JMT Update - John Muir Trail

imported
#1

I just talked with a wilderness person from Yosemite about permits and he mentioned there has been bear incidents at Thousand Island Lake including a bear ripping up a tent. Thus they are advising to avoid camping there.

Bears have been more active this year along the trail since the berries are not as plentiful and thus human food is easier to get.

Elsewhere I read that camping at the TM campground voids your JMT wilderness permit since you are camping outside of the wilderness.

Additionally both Cathedral Lakes are open for camping.

-martin

OregonBeerMan

#2

i hope the bears dont get my stuff …again
bearvault400 will be put to the test

steve

#3

Martin,
Don’t know where you picked up that tidbit about the impact of a stay in front-country(Toulumne Meadows Lodge in my case), but I thank you for saving me about $90 - though my wife is bummed about it! We had reservations at TM Lodge - thought it would be a nice break. After reading your comment, I called the Yosemite Wilderness office and confirmed that an overnight stay at TM (considered front-country) would have invalidated the permit per Yosemite’s rules. Now I am wondering about our plans to overnight at Red’s Meadow.

Anyone out there know the impact on a wilderness permit of an overnight stay at Red’s Meadow?

Thanks.
Doug

Doug

#4

It was a wilderness person at the wilderness permit office.

Yes it does sound odd since hundreds of people do it every year and no-one has gotten pinched.

Crazy - I would recommend calling the Wilderness Permit office and double checking to make sure they are correct.

-martin

OregonBeerMan

#5

Unless something is going over my head, this rule must be in place to discourage real permit abuse, like getting a thru-permit and using it to do 15 overnight hikes from your car from popular trailheads. What could it hurt to just stay at Red’s or Tuolumne? And how could a ranger possibly know? (or care)

As long as you’re making your way down the trail, if i were you i’d stay at both Tuolumne and Red’s and just don’t tell rangers who check your permit later.:rolleyes

markv

#6

I had heard of this rule last year as well, but someone (thought it was a Park Ranger) informed me it did not include the “backpacking camps” along the trail…both at Tuolumne and Reds…but void only if you hotel it?

This would mean all places along the route/trail would be questionable, including all resupply points.

What’s makes this so interesting is this would also make obsolete all of the JMT Guide books available at the moment.

:cheers I’m looking forward to a cold one at Red’s…

AlohaTink

#7

In print on Yosemite site states:
“Wilderness permit holders may spend one night before and one night after a wilderness trip in any of these campgrounds. The cost is $5.oo per person per night. Reservations are not necessary.”

The walk-in campgrounds listed were Tuolumne Meadows, Hetch
Hetchy and behind North Pines campgrounds. I agree with markv comments above. As well as the Park Rangers are more concerned with no bear canisters and making social trails or carrying guns then where we camp.

AlohaTink

#8

Lots of JMT hikers (including me) stay at the FS campground near Reds. I have never heard that was a problem for permitted thru-hikers.

Jeffrey Hunter

#9

Called today to the wilderness office in Yosemite and they reaffirmed that information. When I asked how far up Lyell Canyon I had to travel from TM in order to be in compliance, I was told 4 miles. This coincides with another response I received on a different forum. When I contacted the Sierra National Forest District Office (Ansel Adams Wilderness), I was told their rules permit one night at a time, non-contiguous, outside the wilderness. Thus overnighting at Red’s is OK.

doug