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Transportation from Lone Pine to Yosemite Valley

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 4:02 pm
by Charles2
I'm planning to hike the JMT solo next summer (late August and early September) from north to south. My present plan is to drive from my home near Nogales, Arizona to Lone Pine, leave my car there, take public transportation from Lone Pine to Yosemite, hike the JMT, hitch a ride from trail end to Lone Pine and then go home.

So, I need a way to get from Lone Pine to Yosemite Valley and preferably the Happy Isles trailhead. There is a slight hitch though. I have checked the bus schedules and because YARTS leaves Mammoth (7:00 am) before the bus from Lone Pine arrives in there (about 8:30 am) it will take me two days to get to Yosemite from my car. I would like to find another way.

First, can anyone recommend a place to leave my car in Lone Pine? I don't mind paying a reasonable parking fee ($1-$2 per day) for secure parking. Second, are there any other bus lines I might look at that may have better connecting schedules or that go from Lone Pine to Yosemite in a day? Third, can I hire a car and driver to get me from Lone Pine to Yosemite? If so, who do I contact? Finally, any other recommendations anyone might have? Thanks for any info anyone can provide.

I'm really excited about this trip. I soloed the JMT in 1954 when I was 17 and I'm looking forward to doing it again 53 years later.

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 7:30 am
by Snow Nymph
Hi Charles,

We ended up hitchhiking to Mammoth to pick up our vehicles. There were two of us, and we didn't have to wait long. The people who picked us up even went out of their way to get us to the next spot!

We checked with the bus transportation service and they wanted $200 plus we had to wait 1/2 day or so. We stuck our thumbs out and got to Mammoth that afternoon.

Good luck!

Parking in Lone Pine

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:03 am
by Charles2
I contacted the Chamber of Commerce in Lone Pine regarding long-term parking. I recieved a courteous and helpful reply that there is a parking lot behind the Chamber building open to hiker parking. They charge $20 for parking there. So, one problem solved.

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 12:02 pm
by BSquared
Keep us posted about your trip, Charles! I'm thinking of doing a solo JMT next year (although there's a friend's daughter's wedding in Wyoming that may get in the way...) and I'm sure I'll face many of the same problems. I did it with my son three years ago, and it was a fantastic experience, but this time I want to go faster and lighter (and I ain't getting any younger...).

When I was doing logistics for the 2004 trip I ran across the same transportation problem at the end of the trip, but since I didn't have a car the solution was a no-brainer: CREST bus from Lone Pine to Ridgecrest, rent a one-way car (no extra charge) to LAX and fly home. The beginning of the trip was also easy because a guy came with us for the leg from Yosemite to Reds Meadow, so he could rent a car in Sacramento, leave it in the Valley, and return via YARTS from Mammoth.

Which reminds me: anybody on this board have experience with the train/bus service from Sac'to to Yosemite? Looks like I could fly into Sacramento in the morning and be in the Valley by late afternoon, but I'd sure like to talk with someone who'd done it. Reno looks like it would also work, but last I looked, flights into Sacramento were cheaper and the train/bus schedule was more favorable.

Snowy, where'd the $200 estimate come from? Was that for one of the commercial shuttle outfits that will take you anywhere anytime out there?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 4:29 pm
by Charles2
B-Squared, thanks for your interest. I most certainly will keep folks posted on my planning and will also provide an after-action report.

So far, it looks as though I will need two days to get from Lone Pine to Yosemite unless I want to spend some real money (that I don't have). I will bus from Lone Pine to Mammoth, spend the night there, take YARTS to the Yosemite Visitors Center, pick up my permit and then take the shuttle to Happy Isles. I should be able to get as far as Little Yosemite Valley the day I leave Mammoth. I'll have a light pack to start; about 17 lb. I'll only be carrying enough food to get to Tuolumne Meadows where I'll pick up my first resupply; no point in hauling a lot of food out of the Valley! I definitely will want to get my permit application in early so I have some choices.