Eric, i’m originally from MI too, and i’ve twice been through the area you’re talking about. If you’re hiking at least 500 miles, you can get the ultra-convenient thru-hikers permit. But if not, you’ll need permits for Yosemite wheerever you start. You’ll have to call the Yosemite Wilderness Permit office and find out what you can there. Many things will already be booked, but i’m sure there’s SOME way you can get a permit that will be useful to you, like a combo JMT + north Yose permit.
For resupplies starting from Sonora Pass, you’ll have to start out with a fairly heavy load, but not as heavy as if you were to start at Whitney. Depending on your pace, something like 4-7 days worth of food. But then once you get to Yosemite, there’s a very good small store you can resupply from at Tuolumne Meadows. A couple days later, another decent store at Red’s Meadow, with the option of taking the shuttle into Mammoth to resupply if the Red’s store doesn’t do it for you. After that you’re options aren’t quite as good. For that last ~150 miles up and over Whitney, your major options are:
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Vermillion Valley Resort. A bit shady, a bit expensive, lousy store, good restaurant. You can ship there starting early-mid June. They (and everything else i’m telling you) is google-able. They are a couple days south of Red’s Meadow.
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Another couple days further south is Muir Trail Ranch. Very nice, VERY expensive shipping fee, near a nice natural hot spring. They open later, probably not till July this year. If you’re going through in August, you’ll find they have an A+ array of hiker boxes. (Food left behind by other hikers because they were carrying too much.) When i went past there they had really good pre-packaged food. It would have been possible to make a month’s resupply just from the free hiker boxes.
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Another couple days south is a beautiful side trail over Kearsarge Pass. It’s several miles out of your way to take this trail, but it’s a beautiful and not difficult bunch of miles. Once i walked over that to the trailhead and got a ride to town (Independence or Bishop or Lone Pine) to resupply.
Those are the major options. There are some other creative ways of doing it.
If you’re starting from Sonora Pass, transport is a breeze. Fly into Reno. There’s a bus that goes from the airport to within a few miles of Sonora Pass, and it’s a pretty easy hitch up the road to the trailhead. That same bus continues south to Bishop and Lone Pine where you’ll end your hike. It doesn’t run every day. Google is your friend. Also try “JMT caltech” and you’ll get a good webiste for transport info and ideas.
If you’re in good shape, packing as light as possible, but not a pro athlete, 20-year old uber-hiker, or already in thru-hiker shape, i’d estimate your hike to take about 18-20 days, plus any off days you take and any side-trails or climbs you do. Plan extra days and take them. There’s so much stuff worth doing and seeing. It’s a shame to rush through or feel too exhausted to enjoy it.
markv
