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I did the JMT in 2020. Started at Tuolumne Meadows(Lyell Canyon) in mid August and exited Whitney Portal in early September. I scored my permit through the Yosemite lottery. Probably helped that we didn’t start at Happy Isles. If you’ve already explored Yosemite Valley and the surrounding areas you can increase your odds by skipping all that if you’re heading southbound.

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Another big consideration in recent years is wildfires. Might be worth it to just pack the microspikes, deal with some snow on the passes and decrease the likelihood of having to bail due to wildfires later in the season. Good luck!

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Great advice from Marion on snow considerations.? We've got lots now,

but the spigot could shut off in January, we could have a couple of hot

spells in late Spring, and the snowpack could be very different.? But?

mid-August thru September should be a safe bet for all the reasons

she mentions.

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On Sun, Jan 2, 2022 at 12:38 PM Marion Davison <mardav@...> wrote:

Here is what I would do.
1.? Watch how the snow year shapes up.? In a big snow year, I would hike
the JMT beginning in early to mid August.? In a regular snow year, I
might start around July 20.? In a low snow year I might start about July
10.? Right now it is too soon to tell how the snow year will shape up.
All this early snow/rain is a big anomaly.? My goal is to avoid a lot of
postholing, or drowning in a creek crossing, or being eaten alive by
mosquitoes.? So I like to wait until the snow has melted, the creeks
have calmed down, and the big moskie bloom has subsided.
2.? I would get a northbound permit starting from Cottonwood Pass or
Cottonwood Lakes.? I would camp at Crabtree and dayhike the summit of
Whitney, in order to get the "full trail experience".
3.? The permit process for Yosemite got a major revamp this year so I
couldn't tell you anything about that. I hope it is an improvement.
4.? The permit process for Inyo has been much the same for many years,
and I have always gotten the permit I wanted.? I guess I have been very
lucky. I typically get my permit 6 months in advance, which would
usually be late February.? But if conditions change I may drop it and
pick up a different permit for a different date or trailhead.
Disclaimer:
I hiked the JMT nobo in 1996, starting at Camp Whitsett in Johnsondale.
I hiked the JMT sobo in 1999, starting at Leavitt Meadow near Sonora
Pass.? Since then I have hiked segments every year, always starting from
the east side, so I have gotten all my permits from Inyo.