2021 trips booked?

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Wandering Daisy
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Re: 2021 trips booked?

Post by Wandering Daisy »

jhfowler: Good luck on your PCT plans! I will be cheering you along.

Brandoge: the Lost Coast is a wonderful trip- have fun! I have done it twice (the entire length all the way to Hwy 1 north-to-south).

As much as I wanted to backpack in the Sierra, given the permit mess and prospect of more wildfires given the warm temperatures and so far lack of snowpack, I am may do another summer in Wyoming (slightly below-normal snowpack, no permits required) if Sierra first come permits are no longer available. It is hard to believe that, if no-shows become a large number of permits, first-come permits will not be available, particularly later when vaccinations should be completed on most people. I just think it is too early to tell. And no, I will not over-reserve and and cancel, just does not set well with me; seems pretty selfish when I have other options.
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balzaccom
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Re: 2021 trips booked?

Post by balzaccom »

I'm with you, Daisy. Our plans are still up in the air, and I don't want to tie up permits that we may not use.

Good news is that it looks as if we may be closer to vaccinated...over 65, and I teach...so if that happens we may move forward more.

And we know enough places we can go that are beautiful...and don't require permits.
Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-R ... 0984884963
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rlown
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Re: 2021 trips booked?

Post by rlown »

I know where I want to go and they require permits. I'll take what I can get for the area I desire. I'd prefer going early season because something is gonna burn after mid August.
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Re: 2021 trips booked?

Post by newossab »

Enigmagic wrote: Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:10 am Take a look at https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DO ... 337626.pdf it shows the initial route you need to take for each trailhead... if you have a Shadow Creek permit you need to follow the red line up to the JMT, or head up to Ediza and backtrack the next day.
Thanks, not sure how I didn't pick up on that initially.
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Re: 2021 trips booked?

Post by giantbrookie »

I'm following my usual habit of seeing how the snow season pans out. I usually wait until the April snowcourse measurements to cement my plans. I also have to wait on other folks' schedules in the summer before I nail down dates and places. I know where I want to go, but I have to wait on various schedules. Depending on how traveling looks in summer I have some international collaborations where I will be leading some folks to various geologic localities in CA and in exchange may get to go some places (such as Newfoundland). Then there is Dawn's summer track schedule and Judy's work schedule, so it's too far away for me to lock in any reservations.
Since my fishing (etc.) website is still down, you can be distracted by geology stuff at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/ees/facu ... ayshi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: 2021 trips booked?

Post by wildhiker »

I never reserve wilderness permits far in advance. There are just too many variables that can affect where and when to go: snowpack conditions, weather conditions, fire and smoke conditions, personal health conditions, and family activities. At least I don't have to add work commitments to that list anymore since I retired in 2018 (although my wife still works, so trips with her are subject to her schedule). All I know in January is that I will backpack in the Sierra in the summer somewhere at some time. I almost always use walk-up permits. Sometimes I will reserve a few weeks in advance when I have a definite time commitment and summer is far enough along to know the conditions. The summer of 2020 was challenging since almost all agencies cut out walk-up permits.
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Re: 2021 trips booked?

Post by SSSdave »

As a senior without life complications, will likely make some plans in May and others at short notice. As a photographer, I try to date trips when I think landscape aesthetics are best. If that is not possible I will change planning going elsewhere that is easy since the Sierra Nevada is vast. My hope is we are likely going to have some major storms late winter as has been the pattern during droughty early winters over the last decades. Nothing I've lined up is likely to fill quotas midweek and even when that does, it is likely cancellations will pop up for solos. My longest trip if storms pick up will likely be a 10-day early August over Taboose that is always open midweek. If the rest of winter continues to be droughty, I won't backpack much as have lots of ways to otherwise spend my time.
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Re: 2021 trips booked?

Post by SirBC »

SSSdave wrote: Sat Jan 16, 2021 2:15 pm As a senior without life complications, will likely make some plans in May and others at short notice. As a photographer, I try to date trips when I think landscape aesthetics are best. If that is not possible I will change planning going elsewhere that is easy since the Sierra Nevada is vast. My hope is we are likely going to have some major storms late winter as has been the pattern during droughty early winters over the last decades. Nothing I've lined up is likely to fill quotas midweek and even when that does, it is likely cancellations will pop up for solos. My longest trip if storms pick up will likely be a 10-day early August over Taboose that is always open midweek. If the rest of winter continues to be droughty, I won't backpack much as have lots of ways to otherwise spend my time.
Is the road to the Taboose trailhead scheduled to be open this summer?
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Re: 2021 trips booked?

Post by Enigmagic »

SirBC wrote: Sat Jan 16, 2021 5:12 pm Is the road to the Taboose trailhead scheduled to be open this summer?
the Taboose trailhead is open for permits this year, I'm hoping that means it's business as usual.
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Re: 2021 trips booked?

Post by OutdoorRandy »

Does anyone know the time of day that Inyo National Forest permits are available on Recreation.gov? I got up at midnight (PDT) to book a permit for 7/18/21 (6 months out). They were not released. I checked again around 6am. Still not released. I just checked at 8am and all of the permits for the trailhead I want to go out of are all booked.
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