This is true. I've been on the JMT and seen 100 people a day. Leave the JMT and seen 0 to 4 people a day.Originally Posted by Coffee
Excellent graphs on JMT, PCT and Yosemite backcountry use:
http://jmtbook.com/the-draft-yosemit...wardship-plan/
+20 Miner said it so I didn't have to. He nailed it.
Not in an unbroken footpath can you experience YV and summiting Mt Whitney in a 5-7 day span. These two are the northern and southern termini of the JMT some 210 trail miles apart further by paved road. I was hoping for you to grasp the size of the Sierra Nevada and then Yosemite NP. YNP is similar in area to the state of Rhode Island alone. What you did by throwing Mt Whitney into the mix is make the area you're having to choose a 5-7 hike from even larger quite possibly making things more complex. You just added Sequoia Kings Canyon NP and Inyo National Forest into the area of already the size of Rhode Island. Unless you are willing to lose possibly a day, maybe more, on more bus travel(you are already losing a day traveling from Reno IAP to...Bridgeport?). Keep in mind all this is in Aug, a VERY BUSY time, for both YV and Mt Whitney as a first time(?) Sierra visitor. Good luck exploring and making sense of the options. They are basically infinite.
Yes, I've assimilated all the helpful comments here AND examined my maps closely. No way will I be able to hike to and from all these places in 7 days. However, I definitely want to hike Whitney AND see Yosemite Valley, so it's going to require public transit or sticking out my thumb. Still planning this hike, though, and I have lots of time, so I'll figure something out. If nothing else, just tromping on Sierra Nevada dirt will be a high in itself. Thanks!
In a 5-7 day span you'll be rushed to the max to get in all of that considering what you've shared. 6-7 days is more like it once you are at Reno AP. Easily 1/4- 1/3 of your time could be spent on buses and hopefully making transfer connections. Not making those transfers and your supposed hiking trip(s) could become more like a road and town trip.
I've done similar to what you propose in a 7 day timeframe but only after familiarity with Yosemite NP, the Sierra Nevada, public transportation options, permitting processes, places to legally stay, and other logistical considerations all while staying true to my original goals and reasons why I'm hiking.
Dial it back... to stay within a 7 day trip.
As a Sierra Nevada vet, BUT who will NEVER know everything so one has to do there own checking, here's how I would get in great scenery, YV, Tuolumne Meadows, a little of the JMT, a little of the PCT, and a summiting of Mt Whitney totally by public transportation and hitching while assuming I was locked into flying into/out of Reno AP in 6-7 days. This is a 6-7 day period from leaving the Reno AP to getting back to Reno AP. Arrive at RENO AP before 1 p.m. connecting at the AP to the 1:30.p.m Eastern Sierra Transit to LEE VINING. This is the same bus and route you'd take to Bridgeport but you'll be staying on the bus a little longer. I'd schedule my flight to arrive in Reno on a Mon, Tues, Thurs, or Fri as those are the only days this bus route is scheduled. I've learned about this the hard way!It'a a one a day trip deal too so make it to the AP BEFORE 1 p.m. Reno AP is no great place to spend an overnight. I know!
Alternatively, stay in the TM area possibly at the TM CG. I'd have my hiking permit already but I'd hike between Happy Isles and TM on the JMT preferably downhill into YV possibly doing a SUPER CROWDED Half Dome Summit but to avoid that I'd be open to Cloud's Rest as a much less crowded or sought after alternative instead. Caution: Aug is PRIME JMT permit competition time! Wander some out in TM on the PCT. Scenery on the PCT in TM is pretty good. I'd debate it otherwise with anyone who likely doesn't know what TM fully offers! You could do this JMT hike on Day 3 and possibly Day 4 rather than Day 2 and/or Day 3. There's your YV, PCT and JMT experiences even if the shart hits the fan from there after. So are you keeping count of the days out so far? That's 3 full, maybe 4 days, from touch down at the Reno AP depending on exactly when you hit this TM to HI TH JMT segment. And, consider you will NOT avoid the hectic super busy CROWDED YV in Aug IF IF and WHEN you are on THE FLOOR of YV! There are all kinds of options to this but those are the basics to consider of the proposal. This gives you wiggle room time to get from TM or YV to Lone Pine/Mt Whitney and back north to Reno AP with possibly a FULL day in YV depending on how you enjoy many many people and many many vehicles. This also gives you umpteen options to extend that JMT hike if you're feeling great and everything is falling into place correctly and might be strongly tempted to experience Mt W at another time considering your available time frame for this trip.
