CA - Forester Pass Section

The Forester Pass Section of the JMT climbs to the highest point on both the John Muir Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, reaching 13,180 feet at a notch blasted into the sheer rock wall forming the boundary between Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. This is the ultimate high-altitude experience on the JMT, a physically demanding climb through increasingly austere terrain to a pass where the scale of the High Sierra fully reveals itself.

The approach from the south ascends through the remote Tyndall Creek drainage, passing Tyndall Creek Frog Ponds and climbing steadily through boulder fields and granite slabs. The final approach to the pass follows a series of switchbacks cut into near-vertical rock walls with dramatic exposure. From the summit, the view north into the Kings Canyon backcountry and south toward the Kern River plateau is breathtaking. The crossing is notoriously icy and snow-covered through much of July, and crampons or microspikes are recommended for early-season travel. The surrounding terrain above 12,000 feet is strictly above treeline and weather can change with extreme rapidity, demanding careful attention to afternoon thunderstorm patterns.