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Yosemite permit

PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 2016 6:29 am
by Troy
I have a multinight backpacking trip planned for this September. I initially planned on hiking an average of 10 miles a day but am currently having some troubles with my knee. I am considering changing my intinerary and that would mean entering at a different area than I am permitted for. I am wondering if rangers check your permit in the backcountry and what the penalty would be if they did check and found you in a different area than what your permit was for?

Re: Yosemite permit

PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 2016 6:37 am
by AlmostThere
Just change the permit. Don't be a jerk.

The entire reason it is so flaming difficult in the first place to get permits are jerks who ignore the rules. Too many people exceeding quotas, ignoring red tape designed to reduce damage to the wilderness, and then there are MORE restrictions because the rangers are trying to balance preservation with public access.

People get walked back to the trailhead and thrown out of the park for not having a permit - which is what you would face, having the wrong permit for wherever you go when you cheat. I think there should be a huge fine too, the one they have is far too small - it should be $5000 like the fine for not storing food in a bear canister, which people also fail to take seriously. Bears are shot when they get aggressive which only happens when they routinely get food from people.

Yes, they patrol, check permits and enforce them -- because too many people are doing just whatever, and it's pretty dire. Yosemite is what I think of as the 'sacrificial lamb' of the Sierra. It's being trampled to death, because everyone thinks they have a right to just go and ignore what the rangers have to say about quotas, permits and food storage.

Yes, I live here. Yes, I see it all the time, hear it all the time, get tired of it all the time.... You visit once and you feel like you can do whatever because it's 'just this once'. Multiply that by every frustrated hiker ever. Stop it.

rant mode off - for now.

Re: Yosemite permit

PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 2016 8:21 am
by Troy
No problem, I will change the permit. I haven't been to Yosemite so I have no idea about the conditions there. That's why I took the time to ask. I have no problem following the rules. Sorry to see its caused you so much anger.

Re: Yosemite permit

PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 2016 11:11 am
by Phil
What were your original plans, Troy? What are you thinking now? Are you trying to avoid long miles on your knees, or is it certain types of terrain like steep downhills that you're primarily worried about?

Just FYI- The current fine for permit violations is $300 and an escort walk out of the wilderness. And yes, I agree that it's not high enough, by any stretch.

Permit applications begin to taper off considerably in Sept, so you should be able to get in on most trailheads fairly easily. Let's change gears, keep you legal, and see what we can figure out.

Re: Yosemite permit

PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 2016 11:51 am
by AlmostThere
Anger is so five years ago.... These days I'm just really, really, really, really tired....

Not as tired as the crew that removes illegal fire rings, for sure. Now, that's a thankless dirty job, if there ever was one...

Re: Yosemite permit

PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 2016 3:22 pm
by Phil
And it's not just that those fire rings are illegal in one way or another...it's that they're so poorly and haphazardly thrown together that they deserve to be kicked down.