JMT & Halfdome from the PCT

[walker1]

Hi all,
I'm planning to come over from Ireland to thru-hike the PCT in 2015, & I'd really like to finish the JMT by hiking down into Yosemite Valley and maybe climb half dome.
Whats my best option here? Take my best guess at my arrival date in Tuolumne , apply for the permits for that date and hope i'm not left hanging around for a week/unable to make it to the trailhead in time. Or Hope that i can get one of the "first come, first served" permits on the day? Or is there a better way of doing this?
I'd really appreciate any help and advice on this
Thank you
RoadRunner
AT 2014

[Coffee]

I'm planning the same thing but I've already done Half Dome twice and plan on doing clouds rest instead. As you know, the PCT permit won't cover us from Tuolumne to Happy Isles. Also, I recently learned from the wilderness office that we cannot day hike between Tuolumne and Happy Isles if we carry overnight gear (since a ranger we meet won't know the hiker's intent). So we do need a permit. However, it need not be issued in Yosemite where walk ins for the Sunrise trailhead can be in high demand. Instead, I'm thinking of getting a walk up permit issued by Inyo NF in Mammoth. The entry point could be a NOBO entry such as the High Trail, which is the PCT out of Agnew Meadows and doesn't often fill up. The exit point would be Happy Isles. I would only need to present this permit if questioned between Tuolumne and Happy Isles since the PCT permit is good elsewhere. I don't have a good solution for Half Dome permits... These are hard to come by and only Yosemite issues them. And they are strictly enforced.

[Coffee]

My reference to the "Sunrise" trailhead should have been Cathedral Lakes trailhead if you plan to stick to the JMT. My plan is to hike via Sunrise Lakes and Clouds rest.

[jawnzee]

I got a walk-in permit from the Tuolumne station. I was thinking I would just finish the JMT, but then I was looking at the maps and ended up making my own route to see everything and doing Cloudsrest and Half Dome and then going all along the southern rim of Yosemite Valley before heading back east through the valley.

I was starting to feel some miles pressure and it was a perfect break from the PCT highway. I didn't know anything about Yosemite before and Half Dome was surprisingly scary. If you've never been there before, I can't imagine just continuing on the PCT when so close to Yosemite Valley.

[enyapjr]

I got a walk-in permit from the Tuolumne station.

Just check & get permit(s) at Tuolumne as jawnzee mentioned. If doing Half Dome, you will also need a separate permit for that (required 7 days a week now, no exceptions).

[Sirsnappy09]

Just check & get permit(s) at Tuolumne as jawnzee mentioned. If doing Half Dome, you will also need a separate permit for that (required 7 days a week now, no exceptions).[/QUOTE]


This is true and they will check . I was checked twice last year.

[Malto]

I'm planning the same thing but I've already done Half Dome twice and plan on doing clouds rest instead. As you know, the PCT permit won't cover us from Tuolumne to Happy Isles. Also, I recently learned from the wilderness office that we cannot day hike between Tuolumne and Happy Isles if we carry overnight gear (since a ranger we meet won't know the hiker's intent). So we do need a permit. However, it need not be issued in Yosemite where walk ins for the Sunrise trailhead can be in high demand. Instead, I'm thinking of getting a walk up permit issued by Inyo NF in Mammoth. The entry point could be a NOBO entry such as the High Trail, which is the PCT out of Agnew Meadows and doesn't often fill up. The exit point would be Happy Isles. I would only need to present this permit if questioned between Tuolumne and Happy Isles since the PCT permit is good elsewhere. I don't have a good solution for Half Dome permits... These are hard to come by and only Yosemite issues them. And they are strictly enforced.

I find the bolded part very hard to believe. I would get a second opinion. There is not a permit needed to carry gear, there is a permit needed to camp overnight. What you were told makes no sense.

[Coffee]

I find the bolded part very hard to believe. I would get a second opinion. There is not a permit needed to carry gear, there is a permit needed to camp overnight. What you were told makes no sense.

I understand the reaction but this came directly from Yosemite ranger who checked into the question for me. Backcountry Rangers can cite people in the wilderness without a permit if they have overnight gear. The rationale is that they cannot verify whether you will camp overnight or not if they encounter you on the trail and check for permits. I'm not defending the policy, just passing along what I was told.

[Coffee]

Here is the exact text from the email I received:

Hello -

Thank you for you email and for planning in advance. Technically you need to have a permit if you are carrying overnight gear. Part of this is due to an attempt to maintain the wilderness experience for everyone (i.e. how many people were you expecting to see day hiking on the trail? how about for overnight use?) Additionally, it adds challenges for rangers in making contacts with visitors.


Best,
Marea


National Park Service
Yosemite National Park

[walker1]

Thanks for all the replies!
If i got a spot on the Tuolumne Campground and left my tent/sleeping bag there and hiked down to Yosemite Valley with just a daypack and got the bus back up? Might this be OK?
Or is it possible that the ranger might allow people to leave gear at the Wilderness station, like they do at Baxter SP when you go up Katahdin on the AT?

Would I be able to take the bus down to the Valley from TM with my backpack to hike around in the Valley without needing a permit?
Sorry for all the questions, but I really don't want to have to walk past Yosemite Valley.
Thank you
RoadRunner

[Sirsnappy09]

Did you see that permit regulations have changed and there is a trailhead quota as well as an exit quota daily? This begins Feb2. Gonna be my g more difficult to thru the jmt now. Glad I got mine for this year already. What coffee says is true by the way.

[Malto]

Thanks for all the replies!
If i got a spot on the Tuolumne Campground and left my tent/sleeping bag there and hiked down to Yosemite Valley with just a daypack and got the bus back up? Might this be OK?
Or is it possible that the ranger might allow people to leave gear at the Wilderness station, like they do at Baxter SP when you go up Katahdin on the AT?

Would I be able to take the bus down to the Valley from TM with my backpack to hike around in the Valley without needing a permit?
Sorry for all the questions, but I really don't want to have to walk past Yosemite Valley.
Thank you
RoadRunner

Unless something has changed the hiker bus only runs up from the valley in the morning.

[i-Lan]

Did you see that permit regulations have changed and there is a trailhead quota as well as an exit quota daily? This begins Feb2. Gonna be my g more difficult to thru the jmt now. Glad I got mine for this year already. What coffee says is true by the way.

My impression was that the new quotas are only for hikers exiting Yosemite over Donohue Pass. This wouldn't affect NOBO thrus then. http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/jmtfaq.htm

[Sirsnappy09]

You are correct.