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Thru-Hiking Through a Pandemic: 14 Days on the John Muir Trail

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Thru-hiking any trail is already a big task. Add in the roadblocks of a pandemic, and it becomes an even bigger adventure.

During the summer of 2020, as a global pandemic was unraveling, Billy Yang (and two friends) set out to hike the 211-mile John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California.

“We started in Cottonwood Pass — about 30 miles before the official start at Mount Whitney — and took a total of 14 days to make it to Yosemite Valley. Take the journey with us through the highs and lows of the thru-hike,” wrote Yang on his YouTube channel.

Yang boils down their pandemic hiking experience into a fun, humorous, and raw 53-minute film. Thinking about thru-hiking next season? Give it a watch.

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