We needed to get to Muir Trail Ranch before 5:00pm to pick up our resupply buckets on this day and had ~15.7 miles to cover. Definitely our longest mileage day yet. Fortunately, it was almost entirely downhill. I hit the trail just after 6:00am to get a head start on Chuck and Jill. This is the morning reflection on the duck pond. The duck was nowhere to be found.

Possibly Colby Meadow, where we had originally intended to spend the previous night. Photo by Chuck Haak.

Evolution Creek. Photo by Chuck Haak.

Almost there! Photo by Chuck Haak.

South Fork San Joaquin River from the very appreciated bridge.

South Fork San Joaquin River

Photo by Chuck Haak.

South Fork San Joaquin River

Photo by Chuck Haak.

Piute Creek bridge.

The trash buckets at MTR. Please note the sign that indicates that they don't take used toilet paper. This was very bad news. Photo by Jill Haak.

Muir Trail Ranch doesn't like backpackers to hang out after closing time, so we grabbed our resupply buckets and headed for the backpackers' campground at least a half mile away, close to the South Fork San Joaquin River. Photo by Jill Haak.

Evolution Creek

Creek crossing. Photo by Chuck Haak.

This is what Evolution Creek looks like just past the place where we crossed, so you want to make sure it's safe to cross there or you might just end up here.

Horse packer coming across another bridge. Chuck and Jill had a long conversation with this guy. He was packing in provisions to people who were planning on camping at Evolution Lake where we had camped the night before. Photo by Chuck Haak.

South Fork San Joaquin River

Chuck and Jill caught up with me again right about here. Photo by Chuck Haak.

After a week of hiking in Kings Canyon National Park, we are now crossing into the John Muir Wilderness. Photo by Jill Haak.

We turned off the JMT here and headed to the Muir Trail Ranch, where our resupply buckets awaited us.

Chuck pawing through the hiker buckets. He was delighted to find a whole block of Kerrygold Cheddar Cheese in one of them. Score! Photo by Jill Haak.

My tent at the backpacker's campground.

Day 13. Photo by Jill Haak.

Gotta love this nice level path through the woods! Photo by Chuck Haak.

Evolution Creek crossing. Evolution Creek is one of those creeks along the JMT that can be quite treacherous in high-water years, which 2017 definitely was. There is an alternate crossing at Evolution Meadow, but we decided to go for the regular crossing. It was wide, but not terribly deep or fast. Photo by Chuck Haak.

Photo by Chuck Haak.

Photo by Jill Haak.

Bridge over the South Fork San Joaquin River Photo by Chuck Haak.

This wee one was hanging out with its mom almost right in the middle of the trail.

South Fork San Joaquin River

The bridge over Piute Creek.

Photo by Jill Haak.

Me pawing through the hiker buckets. JMT and PCT hikers use these buckets to get rid of unwanted food items and/or to pick up something that someone else has left. We did both. Photo by Jill Haak.

McClure Meadow. Photo by Chuck Haak.

Chuck made it across before anyone could get a photo of him crossing. He must be enjoying the cool water on his feet. Photo by Jill Haak.

Very long ribbon of water cascading down into Goddard Canyon and the South Fork of the San Joaquin River. Plus a cool juniper tree.

Lunch stop by the bridge. Photo by Jill Haak.

South Fork San Joaquin River

South Fork San Joaquin River

Photo by Chuck Haak.

Piute Creek upstream from the bridge.

Almost to MTR. Photo by Chuck Haak.

This is the area where hikers can unpack and sort through their resupply buckets and re-pack your backpack. Photo by Jill Haak.

Evolution Creek

Photo by Chuck Haak.

Photo by Chuck Haak.

Goddard Canyon

This bridge is just downstream from where Evolution Creek joins the South Fork San Joaquin River.

South Fork San Joaquin River

Piute Creek rushing headlong to join the South Fork San Joaquin River.

Made it to MTR with plenty of time to spare! Photo by Jill Haak.

The resupply bucket storage shed. We had mailed our buckets about a month before we got here. Photo by Jill Haak.