mammoth area permit confusion

[frozenintime]

hey all

i have a tentative plan to start at agnew meadows on the river trial/shadow lake trail, but quickly turn south on the pct, before cutting west towards the ashley or anona lake area (still undecided on that).

what permit would i need?
i'm guessing either shadow lake or the river trail (since i'd technically be starting in that direction)... but i can't seem to get confirmation anywhere.

the reservation.gov site doesn't mention going south on the PCT (though it cuts right through the agnew area) in its descriptions of what one might do via agnew meadows.

i just spoke to a ranger as well, but he kept saying i should go to shadow lake and turn south on the JMT... though that would seem to add 3-4 miles unnecessarily. he said something about the PCT "not being in the wilderness area" in this section, but i'm not sure what he meant by that.

thoughts?

[maverick]

If you want to go to the 1000 Is Lake area use entrance AA08, if Shadow Lake/Ediza AA07 for your entrance trail, that's it.

[markskor]

The required wilderness permit clearly states: the beginning TH, what day starting out, the number in the group, intended route, maybe where the first day's camp is, and approx. how long you will be out. If you comply/ are legal as to the first three conditions above - (and do not leave the wilderness along the route chosen), you can go almost anywhere Sierra you want. Plans do change.
Suggest - River Trail out of Agnew works, also the JMT TH too, but Red's Meadow/DPP TH would be better for Ashley.

[frozenintime]

thanks mark. i guess i knew that, but still wanted to do it 'right' for some reason.

ultimately we'd be circling north up to davis lakes and then back on the high trail, so agnew seemed like a good middle point for that kind of loop. but i'm open to doing it another way, i've not been to the mammoth area with its many neighboring trailheads.

[RiseToADry]

Apologize ahead of time if I'm hijacking, but question is kind of related to this topic...

Does anyone have any experience getting walkup permit for the River/High trail to 1000 island in late July or August? Are there so many people it is lottery style? Or do some of them often go unused?

I'm looking at a mid-week entry (Tues/Wed), first or second week of August.

[balzaccom]

It's not a lottery. It's first come first served. During the week for a single person, I think you should be OK. But it will slow your start down, as you have to start in the ranger's office to get your permit.... not at the trailhead ready to hike.

[markskor]

Does anyone have any experience getting walk-up permit for the River/High trail to 1000 island in late July or August? Are there so many people it is lottery style? Or do some of them often go unused?

Mammoth Permit office has a unique process for their available walk-up permits. Always good to call first - yes these are popular THs but...
Best if you show up pre-7:30 AM at their office (Next to - east of the Shady Rest campground/ across from the old McDonald's). There may be a few folks there but usually not many. The office will crack open the doors for 5 minutes at 8:00 AM, just to give out priority number cards...1, 2, 3 etc. Since their walk-up wilderness permit line does not actually open until 11:00 AM...go to Vons or out and have breakfast (Breakfast Club, Base Camp Cafe, or the Stove?) and when you return at 10:45 AM, when they open up the permit line, they will parcel out available permits based on those who have numbers first...most don't.

After bagging your permit (have always got one this way BTW), you can then grab your ready backpack and head out, (free shuttle bus or drive) up to the big ski mountain parking lot (next to the Mammoth statue) where the $7 shuttle bus there will get you down to Agnew...hiking by noon.

If doing the River Trail TH, (my preferred route BTW going up to 1000 Isl) due to all above and probable later start, you can still hike 2/3 the way up to Garnet easy. Camp along San Joaquin just before that last 1,200' uphill...see TOPO.

[Scouter9]

One more reason to try walk-in at Mammoth: I usually have one or two slots on my permit to "turn in" and I wait until I'm picking up to do it. Entry date Aug 6, for 2018.

In 2016, we had a major glitch, so I turned in 12 and walked-in at Tuolumne. You never know...

[Pulpit]

I second what Marks suggested about using Devil's Postpile trailhead. My brother and I used that trailhead and base camped at Fern Lake for 3 nights back in 2011. Easy cross country from there over to Anona on to Ashley and Holcomb, all of which we visited on a day hike. Ashley and Holcomb and both gorgeous. Anona is a marshy mosquito pit (albeit 2011 was an extreme snow year), I would recommend camping at Fern, Ashley or Holcomb.

Doyle Donehoo did a fantastic, descriptive write up of this entire loop that piqued my interest in that area:

http://doylewdonehoo.com/sierratrails/m ... ret001.htm

[B.Kruger]

Mammoth Permit office has a unique process for their available walk-up permits. Always good to call first - yes these are popular THs but...
Best if you show up pre-7:30 AM at their office (Next to - east of the Shady Rest campground/ across from the old McDonald's). There may be a few folks there but usually not many. The office will crack open the doors for 5 minutes at 8:00 AM, just to give out priority number cards...1, 2, 3 etc. Since their walk-up wilderness permit line does not actually open until 11:00 AM...go to Vons or out and have breakfast (Breakfast Club, Base Camp Cafe, or the Stove?) and when you return at 10:45 AM, when they open up the permit line, they will parcel out available permits based on those who have numbers first...most don't.

After bagging your permit (have always got one this way BTW), you can then grab your ready backpack and head out, (free shuttle bus or drive) up to the big ski mountain parking lot (next to the Mammoth statue) where the $7 shuttle bus there will get you down to Agnew...hiking by noon.

If doing the River Trail TH, (my preferred route BTW going up to 1000 Isl) due to all above and probable later start, you can still hike 2/3 the way up to Garnet easy. Camp along San Joaquin just before that last 1,200' uphill...see TOPO.

This is a really helpful overview, thanks Mark. I've avoided 1000 Isl until now because of the daunting crowds, but have decided to suck it up and enjoy that region this summer.