Re: FCFS Little Yosemite Permits

Hi all,

A few friends have been wanting to do Half-Dome, with a lay-over at the Little Yosemite "wilderness" campground. I've done Half-Dome many times as a day-hike and I've gotten many wilderness permits over the years (including a LY permit), but I am worried that we would not be able to get permits for it. More specifically, they can only take Monday or Friday off to get FCFS permits and would like to go within the next couple of weeks (I was thinking around the 21st of September).

How likely is it that we would get FCFS permits under those conditions?

The idea would be to get to a Yosemite Wilderness Center on Friday @8am, wait until 11am for the FCFS permit distribution, and get a permit for Saturday. Similarly, we could also go on a Sunday, to get permits for Monday.

Can anyone comment on how likely/difficult it is to get FCFS permits for week-ends this time of the year? I've done something similar mid-week and had no problems in June, but it was mid-week and I don't think that having a Friday or Monday helps us that much...

Any help would be greatly appreciated,
Ben

Things start really tailing off... but my 2 cents... if you want almost a certain you got it...
is wait until first weekend in october and go then... there is a very good chance
that... since the cables come down the following week... that they just say
"anyone can have whatever they want"...
At least that is what they have done in the past.

Good luck

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I was also thinking October would be much better, but the main guy who wants to do it is away from October 1st to October 15th. The additional problem in leaving it up for this late (with the constraint that we have to do it on a week-end) is that if the weather is questionable (as in thunderstorms and/or rain), we have less options, if any, for a later date. When do the cables do down? I remember it being around October 15th, but I don't know if they bring them down always at the same date, or if they bring it down based on weather...

Ya. Been snowed on/and or walked in snow in early October many times now.
Cables typically are up from Memorial Day to Columbus Day.
I'm pretty sure they sold permits thru Columbus Day (Oct. 8th).

I'll state perhaps the obvious... consider going via Sunrise TH or Cathedral as other options.
I've taken a total noob from Sunrise TH up and over Clouds and up HD and then back via
JMT/Sunrise HSC... in 2 days... so...

Best of Luck

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Quote
chick-on
Things start really tailing off... but my 2 cents... if you want almost a certain you got it...
is wait until first weekend in october and go then... there is a very good chance
that... since the cables come down the following week... that they just say
"anyone can have whatever they want"...
At least that is what they have done in the past.

Good luck

That seems really surprising to me that they would stop enforcing the quota before the cables came down. I bet every other trailhead has plenty of space so is not an issue, but LYV/Half Dome is always so popular you would think it fills up.

Quote
buster

Quote
chick-on
Things start really tailing off... but my 2 cents... if you want almost a certain you got it...
is wait until first weekend in october and go then... there is a very good chance
that... since the cables come down the following week... that they just say
"anyone can have whatever they want"...
At least that is what they have done in the past.

Good luck

That seems really surprising to me that they would stop enforcing the quota before the cables came down. I bet every other trailhead has plenty of space so is not an issue, but LYV/Half Dome is always so popular you would think it fills up.

You have a valid point. But things really slow down come October.
Even now if I look at Full Trailheads... there is some space HI/LYV in beginning of Oct.
I was just relaying how I would tackle it and what I have encountered first-hand
in the past. With the quota they indeed may not take the same tact.
(i.e. you're probably right)

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2012 06:48PM by chick-on.

Not quite FCFS, but the Park posted this on their Facebook page on 9/4/12:

Still hoping to do a day hike to Half Dome before the cables come down on October 8? Due to the lower number of initial applications during the spring lottery for September dates, there are now a larger number of Half Dome permits available through the daily lottery system for weekdays. This gives you a much better chance at being successful at getting a permit. Weekends remain busy with fewer permits available and a 20-30% success rate.

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

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I don't know if Friday counts as a "weekday" (officially, I would call it a weekday, but if someone is going to take a day off, it would either be on Friday or Monday to create a 3-day week-end), but I'm going to try our chances, first by trying to get a day-hike permit through the lottery and (if that fails) by trying to get a FCFS permit. We initially planned on sleeping in LYV (this would be a first for me!), but being willing to do it as a day-hike will give us more options.

Looking at alternate routes is also a good option. I've always been surprised to find that GP->LYV only has 4 FCFS permits!

I think your chances at a FCFS permit are very good based upon your plan and the time of year. Go for it!

If you get in line early (1st 3 ppl or so) on Friday for a Saturday permit, you should be fine. If you miss out, go for the Sunrise trail head and go over Clouds Rest on your way to HD. You could even continue down to LYV and the valley floor if you leave a car there and do a shuttle hike.

IMHO the climb up HD is epic, and must be done once, but the views from Clouds Rest cannot be topped!

Good Luck!

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"It is all very beautiful and magical here - a quality which cannot be described. You have to live it and breath it., let the sun bake it into you" - Ansel Adams

I completely agree with you in terms of views. I find Cloud's Rest much better than Half-Dome in terms of views. I wouldn't say, however, that Cloud's Rest views cannot be topped (evidently, this is very subjective). I have the views from the top of Eagle Peak and North Peak, very high on my list of peaks with the best views (both better than Cloud's Rest IMO).

The trip up Half-Dome is more of a cool hike (just because of the last part with the cables). I've done it many times already and am only joining (or helping) a group of friends who want to go with someone "experienced" (I guess that makes me some sort of a pro-bono guide - not that you would need one to go up HD).

When I have my choice, I usually spend time in the high country, around Conness, North peak, Koip, Tioga peak, etc... Got to take advantage of the area before Tioga closes!

There's a zillion peaks and stuff in the park. And a zillion "best" views.

Clouds Rest might not even be in my top 10 in Yosemite.
But it is spectacular.

Explore More Baby.

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OK...very subjective...I agree. And I would defer to the Chicken all day long...

It is very fresh in my memory and we had a windless, bluebird day up there recently that gets me real fired up when I think about it!

For new visitors to the park, It's a great way to go! But not the only way...for sure!

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"It is all very beautiful and magical here - a quality which cannot be described. You have to live it and breath it., let the sun bake it into you" - Ansel Adams

No worries Jay.
I know how much you enjoyed taking your daughter there.
So in that respect... you are right, maybe it cannot be topped.

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