Got caught in a surprise storm on the John Muir Trail near Muir Pass

I was hiking through Evolution Valley when the sky turned black in about 20 minutes. Had to throw up my tarp shelter behind a boulder and wait 2 hours for hail to pass. Has anyone else dealt with sudden weather shifts on exposed sections of the JMT?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona13026d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, unless you meant a different section - Muir Pass itself doesn't have Evolution Valley, that's a separate area between Muir Pass and Evolution Lake. Really sketchy spot to get caught in weather though, those granite slabs offer zero cover when the hail comes down.

the_avery26d ago

Ah damn, that sounds rough. But yeah, just a heads up - Evolution Valley is actually south of Muir Pass, not right at it. You were probably closer to Evolution Lake or the trail just below the pass when the weather hit. Those granite slabs near the lake are brutal in a storm, zero cover anywhere unless you tuck into one of the big boulder fields. I got caught in a similar hailstorm near Wanda Lake a few years back and had to huddle under my pack for almost an hour.