Sobo thru questions

[saltysack]

Hoping to finally make it out west to hike the jmt....
Would like for my wife and two kids 8,14 to join for a few days maybe do half dome... Maybe 30-40 miles?...are there any convenient loop trails or way to get back to beginning? How tough are permits to get for late summer? I would like to crank up the midge after they leave and keep sobo to mt W....thx


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[imscotty]

Saltysack, permits for the the JMT leaving Yosemite are very hard to get. Be sure you start by reading all the information here...

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

Permits for a local hike that include Half Dome seem to be easier to get if you start at Tuolumne and head north on the JMT. I got a pair of permits including Half Dome by requesting Cathedral Lakes to Happy Isle on the first day permits were available. Read the instructions for when you can FAX in your permit carefully. At this point you are looking at applying for the end of August at the earliest.

What I would recommend you do is then apply for a second permit to leave Yosemite over Donahue pass (Lyell Canyon trailhead to Whitney Portal). I did and I won! It probably helped that I was applying for a mid-week permit and that I was solo for this section. This is effectively a JMT thru hike, it is just a little 'inside out.' Good luck.

[MuddyWaters]

There are numerous trails in Yosemite that could be used to form loops of 40-50 miles. Some dont get much traffic.

Easiest, would be to have them hike to Tuolumne (23 miles) , and grab a bus back to the valley. Or even up Lyell canyon to donahue pass, then turn back and go back to TM. That adds another really easy 15 miles or so round trip.

But getting permit for JMT is hard in the first place, and getting it for 4 with half-dome, borders on not likely unless you have much time to wait , and keep trying for weeks.

[wornoutboots]

You can have them meet you at TM & loop TM to Vogelsang, > down the Merced river to LYV then hit halfdome & rehike the JMT back to TM.

[saltysack]

Thx all..I'm looking at my options....may take a family trip to Costa Rica over summer and try to do a jmt thu in sept...I hear that's about the best time of year...thoughts about mid sept? When does mtr & reds close for season?


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