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[Yosemite]

Walk up Permit late June?

Hiking, backpacking, running, biking, climbing, rafting, and other human-powered activities in Yosemite National Park

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Walk up Permit late June?

Postby belowi » Wed Jun 03, 2009 9:21 pm

A friend and I are planning to head out the week of 6/22 from Tenaya Lakes towards Cloud's Rest, go to HD, head back up Echo Valley and back out by Sunrise Lakes. This is my first trip, what are the chances for late June that we'd either:
A. Be able to get a permit for Monday 6/22 if we arrived that morning?
B. Be able to get a permit for Tuesday 6/23 if we arrived the previous day?

Any suggestions as to other trailheads I could try as an alternative?

Thanks!
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Postby belowi » Wed Jun 03, 2009 9:41 pm

I noticed May lake has permits available, if I was unable to get a permit for the days I wanted for the Sunrise trailhead, could I get a permit for May Lake for my first night, then hike back out and go in on the Sunrise trailhead and continue my trip as planned?
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Postby AlmostThere » Wed Jun 03, 2009 11:00 pm

Getting a permit for the morning you arrive - probably not going to fly unless someone doesn't claim theirs and it's released at 10 am. They let people get first come/first serve permits the morning before the start date. To be sure you get that permit, showing up early or just sleeping on the porch is a favored tactic. I showed up at the valley office at 5 am to find three people on sleeping pads ahead of me. I got my permit a split second before they ran out, at 7:32 am. that was Half Dome tho.

My group is doing Tioga Road to Happy Isles in late August. When I failed to get permits from Sunrise trailhead I managed to get Cathedral Lakes instead. Only slightly different longer route, additional scenery, eventually gets us to Sunrise HSC just the same.
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Postby bill-e-g » Fri Jun 05, 2009 7:09 am

Yeah, that TH is one of the THE most popular in the park.
It fills up quickly. I've even gone on weekdays in late Sept. and still
been burned (I was taken aback on that one)...

I think going May first day and then take old tioga rd (THE old tioga rd)
back to sunrise th is ok. I keep forgetting to ask about this sort
of thing when I get permits...
I've done stuff like get May Lake and then hike down to and past
Olmstead over towards Watkins. Although that area doesn't get
near the traffic Sunrise does. Then loop back around back to May...

Someone out there remember to ask a Permit Ranger
and please post...
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Postby belowi » Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:54 am

Thanks for the info, I'd appreciate it VERY much if anyone visiting the park soon could ask if going from one trailhead to another like this is allowed and post what they learn on here. Thanks again!
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Postby AlmostThere » Fri Jun 05, 2009 8:09 pm

What they want is your trailhead of entry into the wilderness, first night planned location, and your trailhead from which you plan to exit the wilderness.

The itinerary works because you are putting down May Lake as your entry trailhead and first night camp, and then you are entering on that trailhead and staying at May Lake. Where you go after that is no problem. Go hike to three more trailheads and beyond, they don't care. They're collecting information, not keeping track of you. May Lake just happens to be conveniently close to other trailheads that this works well.
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Postby bill-e-g » Fri Jun 05, 2009 10:16 pm

Well... the idea of the permit system is to keep the numbers in an
area down. If everyone that went to May Lake just turned around
the next day and went to Sunrise or for that matter a large
number that took Olmsted, May, and Murphy all decide to go up Sunrise
it totally defeats the purpose of the quota system.

All that being said, I think I said it was ok. Just not 100% sure.
I'll ask tomorrow if I remember.

I know that when I got a permit in the valley earlier this year
the guy wanted to know where I was camping every night.
But then I wasn't asked any time we got one at Hetch or Big Oak
entrances.

Anyway, the quota system is a pain but needed... it'd be a friggin
zoo out there otherwise.
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Postby bill-e-g » Mon Jun 08, 2009 2:26 pm

It's A.Ok.

This year supposedly they are going to do some sort of entry and exit
survey and ask where you camped and whatnot with the idea of
tweaking the quotas. What it really means I don't know.
As long as they don't start charging for walkup permits like SEKI...!!!
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Postby belowi » Mon Jun 08, 2009 3:43 pm

That's great, thanks for checking things out for me, Bill.

Now if only the link for trailhead availability would work (from this page: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildpermits.htm) Anyone else having trouble, it hasn't worked for me since last week.
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Postby balzaccom » Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:04 pm

It's working now. I asked them when I called to get my permit a couple of days ago, and they told me that their website was having some problems.

They'll still help you with your permits via phone...and are heppy to tell you what's available for where you want to go.
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