People hike the JMT for all sorts of reasons. I met several who were doing it for the third or more time. One guy in his 60's said he did it when he was a teen and wanted to do it again. One gray haired woman was singing as she walked down the trail- singing a song about John Muir! She was doing it because she was a John Muir worshiper. Although I actually met a lot who were doing it multiple times, most seemed to be doing it for the name-sake of the trail or as a once-in-lifetime trip. It is a "big name" trail that everyone recognizes. You can then say, "I hiked the JMT this summer." That gets attention; people immediately know what you did. It is sort of a bench mark they measure themselves against. Most seem not to care how crowded the trail gets. The more the merrier. Many think they are getting a wilderness experience. In fact, if you want a wilderness experience, do not choose the JMT. Exception is off season - THEN, you can hike the JMT and have a wilderness experience, at least most of the time.

It is all relative. Most hikers I met who were from back East, accustomed to well used trails, said they thought the JMT was comparatively more of a wilderness experience. Wilderness experience or not, it does go through fabulous country and doing it IS an accomplishment. Not my cup of tea, but I congratulate those who finish it.