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Iva Bell Hot Springs
14
Hello Folks We will hike JMT SOBO starting from Tuolumne Meadows late August to mid-September. I¡¯m planning our daily itinerary. In the section from Reds Meadow to Silver Pass I would like to take the route that takes us to Iva Bell Hot Springs instead of the official JMT trail through Purple Lake. Is this a good idea? Thanks! Jingbo
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Hi All: I am planning my first thru-hike and will be replacing my Gregory Deva 60 with something lighter. I will also be getting some sort of minimal communication system to be able to let family know where I am and that all is well. I would love to hear from women who are in the 5' 1" to 5' 5" height range on packs they have liked. On 3-4 day trips I have spoken with people who have loved their ULA Circuit and their Z-packs. It seems Nunatak Bears Ears and Gossamer Gear Mariposa are highly rated on the Gear Lab sites. The issue with all 4 of these packs is that they do not seem to be offered at REI. So, the only way to test these out is by ordering them, loading them, trying them on local walks, and deciding. I would love to hear from women about their favored thru-hike backpack so I can short list. If you have had a bad experience, I would like to hear about that as well, since that will help me watch for things and maybe remove something from my list. And, on a separate note, I am also looking into getting something for communication. I do not need anything fancy nor should it have exorbitant monthly or usage charges. Something where I can send a message to family letting them know that I am okay; and something for an SOS (though I hope I do not need to use it). I am hoping this is a good year for the JMT -- we did not have the crazy snows of last year, but it was wet enough, so I hope we do not have crazy wildfires like we did in 2020-2022. Thanks in advance, CJ
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Sleeping Pads
15
I hope it's ok to post a gear question. I did the JMT from Yosemite Valley to VVR in 2022, got stopped last year because of the San Joaquin bridge being out, and have a plan to continue from VVR end of August this year. I need a new sleeping pad, looked online and ordered the https://www.nemoequipment.com/products/tensor-all-season-insulated-sleeping-pad from REI which I will be returning. It was very expensive, and the inflation pump sack is way too much work. Appreciate if anyone has any recommendations based on personal experience. Thanks for your help. Geraldine.
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Shuttle from Fresno to VVR on Sunday 25th August
3
I have booked a shuttle from Fresno to VVR with Jim Clement (vvrjim@...) on Sunday 25th August 2024 around noon. Happy to leave later too if anyone is interested in sharing the journey and shuttle costs? I got a shuttle from Jim's company out of VVR in 2022, and couldn't recommend them more. We had a full car (4), a very amenable driver and great chats along the way. Geraldine.
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Yose JMT closure
5
Bad news for purists, but a really nice trail alternative, the mist trail: https://www.sfgate.com/california-parks/article/rockslide-closes-yosemite-john-muir-trail-19423152.php
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ESTA adding Sunday service north to Reno, Saturday service south the Lancaster
6
I've posted this over on the facebook pages for JMT and HST, but I know there's some people here who (understandably) don't participate in those forums: Good News from Eastern Sierra Transit Authority At Friday's board meeting they set in motion a plan to start service from Lone Pine to Reno on Sundays (making the run 7 days a week except holidays) and to run from Mammoth Lakes to Lancaster on Saturdays (making that direction Mon-Sat). This will make it much easier to get out of Lone Pine and Bishop via public transit on the weekends. Technically, it isn't official - they need to go through a public comment period, and the final approval will be at the June 13th board meeting, service to start July 1st.
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any word on San Joaquin bridge replacement?
7
Any word on if/when s. fork of Sn. Joaquin bridge will be replaced? Any changes in recommended alt route after a year of pct/jmt hikers? Thanks Judy McGuire
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Planning a NOBO August 2024. Planning to start at Kennedy Meadows and finish at Mammoth or Tuolumne Meadows. Ideally would resupply at Horseshoe Meadows and MTR. I've not done the Kennedy to Horseshoe stretch before. Does anyone know the rules on leaving a resupply in bear boxes at Horseshoe Meadows? Ideally I'd drop a resupply there on way to Kennedy Meadow start and then pick it up a few days later. Would be a stretch to go all the way from Kennedy to MTR without a resupply.
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Chilnualna Falls Trailhead
4
This isn't really related to the JMT and is not a search for a "workaround" but I am somewhat curious why the Chilnualna Falls trailhead out of Wawona is not a more popular entry point to do loops in southern Yosemite, potentially making possible long loops that could incorporate parts of the JMT. The starting elevation is not much different from Yosemite Valley and rises up quickly to the falls, just as one would hiking up to Nevada Fall from Happy Isles. Then, you're at higher elevations and could cross over Merced Pass and Red Peak Pass, eventually coming down to either Merced Lake or Vogelsang, and then proceeding to Tuolumne (either via Rafferty Creek or Lyell Canyon) and then back on the JMT toward Happy Isles. I'm not suggesting crossing Donohue Pass which would not be allowed on this permit. Maybe there are good reasons why this isn't a common entry point for longer trips, but the quota is large, YARTS serves Wawona, there's a campground and lodging in the area for prior to the hike, etc...
