Okay, JMTers looking for your wisdom.

[Mfrenchy]

Former AT thru-hiker started planning for the JMT. I have picked my start date of September 3rd. I would love to hear from you all how to figure this out. How/what permits, resupply, must sees, must camps. Dos and don'ts. I'm sure there are answers to all these somewhere in the archives, but I know I enjoyed answering people's questions when I was done with the AT, so please edjucate me :)

Thanks in advance
~Frenchy

[Mfrenchy]

Okay, ordered Eric the Blacks data book and maps. Love supporting fellow hikers. Looking at the permit system. Seems the issue is the large amount of peope wanting to be at Happy Isles in Yosemite, is this correct? What are the alternatives or is it so beautiful it shouldn't be missed? Not sure what is the deal with the Whitney portal lottery. I see it starts on Feb 1st and closes in March. Then they reveal the lucky winners. Is it all to acess Whitney by a single route? Is there an alternative?

[Mfrenchy]

BTW, Dogwood. You rock with the amount of infomation you have provied for JMTers. Your past posts are very informative.

[Miner]

If you want to go NOBO. Starting at the Whitney Portal trailhead is difficult to get a permit. That is the trailhead that the dayhikers of Mt. Whitney use so it's very crowded. There are only 2 trails up the mountain (one coming from the east and highway 395 and the trail coming from the west from Crabtree Meadows in the middle of the wilderness). However, it's very easy to get a permit to start at Cottonwood Pass which is south of Mt. Whitney. From there, you hike the PCT to Crabtree Meadow where you meet the JMT. Pick a camp there or higher at Guitar Lake. Then Summit Whitney as a day hike the following day, hike back down to your camp and then continue north on the JMT.

Going SOBO by starting at Happy Isles on a weendend is crowded unless you get a permit ahead of time. There are walk in permits available that are given out starting the day before you want to start (meaning most or all will be gone by the day you want to start unless you are showing up at a less popular time. People line up in the dark to get permits). If you show up after Labor Day or on a weekday, walk in permits are easier to get. If necessary, you can choose another trailhead nearby and then hike over to the JMT if necessary.

When I hike the JMT, I don't pre-pick my campsite. I prefer to camp halfway to 2/3 of the way up each pass. I like to finish the pass off in the early morning spend the late morning and early afternoon going down hill or flat and then spend the last part of the day getting part of the next climb over with. That allows you to split each climb in half with several hours to recover before doing any climbing. Popular campsites likely have bears as they know where the food is so I normally avoid such places. The choice is yours though.

Main Resupplies are Toulumne Meadows, Red's Meadow or take the shuttle into Mammoth Lakes which has a supermarket, VVR (send a box for a fee), Muir Trail Camp (send a bucket for a fee), and then hike the side trail over Kearsarge Pass and go into the town of Independence (send a box or hitchhike or take the morning bus along 395 to another town with a real store).

[Mfrenchy]

Thanks Miner, so the lottery is only for NoBo's then and the Yosemite permit reservation/walkin is for Sobo's? I spent a few hours on the recreation.gov site, the PCT and the Yahoo group and still couldn't get my head around what was required. Also, the Yahoo group was mentioning a new change to the way they issue permits for accessing the JMT. Is it all about the starting trail head? Is it just a purest thing or is it really the nicest way to start the hike? I'm totally open to a different way to access the trail. I've heard such amazing things about Yosemite that I don't really mind where I start.

Thanks

[Maui Rhino]

I found the JMT Yahoo group invaluable in my planning. They have an amazing amount of info in their Links and Files areas. There is a JMT Facebook page as well. Elizabeth Wenk's book and Ray Rippel's $7 eBook are also both great resources, and Tom Harrison's map pack is the gold standard for maps. I successfully played the lottery game for a SOBO permit Happy Isles to Sunrise/Merced pass-thru... One of the most sought after permit, and the "official" start of the JMT. I was going solo, which may have helped my odds. If you fail to get your permit in the lottery, you can always go for a walk-up. 40% of each days permits are saved for walk-ups. Most people go SOBO because you have more time and opportunity to acclimate to altitude before the high mountain passes. I had a fantastic 22 day hike last August, and I'm already thinking of doing it again. You will have a blast!

[Sly]

You probably would have been better off picking a date after labor day but you should be able to get a permit, if you apply exactly on the day available. While a guidebook would be helpful the Harrison maps are really all you need.

Southbound, it would be wise to spend a day or two in Toulemne Meadows (leaving a food drop in the backcountry campsite bear box, or buy when you get back. After that you can supplement your food in Red's Meadow of go into Mammoth Lakes, and use VVR or Muir Trail Ranch. Another option if you have the time is to go into Bishop via Piute or Bishop Pass. Any hiking in the High Sierras is well worth the extra effort.

