Hi,
I am hoping to get a walk-in permit to start the trail around June 20th (give or take a day or two, the date isn’t firm yet). People say you have to be there at five in the morning but will this be necessary for June? It seems like most people seem to go July or August. What time would you recommend I arrive in the morning? Also, any updates on the weather out there?
Thanks
Sterling
I got a walk in permit in July and it was definitely necessary to be there at 5 am and wait for the office to open. At 5 there was already a line. The day before you should get yourself on the list for no-shows in addition to waiting in line. The no-show list is how we got two additional permits at the last minute. If you are starting at Yosemite Valley (Happy Valley Trailhead) I found the rangers very unfriendly and unhelpful. They gave me wrong information and tried to talk my group out of hiking because of the snow in the passes that year. We ended up going to Tuolemne Meadows where things were much easier. Also be flexible on which trailhead you are starting from.
Big B
When we hiked the JMT in 2010 we got a permit for the Illilouette Valley starting from Happy Isles. The first night we had to camp 3 miles off the trail (turning off at mile 3, so our first day was short), but then after that we could camp wherever and do the usual JMT thing. It was actually a fun night, since we saw absolutely no one, which was a real change from the first 3 miles of the JMT. I would recommend this strategy.
Mark H