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Greetings! My daughter (18) and I will be in Yosemite this coming weekend - that's the good news. The bad news is that the weather is looking pretty poor - rain and maybe some snow most of the time we'll be there (Sat - Mon). I've been to YOSE several times and done the typical stuff in the valley. But, I'm trying to figure out what may be interesting and doable in poor weather. I'm hoping to have some opportunities for interesting photographs because of overcast skies. I'm also looking for things to do in YOSE and the valley that might not jump out at the typical tourist. We'll be prepared for hiking in inclement conditions. We're staying in Wawona. Tioga & Glacier Point Roads are closed, along with the road to Mariposa Grove (could we walk in??). Thank you in advance for your advice and help! Tim Tim Mulholland Illuminata Photo Fitchburg, Wisconsin 608.628.2925 TSM.art - fine art sales Author of Leave No Trace
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JMT Matchmaker Spreadsheet to share rides, packers, car swaps, etc
JMT MATCHMAKER SHEET (Shared rides, packers, etc.) Thanks to Jake Gagnon on the Facebook JMT groups, we have a place for JMT hikers to indicate their interest in sharing rides, doing car key swaps, or sharing packers for resupply. This is a simplified version of previous sheets. It is located in the shared Google Drive, which is shared between the main John Muir Trai FBl group, the annual 2024 FB group, the Ladies of the JMT FB group and the Groups.IO group. You can add your areas of interest on the spreadsheet, explain more in the Notes and find people with similar interests. If you find a match, feel free to message them on FB (if you're there) to work out the details. If you're not on FB, leave your email and they can contact you. Questions? Ask away. Inga Aksamit, Jake Gagnon and Joe MacLeish will manage the sheet. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1m1S8EUe0Yo0Jfevy43RG6YW1ntcBkQBIJ4TJAyvdCY8/edit?usp=sharing Inga Aksamit
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I finally get a permit for backpacking JMT SOBO from Lyell Canyon to Mt Whitney! ? My trip will be from 8/23 to 9/15(hopefully will be finished a few days earlier). A friend told me that the Sierra weather may be unstable in September, especially in Whitney area. I have backpacked in Sierra in the last week of September in 2022 and 2023 (Thousand Island & Yosemite) and the weather was perfect in those trips. But I am not sure how it would be in high Sierra mountains. May I get some information from you JMT veterans? Thanks! Jingbo
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Greetings, My wife and I are planning to do part of the HSC Loop in September. Wondering if anyone has heard if the Tuolumne Meadows Backpackers Campground will be re-opened this year ? Also wondering if Tuolumne Meadows Lodge will re-open. We love to go there before/after our hike, but its been closed since 2019. thanks regards Bill Vannerus
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Bishop to South Lake
19
I just learned that the convenient Bishop Creek shuttle has been discontinued, presumably due to poor ridership. I was able to secure a Bishop Pass permit this morning for my trip this summer, if all goes as planned. I have hitchhiked many places in the Sierra Nevada but never from Bishop to South Lake. I assume it¡¯s easy? Maybe more so if I make a sign and offer $20? My first night would be Dusy Basin so I don¡¯t have to start super early and could wait a while for a ride. Hoping this isn¡¯t an unusually hard spot to hitchhike. I¡¯d prefer to not arrange a shuttle as my life is such that I can¡¯t know if the trip is on for sure until maybe a week before it happens.
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Hi there, I got a reservation for Lyell (No Donohue Pass) and plan on doing an alternative to JMT due to lack of donohue pass eligible permits ? So I will be starting at Lyell, go over Parker Pass (instead of Donohue) walk along the Waugh Lake to join JMT and then Island Pass etc until Whitney Portal So basically I skip the first section of the JMT and the Donohue. Do I need any more permits or is this it? I think the whitney is included because I start in Yosemite, Right? Do I miss anything extraordinary by skipping the Donohue? Do I miss anything extraordinary by starting at Lyell because there are still some permits that start way before (which are not donohue pass eligible either, but I could hike the section before Lyell as well) Thank you, Cristina
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Do I have to get up in the middle of the night for the lottery?
3
Last night I got up at 3 AM (east coast time) to try to secure a permit. I got my app in but I wonder if it's necessary to do this right when it opens? How many apps do they accept before they close the lottery? Or do they close it at a certain hour? Anticipating I didn't win this week's lottery so planning on next Sat. night. The lottery didn't open up right at the gong of midnight pacific time. It was many minutes late. Judy McGuire
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Here's the latest snowpack update. After the big weekend storm, the snow pack is essentially at normal levels for the date. Barring some unusual snow event later this month, the levels for April 1, the date that is generally considered the end of snow season, or a big heat wave causing an early melt, it will be an average hiking year for stream levels, mosquitos, etc.
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Contemplating a non-traditional YOYO
Hi all, I've completed the JMT NOBO (2019 and 2022), and I'm thinking of a non-traditional yoyo following the general path of the JMT with excursions to the west and east to catch portions of the various high routes. I'm looking for some advice on resupplying in Yosemite Valley. I've always either started or ended a trip there, so I've never needed to worry about shipping myself a resupply package. Does anybody have any advice on the best place to send a USPS flat rate box? Thanks all
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Daily walk up permits
What is the current number of walk-up (Donahue eligible) permits that are excluded from the Yosemite lottery? Are they releasing them online before the date as has been the case in some jurisdictions, or are they all available on the entry date first come first served at the Wilderness centers? I will be coming from the north (Sonora Pass) and the Emigrant Wilderness permit is only good to Tuolumne Meadows. Thanks in advance for the help Rick
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Hi Folks, I¡¯m about to enter the lottery for JMT permit aiming for a start date from 8/11-8/20. I just found out there are only two trailheads with Donohue Pass. Are they the only ones for JMT through hike? Or I missed something? Thanks! Jingbo
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