Woods Creek to near Bulfrog Lake Trail: 12 miles (19.3km)
I woke up at 5:30 a.m. The deep cracks on both of my hands, which had been worsening since MTR, were agonizingly painful. Every simple task requiring my fingertips had to be done with extreme caution, making my morning routine incredibly time-consuming.
After descending for about an hour along the rushing waters of Woods Creek, I reached the Paradise Valley Junction. From here until just past Rae Lake, the trail overlapped with the “Rae Lakes Loop”—a solo backpacking trip I had done seven years ago. A wave of nostalgia washed over me.
Soon, the familiar suspension bridge came into view. It swayed precariously under my weight, frightening me just as it had back then, instantly triggering memories of that trip. Although it was only a few miles to Rae Lake along a gentle incline, the sheer weight of my accumulated fatigue made it a struggle. Rationing my remaining snack bars, I calculated that I could only afford to eat three per day from here on. Since a couple of days ago, I had made it a point to chug at least one liter of water during my breaks, which was keeping me moving, but the persistent pain in my toes from the very start of the day was disheartening.
When I finally arrived at Rae Lake, I realized I couldn’t remember where I had camped seven years ago; the details of the topography had faded entirely from my mind.
The ultimate highlight of the day was Glen Pass (11,978 ft / 3,651 m). Knowing from my past experience how brutal this climb could be, I was mentally prepared for the worst.
Yet, the moment I started ascending, I noticed a sudden shift—my condition was remarkably better than it had been this morning. It felt significantly easier than yesterday’s grueling push up Pinchot Pass. Despite the 1,500-foot elevation gain taking its toll, halfway up the pass, I felt an abrupt surge of energy, as if something were physically pushing me from behind, allowing me to accelerate up the switchbacks.
I crested the summit just before 4:00 p.m. The view was magnificent and deeply familiar, yet it felt more grounded and serene than the overwhelming awe I experienced seven years ago. I suppose my senses have been somewhat numbed by the endless succession of mind-blowing vistas over the past 18 days.
Still, clearing a 12,000-foot pass for the third consecutive day was incredibly taxing. I knew, without a doubt, that I was currently experiencing the most physically demanding chapter of my entire life. My pace had naturally slowed since around Day 15 due to declining energy, but today, I managed to grind out my target of 12 miles by 6:00 p.m.
Today, I passed the trail junction for Onion Valley—the final escape route of the entire journey.
With that junction behind me, any thought of quitting evaporated. There was no turning back now; the only option left was to push forward to Mount Whitney. As that reality sank in, a quiet, immovable resolve took root deep inside me.
Since the final day will be entirely dedicated to summiting Mount Whitney, I have practically only two days left of the actual John Muir Trail. With a battered body but a clear mind, I step into the final act.
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