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Line up time suggestion for backpacking permit to Glen Aulin

PostPosted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 1:41 pm
by rachelramsey03
This will be my first time backpacking in Yosemite! From what I have read the ranger station starts selling next day wilderness permits at 11am. I want to to get 5 permits to go to Glen Aulin for Friday June 30th. I can only find recommendation for people trying to get Half Dome permits. I am hoping I don't need to be in line at 5am! Any suggestions or guidance is very appreciated. Thanks! Rachel

Re: Line up time suggestion for backpacking permit to Glen A

PostPosted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 5:11 pm
by Phil
Oh boy!

Let's see. June 30th is Thursday. But if it's Friday the 1st, Glen Aulin, 5 people... not good. The odds are going to be stacked against you. It's been a crazy crowded year. You're on a popular trail with no snow and falls that are a major attraction, a large number in your group that is going to need 5 of 12 available walk-up permits, it's the weekend before the 4th, and a Friday to boot. It could be crazy before sunrise, or it could be a breeze at 11am. You won't know until you get there. But if you really want that trip, you better get there early and be alright with whatever comes. Have a Plan B for sure. Take shifts, or hang out together and play Monopoly or something. Or if it's just you waiting, bring a chair, a book, and some coffee. Catching more sleep is also another good way to pass the time.

But, if there's any chance at all that you could move your entry date forward a couple days, you tilt those odds of getting what you want much further in your favor. Another option is to get in line early on the 29th, schedule your entry for the same day, wait in line only until the wilderness station opens, be ready to roll as soon as (if) you have your permit in hand. Glen Aulin is only 6 miles out, flat, and anyone worth their salt could pretty much do it in a few hours, at most, not just when they're a little groggy, but practically in a coma. Doing it that way also gives you dibs on better campsites at GA. It's going to be Bedlam over that weekend, so that matters a lot.

Also, they don't sell permits, they're free. And it's not 5 separate permits, it's one permit with 5 people on it.

Re: Line up time suggestion for backpacking permit to Glen A

PostPosted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 9:22 pm
by WanderingJim
You should also keep in mind different trail heads which will allow you to do your hike.

If you're just going to the Glen Aluin backpacker's camp, that's going to lessen your chance of getting permits.

If you can camp beyond Glen Aluin, that gives you more options.

If you're doing the Grand Canyon hike, you can also start from White Wolf. You could even start down near May Lake or Murphy Creek.

Maybe just call the Wilderness reservation line tomorrow and ask "What trailheads do you have 5 permits for June 30th/July 1st? They've always been very helpful for me when I can't get the exact trailhead I want.

Re: Line up time suggestion for backpacking permit to Glen A

PostPosted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 8:37 am
by Phil
WanderingJim wrote:You should also keep in mind different trail heads which will allow you to do your hike.


Absolutely! That would be Plan B. Plans C, D, and E are also what you should have in mind if you're trying to get a walk-up permit on the Friday before the 4th of July weekend. And those plans shouldn't all be the most popular trails out of Tuolumne. If everything is fully impacted, try Murphy Creek.

This link is for full trailheads: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/ ... lheads.pdf
This represents reserved permits, but you can use it, along with your map, to gauge what trails might be best to consider as alternatives because of less demand. Don't forget, even with 60% of all permits reserved, 40% are still available as walk-ups.

WanderingJim wrote:If you can camp beyond Glen Aluin, that gives you more options.


That gets sketchy. You would need a "Glen Aulin pass-thru" permit for that. It might slightly increase your chances of getting a permit, but it also precludes you camping at Glen Aulin itself. In other words, you must "pass-thru" Glen Aulin to be legal. This can be along the trail next to the falls complex ( you must be no closer to Glen Aulin than California Falls to camp legally), or McGee Lake. The problem is: both places have limited camping, those sites are going to go really fast (especially by the falls), and again, that's only exacerbated by the fact that it's the 4th of July weekend. You potentially get left with even less camping options than if you got in line and tried for the permit you wanted in the first place.

Serious word to the wise- if at all possible, move your trip forward a couple days, then get the hell out of there before the weekend madness begins and takes you squarely into it.