High Sierra Topix

I am sure this has been addressed 1,000 times but I am new here after being off for several years....What are the chances if any for walk up permits for 2 from Tuolumne for the JMT if all of our applications are denied. (mid to late July start date) We have a pretty open window so I would not mind waiting a day or two if need be, just not sure how that works. Any info would be greatly appreciated.....

I expect the chances will be fairly poor. Under the new regs, there will only be 10 walk-up permits available out of Lyell Canyon whereas, before, there were 14. In addition, under the new regs, you will be competing for the limited number of permits to get out of Yosemite National Park via Donohue Pass (classic JMT). Only 45 permits a day will be given out for an exit over Donohue Pass and I suspect that most, if not all, will be taken up by reservation by folks leaving from Lyell Canyon, Sunrise Lakes, Glacier Point or Happy Isles.

I think this is the official link
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/jmtfaq.htm

I guess it's mixed really. The new stuff will certainly hurt it but in 2013 after being out for a month with no permit I found myself at Tuolumne with the plan of continuing into Lyell Canyon so I was worried about walking in but I showed up just before they opened for permits to enter the following day and there were 3 people in line and none of them were heading into Lyell Canyon so it was not an issue at all.

Didn't want to blow the entire summer and or backpacking trip while trying endlessly via fax to get a permit for the JMT so we modified our trip a little bit. We had already hiked the sections between Reds Meadow and Happy Isles years back so we picked up at Reds Meadow and are exiting at Onion Valley...Good enough for me. Getting Permits for Whitney is next to impossible like trying to go over Donahue Pass. So with a little give and take we got pretty close to what we wanted and are still going to stay out and enjoy the wilderness for 18 days......

We have our reservation, shuttle services lined up and a hotel in Lone Pine and Mammoth! .........And now we can relax, hike and get ready for our adventure. Can't wait for July

Sounds like you came up with a good Plan B.

In August 2010 I stopped at Tuolumne Meadows ranger station on a Wednesday, early afternoon, hoping for a walk-up permit for the next day (not picky about destination), and the only trailhead with availability was Young Lakes. On a Wednesday. So based on that experience, I'm disinclined ever to count on a walk-up from Tuolumne.

Yea, I haven't been inclined to rely on walkups for anything in Yosemite anymore. I have a reservation already for a non JMT hike in Yosemite this summer....

It's only a subjective observations, but I do think there is an increase in the number of people going backpacking. Just from my own experiences in lines and trying to get permits for various trailheads - I used to go just walk in, but any more that is difficult to do, especially when you have more than a handful of people. I usually have 4-5 on a trip.

In a couple of weeks, I am going to attempt a reservation for 8 for Bubbs Creek - we'll see.....

You never know with walk up permits. Last summer two of us wandered into the Tuolumme permit office around 11 am on a Thursday in August expecting to take whatever was leftover for the same day. Everything was available! It actually took us a few minutes to decide because we hadn't expected all the choices.


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Consider northbound JMT starting by joining the PCT at Cottonwood Pass and meeting up with the JMT 2 days north. The pass is pretty easy when starting at the 10,000 foot high Horseshoe Meadows parking area. I got permits two weeks before starting trips. You can spend 2nd and 3rd night at Crabtree Meadows and day hike Whitney.