[CarlZ993]

SoBo is the way to go. Easier to ease into the hike & acclimate to the elevation. Even so, the first day of my JMT thru-hike was 13M & 5,000' elevation gain. That was tough! If I were to do it now, I'd probably wouldn't go that far on day 1. The entire hike was done in 17 days. I pushed too hard in the beginning & lost two buddies who tried to hike it with me. They bailed on days 3 & 5 respectively. In retrospect, an 18-day itinerary would have made the hike much easier.

Let USPS carry some of your food weight. Resupply every time there is an option. All my food was sent on mail drops. I used the following: Tuolumne Meadows (P.O. on day 2), Reds Meadows (store on day 4), & Muir Trail Ranch (resort on day 8). Carrying the food from the last resupply was really tough. Very heavy pack. If you wish to resupply between Muir Trail Ranch & the finish (105M to 220M), there are a couple of options: over Bishop Pass to Bishop, CA; over Kearsarge Pass to Independence, Ca; or, pay to have your food packed by mule/horse to a designated location & time (very expensive). Another option was carry fewer days of food & hike longer days. I could have cut out a day in the last section.

With a Sept start, you might have some chilly days & nights. Just be ready for that.

Enjoy your hike. I think the JMT is the best backpacking trip in the U.S.

[Dogwood]

Thanks Miner, so the lottery is only for NoBo's then and the Yosemite permit reservation/walkin is for Sobo's? I spent a few hours on the recreation.gov site, the PCT and the Yahoo group and still couldn't get my head around what was required. Also, the Yahoo group was mentioning a new change to the way they issue permits for accessing the JMT. Is it all about the starting trail head? Is it just a purest thing or is it really the nicest way to start the hike? I'm totally open to a different way to access the trail. I've heard such amazing things about Yosemite that I don't really mind where I start.

Thanks

I'll send you a PM regarding this.

[Dogwood]

Like many things in life if you don't want to contend with the consequences of mass behavior having the typical results of the masses think outside of the box - DON'T behave as the masses behave.

First, you have to understand how the masses behave in regards to hiking/thru-hiking the JMT and obtaining JMT permits.

From the NPS yosemite NP website:
Wilderness Permits
John Muir Trail
If you plan to hike the John Muir Trail as a continuous hike, you only need one wilderness permit (http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildpermits.htm) from Yosemite for the entire trip (you do not need a "Whitney stamp" or permits from other National Forests or National Parks). Most people begin the hike at Happy Isles (its traditional start in Yosemite Valley), however many people begin at Lyell Canyon (Tuolumne Meadows) because permits for this trailhead are slightly easier to obtain. Permits for the John Muir Trail have become incredibly popular in recent years. For the peak season of July and August, reservation requests for Wilderness permits for the JMT are routinely 50% of all reservation requests the park receives and are sometimes up to 80% of all requests. Due to this extreme popularity, permits can be difficult to obtain and approximately 70% of permit applications are rejected due to too many requests for the same trailhead on the same day.

Note what I've taken the liberty to embolden!

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/jmt.htm

Further, be aware that the Mist Tr is THE MOST POPULAR TRAIL in Yosemite NP. The overwhelmingly majority of YNP visitors begin hikes on the Mist Tr beginning and ending at the Happy Isles TH - also the "official" northern terminus of the JMT. It is "the" trail most YNP visitors use doing the MOST popular hike in all of YNP - the hike to Half Dome. Avoiding the Happy Isles TH for the start of your JMT hike should be a top priority IF you want to avoid crowds and fierce JMT permit competition. MANY ways to do this IF you think outside of the box while still getting to experience a JMT thru-hike!

http://timberlinetrails.net/YosemiteMistTrail.html

[Dogwood]

Labor Day is Mon Sept 7 2015 - a holiday. NPs get increased pressure during holidays even so during early Sept when some folks are trying to squeeze in one last outdoors experience before returning to school, going back to work, etc before, as they perceive it, the end of summer. Your proposed start date is thurs Sept 3 basically at the beginning of a 3-4 day Labor Day holiday. I would try to obtain my JMT permit on line ahead of time through a reservation OR alternatively, IF your schedule is flexible, get to YNP around Sept 1 or 2 and obtain a JMT walk up permit taking into account starting from a non purist alternative NON Happy Isles TH SOBO start. My PM will detail some of the things I've done on JMT thru-hikes to secure JMT permits.

[Malto]

Labor Day is Mon Sept 7 2015 - a holiday. NPs get increased pressure during holidays even so during early Sept when some folks are trying to squeeze in one last outdoors experience before returning to school, going back to work, etc before, as they perceive it, the end of summer. Your proposed start date is thurs Sept 3 basically at the beginning of a 3-4 day Labor Day holiday. I would try to obtain my JMT permit on line ahead of time through a reservation OR alternatively, IF your schedule is flexible, get to YNP around Sept 1 or 2 and obtain a JMT walk up permit taking into account starting from a non purist alternative NON Happy Isles TH SOBO start. My PM will detail some of the things I've done on JMT thru-hikes to secure JMT permits.

