Can we talk about hitting 500 miles on the John Muir Trail?

I just finished my section hike and my app said I walked 500 miles total. I never thought I'd actually hit that number, especially after that brutal stretch near Forester Pass. It really hit me how far I've actually walked with my own two feet. Anyone else have a trail mileage total that surprised them?

3 comments

3 Comments

amybarnes2mo ago

Yeah, the "just a number" part is spot on. My app said I did 300 on the PCT last year, but that number doesn't tell you about the dust in your teeth or how your pack felt heavier some days. The real total is in all those small, hard moments between the mile markers.

shah.eric2mo ago

Your app's 500 miles is just a number, not the real experience.

joseph9322mo agoMost Upvoted

Numbers are easy to share online, but they flatten everything. @amybarnes is right about the hard moments between markers, the stuff you can't log. The real total is how you change between point A and point B, which never fits in a data field. An app can't measure the weight of a quiet morning or the frustration of a wrong turn.