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Looking for some advice on the best way to get a JMT permit, from someone who has gotten one since COVID. Anyone with suggestions as far as dates to shoot for would be welcome to. A lot of snow has been falling so far this winter and the only years I have made it far into the high country, since I was a kid, have been light-medium snow years. Thank you everyone!
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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.
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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.
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.
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Yes, excellent advice from Marion re: weather.?
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.
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! John Girot
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On Jan 2, 2022, at 12:58 PM, Peter Klein <pklein95014@...> wrote:
? 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. 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.
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Excellent advice by Marion.? Right now there is a ton of snow at lower elevations from Lee Vining to Tom’s Place, but if the snow tap turns off in the next three months, the December snow could be a memory in July even in the passes. This
December was an anomaly snow wise as even the last big snow year in 2019 was pretty much snowless in December 2018.? To be safe, apply for a permit starting from an Inyo TH for an early to Mid August start and you can always change later on.? As far as starting
in Yosemite, my understanding is that you can no longer get a DP exit permit if you are starting from either Glacier or Sunrise (perhaps Lyell?) and also with an exit permit you can’t camp in LYV on the first night but must camp after the Clouds Rest cutoff,
but Inga can confirm this.? Good luck.
?
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From: Marion Davison
Sent: Sunday, January 2, 2022 2:38 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [JMT-groups.io] JMT suggestions #permits
?
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.
?
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Until last year, I would have suggested late August or September. But the fires closure ruined my plans and I no longer have confidence that the authorities won't simply close national forests throughout the state even if the fires are elsewhere. ?So I am debating whether to plan something for earlier in August or perhaps even in July. I would prefer to avoid mosquitos and snow but I really need to get back this summer after not wanting to fly in 2020 due to covid and having the fires shut down the forest last year. ?
It is too early to know how the snow pack will look. The issue, however, is that permit reservations are made six months out so we cannot know what the snow situation will be like when we reserve permits..?
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First off, I'm glad to see some activity on this group again.? I thought maybe I missed the memo!
I agree, the smoke/fire situation cancelled my trip last year in mid August so I'm aiming earlier this year.? That said, I will likely get permits for the 1st of August and then the 15th and cancel whichever makes sense once the snow conditions are settled.
I'm only doing a week and just a portion on the JMT.
On Mon, Jan 3, 2022, 4:21 PM ravi_jmt2013 < ravi@...> wrote: Until last year, I would have suggested late August or September. But the fires closure ruined my plans and I no longer have confidence that the authorities won't simply close national forests throughout the state even if the fires are elsewhere.? So I am debating whether to plan something for earlier in August or perhaps even in July. I would prefer to avoid mosquitos and snow but I really need to get back this summer after not wanting to fly in 2020 due to covid and having the fires shut down the forest last year. ?
It is too early to know how the snow pack will look. The issue, however, is that permit reservations are made six months out so we cannot know what the snow situation will be like when we reserve permits..?
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Sorry to hear about your trip last year.? We started south from Rush Creek on 8/16 last year (we did the north portion of the trail from Rush Creek to Happy Isle in the rain the week before) and had beautiful weather with little or no smoke
or rain the entire way south.? Only complication was when they closed the Inyo on September 1,? we had to walk south from Evolution not knowing if we would be permitted to finish.? Initially after the closure, the Forest Service said if you were on the trail
you could finish as long as you didn’t leave the trail (i.e. no resupply).? We actually met someone that had run in to a ranger on Kearsarge Pass after resupplying at Onion Valley.? The ranger almost made her turn back but she was finally permitted to get
back on trail. ?In 2020, we scored a Donahue exit permit starting at Glacier but we forced off the trail at Duck Pass due to the Creek Fire.? Despite the fire risk, I still prefer the latter part of August and September for a start date.
?
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From: Curt Kinchen
Sent: Monday, January 3, 2022 9:59 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [JMT-groups.io] JMT suggestions #permits
?
First off, I'm glad to see some activity on this group again.? I thought maybe I missed the memo!
I agree, the smoke/fire situation cancelled my trip last year in mid August so I'm aiming earlier this year.? That said, I will likely get permits for the 1st of August and then the 15th and cancel whichever makes sense once the snow conditions
are settled.