Agree completely with this approach. I personally did a JMT flip flop from Tuolumne Meadows. hiked to Whitney, hitched, bused and drove back to the valley. Then took the hiker shuttle up to Tm and day hiked back down. Sounds like a hassle back it was actually fairly straight-forward.

[Dogwood]

Agree completely with this approach. I personally did a JMT flip flop from Tuolumne Meadows. hiked to Whitney, hitched, bused and drove back to the valley. Then took the hiker shuttle up to Tm and day hiked back down. Sounds like a hassle back it was actually fairly straight-forward.

Humans tend to do what's familiar - what others tend to. Kinda obvious. It can be most exemplified as it relates to AT thru-hikers. Different thread though. With a willingness to not behave as the masses, creatively think outside the box, and be solution minded, life can be so much more rewarding and expansive.

Malto is exemplifying this creativeness. Good idea, from a securing a JMT permit perspective and especially for someone heading out towards San Fran after their JMT thru.

[Dogwood]

If hiking the TM to YV JMT section NOBO it avoids the big elev ascent going SOBO. AND, IF you break your JMT Permits up into two permits as Malto did the Permits are a bit easier to obtain. Directionally challenged hikers sometimes get caught up in having to hike straight pt to pt hikes in only one direction sometimes more as matters of convenience and lack of imagination. Sometimes staright pt to pt thrus are great and all but when you NEED to secure very competitive trail permits some of us could demonstrate a little more flexibility and imagination.

What I'm frankly sharing is no big secret. The NPS YNP site has been leading the proverbial JMT Permit seekers to the proverbial permit water for many yrs now yet MANY JMTers routinely fail to fully avail themselves of the info or comprehend it. It's right here: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/jmt.htm and http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wpres.htm

[MuddyWaters]

You need 1 permit from Yosemite to go SOBO. It shouldnt be much of an issue if you wait till after labor day.
Permit changes are on the winds for Yosemite and the JMT. Overuse is the culprit. It has been trending up sharply in recent years. Spurred no doubt by social media. Last year saw a 240% increase.

Temporary changes are in planning currently which may include restriction on exit from Donahue pass in Yosemite, and elimination of walkup permits as well. Longer term, it is sounding like there will be a unified JMT permit or something from all the affected land managers.

The JMT was awesome. Its not a hard trail except for elevation effects on the approach to high passes can leave you sucking wind.

I carried Eriks atlas, and referred to it daily. Its really all you need. I carried xerox copies of Harrison maps (2 sided) to cut the weight, and only carried pages needed between resupply. Never really used them. They are not detailed scale enough to be nearly as useful as Eriks. They do show more of bailout routes, and thats really the only reason to have. You really cannot get lost on the JMT, you walk in drainages between high mountain ridges. You might at worst take a wrong trail accidentally at some intersection and have to backtrack. This is the reason that Eriks trail coverage is sufficient, you cant see outside of those ridges, except at passes, and have virtually no chance of ending up there accidentally.

Great camping areas abound. Literally everywhere. The only place I wish I had camped that might have been different, was beneath Donahue pass coming up from Lyell Canyon. It was raining and I stopped at Lyell Forks, not knowing what the weather was like higher up, and if there was any good camping areas higher up. So I camped near a raging creek, which I hate due to both noise and humidity. The next morning I discovered there was a beautiful little area right before the pass. A couple other tents were there but it was much nicer than where I camped, quieter too.

While Wenks databook is packed with information. Its really all superfluous to hiking though. I never used any of it, really found it useless. Others took it with them and were thrilled apparently at being able to be told exactly where a nice camping spot would be. I had no problem finding my own by looking around, I must be gifted. But my days were arranged more around miles and where I wanted to be, not the nicest camping area I could find.

I resupplied at TM, RM, VVR, and MTR. Why not just make it easy as possible. I highly reccomend a break at VVR. Food was great, people were great. Bed was clean. Not much else I wanted. I spent about 20 hrs there, got 3 meals, laundry done, showered, socialized, and back on trail.

Last half, is pretty amazing scenery. But hiking is still easy. Generally you crest a pass with a bunch of switchbacks, and then have many miles of downhill runout from it, then you are set up for the next pass. Days are long in summer, Sept will be a bit shorter though. 20 mpd still isnt hard to manage most of the time.

The best part, was hiking up Whitney in the dark all alone, being the only one. Next person was about hour behind me. And getting the Sunrise .

Be prepared to curse the trail down to the Portal from Trail Crest. First you have to give way to at least 100 hikers that will be hiking up the switchbacks from Trail Camp, then the fricking trail meanders around pointlessly all over the canyon, with rocks embedded in it spaced just right to make it impossible to take normal strides for the next 5 miles. The maps do not represent this trail even remotely similar to what it actually does.