Wilderness Permit for LYV

[Wolf]

I know LYV is a very popular place to go. but I'd like to do a 2 days trip to Half Dome and camp at LYV. The problem is I don't have a permit (we decide on the trip to late).

Just want to get a feel if it's even possible to get a permit on the same day I want to begin the hike in a late Aug during week days (Thu)? We really can't go 1 day prior.

If not, any other suggestion?

[tm]

I've done it twice but got to the wilderness center before 5:00am to land 2 same day permits

[Wolf]

5 AM!!! was there a line?
Thank you for you info.

[tm]

Yes there was a line. I was 3rd and 5th. Someone ahead of you could snag a few for a group.

Good luck.

[adrianhoff]

You can try Glacier Point to Little Yosemite Valley as well as the more crowded Happy Isles to LYV. The trail from Glacier Point is longer, but has considerably less elevation gain. It takes about the same amount of time to hike. Also, you might be able to get a “pass through” permit if LYV is maxed out. There’s a great camping area about two miles beyond LYV on the John Muir Trail (where the JMT intersects the trail coming down from Clouds Rest). Staying there makes your 2nd day trek to the top of Half Dome a little shorter, and a lot easier.

[Wolf]

Thank you.

I've stayed there before but I thought I'd still need a LYV permit. It's good to know that there's a "pass through" permit.

Yeah, I suppose starting from Glacier Point would be a little less popular.

Great! Thanks guys.

BTW, tm, what month in the year did you get your same day permits? I'm going in late Aug.

[AlmostThere]

We went in early September and only got permits because I drove up the day before the hike at 4 am and got in line behind some folks sleeping on the porch. I picked up all but 4 of the last permits for LYV. My fallback was going to be HI/Sunrise passthrough.

Then I loafed around the valley all day, the group showed up late afternoon, we stayed in the backpacker campground listening to drunken Norwegians singing until 1 am, and hit the trail around 8 am the next day.

While loafing about in the campground, I also got to watch a couple on horseback riding up the river with their pet cockatoo on the woman's saddlehorn. Once on the dome, we saw a lady in a bikini and flipflops heading for the cables. I did not, however, see the three people who were sleeping on the porch who got LYV permits ahead of me.

I love Yosemite. The people watching is a lot of the fun.

[Wolf]

Thanks guys.

Has anyone out there done it in Aug week day. We are going on 8/20/09, which is a Thur.

Or can anyone even be able to help me to get two permits the day before? (Just wondering)