From TM or YV YARTS bus it down to Mammoth Lakes and onto Lone Pine. This can be another 3/4+ days of "on a bus" time. At Mammoth Lakes connect to Eastern Sierra Transit(the same bus system you took initially from the AP) to Lone Pine. I'd be aware of making a timely connection at Mammoth Lakes or you could wind up losing another 1/2 to most of a day having to spend a night in town at Mammoth Lakes. It's easy for that to happen. Don't ask me how I know that.At least ML is a walkable cool trail/outdoors town and the bus connection stop is near hotels, umpteen restaurants, outfitters, coffee shops, health food store, and a cheap forest service CG so if you do want a in town night I'd say go for it here in ML. There's a 7:50 a.m. SOBO ESTA bus that lands you at LP at 10 a.m. too. This is a M, W, F ONLY schedule. Don't ask me how I know that?
AT LP hitch to Whitney Portal which is an easy hitch especially in Aug although I've shared a taxi with other hikers to WP on two occasions. Do this summit how you are physically capable and logistical considerations permit. It's an all day affair and many choose to break it up into a two day affair from WP. This requires a second permit! Good luck with that in Aug taking the main trail/route. From the BUSY WP Parking Lot talk up a ride back to LP after submitting and descending Mt W. Here's where you have to consider limited bus ride schedules on ESTA from LP to Reno IF you want to do it in one day ON ONE BUS in order to catch flights AGAIN. It's a limited schedule! Don't ask me how I know.
Every thing falling into place yeah one, meh, could do it in 6 days. I wouldn't want to without any wiggle room thrown in for catching flights, making transfers, delays, unexpected changes in attitudes and goals, etc.
Nothing dismal about a 7 day HI TH to Reds Meadow soak it in hike involving massive scenery, YV, TM, some of both the JMT and PCT, waterfalls, Devils Postpile, possibly a foray into the lakes area west of Reds Meadow to Cecil, Ediza, Iceberg, Minaret, Shadow etc Lakes below Mt Banner and Mt Ritter to experience the pinch yourself Holy Shart" this is my campsite revelations, and the town of Mammoth Lakes. There's nothing saying you can't throw in a day hike to Rainbow Falls veering off the JMT too near Reds Meadow
Seriously, the options are basically innumerable and complexity grows as folks attempt to jam more and more into shorter and shorter timeframes partially problematic given the area covered and specific individual desires and situation.
Your really thinking these permits are easier to get than they are. Halfdome alone is tough in yosemite now. Used to be a forest service permit let you summit halfdome if it was reasonably on route, it doesnt anymore. You need halfdome lottery permit.
Mt whitney is awesome, but you will need another permit from whitney lottery to make a side trip to it. And it isnt likely.
Save whitney for when you earn it by hiking to it, and summit it predawn for sunrise. Its more special that way .
With a week, time is better spent in seki imo, yosemite aint all that outside of valley, which is a mass of humanity.
Check out High sierra trail which lets you summit whitney and exit at portal
Last edited by MuddyWaters; 10-06-2016 at 05:33.
Great thread, OP, thanks for posting! I'm planning a JMT thru starting sometime in August 2017 depending what I can/decide to do with permits and a starting point. Maybe see ya.
"Your comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there."
You're welcome. Lotsa great advice here. Dogwood and others have some great ideas. I'm now thinking of September instead of August, just to avoid the crowds.
I see you're from Ohio. If you want to exchange plane/bus/trail notes, let me know. If nothing else, maybe we can rendezvous somewhere on the trail. Let me know!
Right after the weekend after Labor Day
I'll plan for that time. You took a lot of time and gave me some great advice (as did everyone else here), and I appreciate it. I'll definitely use this stuff when it gets closer to permit and hiking time. Thanks!!!
Thank you. It's nice to know the time spent communicating here can be applied to someone's hike. Please share what you've learned on your adventures.
Posting Permissions
Pacific Crest Trail
Reply With Quote