JMT walk up permit strategy, August

[Satsuma]

Thanks all for advices. We are not purists and ready for some flexibility. My husband did JMT starting from TM two years ago. This time we wanted to make it together, and get the whole thing but since we were not able to reserve in advance, we can try to do different start.

Our flexibility is limited with our daughter in camp with fixed start and end date, so we have to exit in time.

[tim]

I've always wondered whether the rules would prevent you entering at Olmstead Pt, walking to the Valley (for which you'd only need a day pack), staying in the BP campground and then going up from Happy Isles the next morning? Or do you have to stop at the Snow Creek bridge before the switchbacks?

I guess this is related to the other debate about whether you can stay in the BP campground in the middle of a hike, not just at the beginning and end? Seems people do (and I thought the rules were about exiting the wilderness for more than 24 hours, not overnight), but I guess it might be rather frowned upon on the first or second night of your trip!

[TehipiteTom]

For whatever it's worth, IMO Little Yosemite Valley is a whole lot of not very much. It's not that beautiful, and it's really crowded, and the campground (designated sites, all right next to each other) is as un-wilderness as Sierra Nevada "wilderness" gets.

So one option would be to start out from Sunrise trailhead, go over Cloud's Rest, and camp near Sunrise Creek a little up from the JMT/Half Dome junction (below the junction it's no camping outside of designated sites, i.e., LYV campground). That cuts nearly 1000' off your climb to Half Dome, compared to LYV. Just one more option among many.

[AlmostThere]

I And you need to be at the Tuolmne Meadows office to improve your chances further - people in line at that office get priority, if you are in the valley office they will have to call the Tuolumne office to verify there are some left.

Really? In official site they say that priority is in the office closest to trailhead, so valley office would be the best for HI start.

The trailheads I am listing are all on Tioga Rd. except for those noted as being from Glacier Rd. That comment is SPECIFIC to what I am saying, not a Happy Isles start.

[Satsuma]

That comment is SPECIFIC to what I am saying, not a Happy Isles start.

Got it. Thanks.

[stevet]

For my JMT hike I likewise failed to secure a permit by mail. So I planned to stay 2 night in the valley. I arrived mid-afternoon, stayed in a Curry Village tent cabin (could also just share a backpacker campsite with someone) and got in line at the backcountry office at 4am. Got a walk up permit to start the next day. The ranger also told me that no shows were common, and had I wanted to wait around until 10am they could give me the permit of a no show to start hiking that day.

So seems pretty straight forward. Spend the night and be one of the first in line at the backcounty office. Get a next day permit of your choice, or wait around, be 1st in line for a no show permit and start hiking around lunchtime.

The rangers will work with you on trailhead options and LYV vs. thru for 1st night camp on the trail, and Half Dome. They want it you work out for you.