John Muir Trail

The biggest thing to manage this trip is afternoon convective activity. Today has the highest storm probability at 28%, with another window Sunday at 20%. Both days, the pattern is classic Sierra — mornings clear out, instability builds by early afternoon. If you're crossing any exposed passes or above-treeline sections, be off the high points by noon. Saturday is your gift day: sunny, 64°F, winds 5–15 mph S, essentially zero precip. Use it for your most committing terrain.

Stream crossings are a non-issue right now. All five USGS gauges are at or below median — Salinas near Bradley is exactly at 103%, everything else is trending stable or falling. With 31 inches of snowpack still on the ground at elevation, flows could bump slightly during peak afternoon melt on warm days, but you're nowhere near the 150% threshold where crossings get sketchy. Cross earlier in the day if you want extra margin, but this isn't a season where you're gambling on swollen creeks.

Snowpack at 31 inches means you'll likely hit snow on north-facing slopes and above roughly 10,000 feet. The SNOTEL picture here is a bit noisy — the relevant on-trail depth is that 31-inch figure, and with overnight lows in the low-to-mid 40s, the snow surface will be soft by midday. Morning travel on snow will be firmer and faster. Microspikes are worth carrying for icy morning conditions on shaded traverses, especially if you're moving early to beat the afternoon weather.

No fires within 50 miles, so air quality is clean. You've got 14.5 hours of daylight with sunset at 8:04 PM — plenty of buffer. Get your miles in during the morning window, find camp by mid-afternoon on storm days, and make the most of Saturday when the Sierra is likely to be spectacular.