The John Muir Trail: Day 18 (Sawmill Pass Trail Junction to South of Glen Pass)

Highlights of Day 18

Passed by Ray Lakes, which were every bit as beautiful as everyone says, and then some. We definitely plan to return to this area.
Crossed Glen Pass.
Got acute mountain sickness (AMS) on Glen Pass. Threw up my last pack of peanut butter & cheddar cracker sandwiches, and was very upset about it.
Dry-camped (first and only time we did this on the JMT) at about 11,000 feet.

Trail Journal

I’m writing this after the fact, because I got terrible altitude sickness at the top of Glen Pass. We ascended thousands of feet very quickly, and unfortunately I left behind some already-eaten peanut butter & cheddar cracker sandwiches shortly after we crested the pass. It was very sad: I needed those nutrients!

Laura set up camp at 11,000 ft, far enough down that my symptoms abated. I was soooo exhausted from the last few days though that I fell directly to sleep without even eating dinner or brushing teeth. Considering how food-obsessed I’ve been, that’s really saying a lot!

The day was notable not just for the altitude sickness, but also for the Ray Lakes area. BEAUTIFUL!! Wish we could’ve spent a night there but we were intent on getting over the pass while the weather lasted. No Muir Pass repeats.