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JZHiker
1. How difficult is it to obtain a permit for the JMT the day before a trip? We know that 40% of permits are available on a first come, first serve basis. Any recommendations on how early we should get to the station if the permits are available at 11am? We plan to start our backpacking trip on Thur, Sep 1st (Labor Day Weekend)
2. We are thinking of reserving the Happy Isles to Illilouette permit as a backup in case we don’t get a permit for the JMT (Either Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley or Happy Isles to Sunrise/Merced Lake). We are looking for information on backpacking that trail….scenery, difficulty, length, etc. Anything would be helpful as we do not know much about it at this point and have not been able to find much information online.
3. Does anyone know a good website for giving trail descriptions? This will be our first time backpacking and we’re trying to find as much information as possible about the trials before our trip.
You will have no trouble with the JMT - it's well marked and heavily used, and there are good mapsets for it available at REI or other outdoor stores. You'll review the no camping zones and fire regulations with the ranger when you pick up the permit. Beyond that, you can camp where you want, and there's plenty of water, and bridges over the rivers.
I would lay odds that if you show up midweek and go for first come/first serve you would get them. What I would do - show up at the wilderness office early morning on a Tuesday or Wednesday, around sunrise, and hang around waiting for the office to open, to see if there are permits for that day available. Then wait til the 10 am dispensation of unclaimed permits that were reserved for that day. If there are none that day, wait til 11 am when the first come/first serve permits for the following day are handed out. Once you have a permit for the next day, you can stay in the backpacker campground for 5/person and get an early start in the morning. They hand out first come/first serve permits for the next day, not the day of - any permits left over will be given out, of course, but you decrease your chances significantly if you show up on the day you want to start instead of the day before.
You will want to be prepared for temps at night into the 20F range, possible snow or rain showers, and study up on food storage regulations and follow them to the letter.
You should not make that trip your first. Very, very, very, very much recommended that you do NOT make a long trip your first. You need to have shoes and gear that you KNOW will work without issues. I suggest using the backpacking gear on at least one overnight prior to your trip. You'll also want to read up on first aid issues in the wilderness and know what symptoms of high altitude sickness are and what to do about it - that and dehydration or hypothermia are the biggest threats to your well being.
I have done that section before. You need to know that the shuttle to the ski resort will shut down in mid September, and YARTS bus routes and other places in the high country start to shut down as winter approaches as well - study the YARTS schedules, the Mammoth shuttle schedules, and understand the parking regulations for Reds Meadow before you go. It's a long, long walk out on the road to Mammoth.
. Here are some questions that we need answered.
