Overheard a guy at REI say the JMT is "overrated" and I almost lost it

I was in line at the REI in Denver last Saturday and this dude in full Patagonia gear is telling his friend the John Muir Trail is "overrated" and "too crowded." Said he did it in 12 days and was bored. I've done the JMT twice, took 18 days the first time and 20 the second. Yeah it's popular but calling it overrated feels like saying the Grand Canyon is just a big hole. Has anyone else run into these ultra-fast hikers who act like doing a trail in record time means you got the full experience?

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emmap161d ago

Oh yeah, because clearly the only way to experience a trail is to speedrun it like it's a video game. 12 days on the JMT is basically a gear check with a side of grass stains. Bet he didn't even stop to take a single photo of a marmot. Real hard to get bored when you're too busy counting your blisters and wondering why your pack smells like desperation. I bet he also thinks Yosemite is overrated because he didn't linger long enough to see a sunset. Next time, ask him if he's ever actually stopped to smell the pine needles.