Our second to last day on the John Muir Trail. Boo! After yesterday’s big day over Forester Pass, today was a relatively easy day from Tyndall Creek to Guitar Lake. There were no real steep ups or down – the trail was rolling and gently graded through this stretch. The day’s highlight was Big Horn Plateau, a large, barren, flat area a couple of miles beyond our campsite. Unfortunately the smoke once again interfered with the views, but it was still impressive.
Trip Report: Tyndall Creek to Guitar Lake
After a few hours of wandering through the trees, we met the turnoff to Crabtree Ranger Station and Mt Whitney. As we climbed above treeline we were treated to the incredible sights of the Whitney region – peaks, ridges, alpine lakes, and meadows.
Our plan was to camp at Guitar Lake, since we had been told that the smaller lakes/tarns above Guitar were dry. Having heard of the crowds that can accumulate at Guitar, I wasn’t really looking forward to it.
Instead, the lake was nearly empty. There were a couple of other tents set up, but most of the time it felt like we had the place to ourselves. Our night at Guitar ended up being one of my favorite campsites on the whole trip. The scenery was among the best, it was quiet, and our side was quite comfortable. And thanks to the smoke in the air, we got quite a show at sunset.