I'm only doing a week and just a portion on the JMT.
?
On Mon, Jan 3, 2022, 4:21 PM ravi_jmt2013 <ravi@...> wrote:
Until last year, I would have suggested late August or September. But the fires closure ruined my plans and I no longer have confidence that the authorities won't simply close national forests throughout the state even if the fires are
elsewhere.? So I am debating whether to plan something for earlier in August or perhaps even in July. I would prefer to avoid mosquitos and snow but I really need to get back this summer after not wanting to fly in 2020 due to covid and having the fires shut
down the forest last year. ?
It is too early to know how the snow pack will look. The issue, however, is that permit reservations are made six months out so we cannot know what the snow situation will be like when we reserve permits..?
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I should clarify that if I had made it to my starting point, Bishop, I found later that the smoke on the trail wasn't an issue at all.? I was flying a light plane from Seattle and was forced to turn back due to low visibility at the Ca/Oregon border.? It didn't look good smoke wise anywhere in between, as well as on the Bishop webcam, which faces west so I didn't press on.
Watching it before and after it did appear that much of the smoke last year was at lower elevations.
I agree, in a wet year mid August nor later is better for bugs.??
Sorry to hear about your trip last year.? We started south from Rush Creek on 8/16 last year (we did the north portion of the trail from Rush Creek to Happy Isle in the rain the week before) and had beautiful weather with little or no smoke
or rain the entire way south.? Only complication was when they closed the Inyo on September 1,? we had to walk south from Evolution not knowing if we would be permitted to finish.? Initially after the closure, the Forest Service said if you were on the trail
you could finish as long as you didn’t leave the trail (i.e. no resupply).? We actually met someone that had run in to a ranger on Kearsarge Pass after resupplying at Onion Valley.? The ranger almost made her turn back but she was finally permitted to get
back on trail.? In 2020, we scored a Donahue exit permit starting at Glacier but we forced off the trail at Duck Pass due to the Creek Fire.? Despite the fire risk, I still prefer the latter part of August and September for a start date.
?
Sent from for Windows
?
?
First off, I'm glad to see some activity on this group again.? I thought maybe I missed the memo!
I agree, the smoke/fire situation cancelled my trip last year in mid August so I'm aiming earlier this year.? That said, I will likely get permits for the 1st of August and then the 15th and cancel whichever makes sense once the snow conditions
are settled.
I'm only doing a week and just a portion on the JMT.
?
On Mon, Jan 3, 2022, 4:21 PM ravi_jmt2013 <ravi@...> wrote:
Until last year, I would have suggested late August or September. But the fires closure ruined my plans and I no longer have confidence that the authorities won't simply close national forests throughout the state even if the fires are
elsewhere.? So I am debating whether to plan something for earlier in August or perhaps even in July. I would prefer to avoid mosquitos and snow but I really need to get back this summer after not wanting to fly in 2020 due to covid and having the fires shut
down the forest last year. ?
It is too early to know how the snow pack will look. The issue, however, is that permit reservations are made six months out so we cannot know what the snow situation will be like when we reserve permits..?
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The smoke in August came mostly from fires to the north and west of the trail.? We live in June Lake in the summer and there was little smoke in the area until mid September when we started to get smoke from the SEKI fires. When the Inyo
closed in September it was actually due to a ?personal shortage due to the fires up by Tahoe and not to fires in the Inyo.
?
Sent from for Windows
?
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From: Curt Kinchen
Sent: Tuesday, January 4, 2022 11:34 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [JMT-groups.io] JMT suggestions #permits
?
I should clarify that if I had made it to my starting point, Bishop, I found later that the smoke on the trail wasn't an issue at all.? I was flying a light plane from Seattle and was forced to turn back due to low visibility at the Ca/Oregon
border.? It didn't look good smoke wise anywhere in between, as well as on the Bishop webcam, which faces west so I didn't press on.
Watching it before and after it did appear that much of the smoke last year was at lower elevations.
I agree, in a wet year mid August nor later is better for bugs.??
?
