Parking permits for Yosemite backpackers

[potatopants]

Hi all. Yosemite parking question here. I have a permit for later this summer and was happy to get the email notifying me that my permit is valid (let's hope that stays the case!).

People with June wilderness permits have some additional language in their recent "your permit is valid" emails (emphasis is mine0:
"During your meeting with a Ranger, a code for completing your Yosemite Wilderness education will be provided. Once completed, fill out this <form>. You can not submit this form prior to your GoToMeeting call. After a review by a ranger to make sure your permit is in order and your education code is valid, your permit and parking pass will be emailed to you. You MUST print your emailed wilderness permit along with your parking permit(s) and bring with you to Yosemite. This will serve as your entry into the park as well as your entry to the Wilderness. You can not pick up your permit in the park."

This will be the first time I'm leaving a car at a trailhead in Yosemite, so I'm curious to learn more about the parking permit thing. Mainly I want to make sure that if I exit the wilderness later than expected, that they aren't going to 1) tow the car 2) needlessly alert my family or authorities.

I am planning to spend 14 to 16 days out, and the limit is technically 14 days between May and September, so I can't really fudge the exit date to include buffer.

Thanks for your insights!

[rlown]

Well it has always been to leave your entrance permit on your dash and they don't bug you.

[cahiker]

The parking permit has the entry date and the permit number on it, but not the exit date. They could look up your exit date by the permit number, but if their goal was to ticket cars that had been there too long I would expect them to print the exit date on the permit. Besides, if you are doing a one way hike, it could take you an extra day to get back to your car after you exit the backcountry.

I reserved two permits for this summer, and padded the exit dates on both. I realized later that it added up to 16 nights, but they didn't flag it. Since they don't ask for your full itinerary, just first night campsite, they don't know whether you will be in the park the whole time anyway. Of course you would know if you exceeded the limit.

[potatopants]

Awesome, thanks, cahiker. That's a big help.