is the quiet one that sneaks up on you.

the_susan2mo ago

Totally get that. My version was not checking if a trailhead parking lot was actually open. Drove three hours to this state forest for an overnight, found a locked gate and a tiny handwritten sign saying "closed for winter." Had to sleep in my car at a Walmart parking lot. Now I call the ranger station the day before, every single time.