Sorry to hear about your trip last year.? We started south from Rush Creek on 8/16 last year (we did the north portion of the trail from Rush Creek to Happy Isle in the rain the
week before) and had beautiful weather with little or no smoke or rain the entire way south.? Only complication was when they closed the Inyo on September 1,? we had to walk south from Evolution not knowing if we would be permitted to finish.? Initially after
the closure, the Forest Service said if you were on the trail you could finish as long as you didn’t leave the trail (i.e. no resupply).? We actually met someone that had run in to a ranger on Kearsarge Pass after resupplying at Onion Valley.? The ranger almost
made her turn back but she was finally permitted to get back on trail.? In 2020, we scored a Donahue exit permit starting at Glacier but we forced off the trail at Duck Pass due to the Creek Fire.? Despite the fire risk, I still prefer the latter part of August
and September for a start date.
?
Sent from
for Windows
?
?
First off, I'm glad to see some activity on this group again.? I thought maybe I missed the memo!
I agree, the smoke/fire situation cancelled my trip last year in mid August so I'm aiming earlier this year.? That said, I will likely get permits for the 1st of August and then
the 15th and cancel whichever makes sense once the snow conditions are settled.
I'm only doing a week and just a portion on the JMT.
?
On Mon, Jan 3, 2022, 4:21 PM ravi_jmt2013 <ravi@...> wrote:
Until last year, I would have suggested late August or September. But the fires closure ruined my plans and I no longer have confidence that the authorities won't simply close national
forests throughout the state even if the fires are elsewhere.? So I am debating whether to plan something for earlier in August or perhaps even in July. I would prefer to avoid mosquitos and snow but I really need to get back this summer after not wanting
to fly in 2020 due to covid and having the fires shut down the forest last year. ?
It is too early to know how the snow pack will look. The issue, however, is that permit reservations are made six months out so we cannot know what the snow situation will be like when we reserve permits..?
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The bigger the snowpack the longer the skeeters will be around. August is usually fine. The fires are just a wild card. Get your permit for when you’d lime to go and cross your fingers. A few years back I got a pct permit from Tahoe to Whitney. About 430 miles. Then the fires started. I was able to jump on at Florence lake for the last 130 or so. The most spectacular section IMHO so turned out great tho I had hoped to be in better shape from the long hike before I had to do the big passes. Good times.?
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?Here are my thoughts on fires. ?I dislike bugs and lightning more than smoke. I often backpack in late Aug early September. Smoke has been a problem >50% of the time and a major problem 25% of the time.? When in smoke I sleep as high as possible. The smoke usually falls into the valleys at night giving me clean air to sleep in. ?I try and pass through valleys in AM for the same reasons. It’s a disappointing reality, particularly for those of us that travel and are on fixed schedules. I have shifted some of my adventures to The PNW and AZ with limited success. ?We had significant smoke in the Grand Canyon this Sept. So my advice is go when you want to go. ?Monitor conditions and adjust if you need to. ?Be flexible. As many have said short notice permits are pretty easy to obtain. ?One or two smoke free section hikes may be a better option than a smoked filled thruhike. The rangers are an excellent resource.
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On Jan 3, 2022, at 4:21 PM, ravi_jmt2013 <ravi@...> wrote:
?Until last year, I would have suggested late August or September. But the fires closure ruined my plans and I no longer have confidence that the authorities won't simply close national forests throughout the state even if the fires are elsewhere. ?So I am debating whether to plan something for earlier in August or perhaps even in July. I would prefer to avoid mosquitos and snow but I really need to get back this summer after not wanting to fly in 2020 due to covid and having the fires shut down the forest last year. ?
It is too early to know how the snow pack will look. The issue, however, is that permit reservations are made six months out so we cannot know what the snow situation will be like when we reserve permits..?
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On Tue, Jan 4, 2022 at 11:50 AM, Sam Molinari wrote:
When the Inyo closed in September it was actually due to a ?personal shortage due to the fires up by Tahoe and not to fires in the Inyo.
Yeah, that's precisely what scares me about planning another September hike. It's not just the risk of fires in the Inyo, but anywhere in California.?
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Boone Wilder
ravi_jmt2013
