John Muir Trail: Post Trip Thoughts

The morning following my summit of Mount Whitney, I took the Eastern Sierra Transit Authority bus from Lone Pine to Lancaster, and then the Metrolink train from Lancaster to Downtown Los Angeles. 23 days away from civilization is not a long time, but it was strange to me to see so many people dressed in business suits commuting home at LA’s Union Station. Things that were common and routine 3 weeks before suddenly seemed so strange and foreign.

Once home, I got to appreciate the smallest things such as having a fridge, being able to use napkins, and being able to eat everything I wanted. I developed a massive sweet tooth during the hike which still persists 8 months later. I have also gained back the 10 pounds I had lost.

The hike wasn’t life changing as some people had described. It was no doubt an epic experience but most aspects of my life went back to the way they were before. If there is one thing that have stayed is the minimalist lightweight philosophy, which is something that can be translated into all aspects of life.

I didn’t feel like hiking at all for months after coming back, but now I’m itching to do it again. I definitely would like to hike the John Muir Trail again. Even though I did it at a moderate pace, I feel that there were so many things to see and not enough time to really enjoy each of them.