Extended JMT

OR… you could do some side trips/loops off the JMT on your way south.

While I loved the JMT when I did it, one of the frustrating things is doing this linear route through such great country. I found myself constantly wishing I had enough time to go explore 'over there'… instead of just passing through…

Billy

Thanks Billy, we will consider this. If you have specific sidetrips in mind, I would like to know about them. I have seen a couple of suggestions on this forum.

I'm also trying to avoid the Yosemite wilderness permits "adventure", which is why a non-Yosemite start might help (plus we would be happy to hike for a longer stretch!).

I'd recommend starting at Sonora Pass. Permits are a non-issue (they are free and there is no quota) and it's right on Highway 108 so hitching should be doable. Not sure if any bus goes there, but hitching from Bridgeport or Sonora probably would not be too bad. It adds about 40 miles compared to starting in Yosemite Valley.

There are other, less popular, Yosemite trail heads that are not as hard to get a permit as the Happy Isles permit. That said, the Mist Trail start out of Happy Isles is hard to compare to anything else…

I'm sure you can get lots of suggestions for side trips on this forum.
My personal philosophy is to let you discover those for yourself.
I see a lot of over planning here… people planning the mileage every day and where they are going to camp every night, etc… My feeling is it really destroys the best part of the trip… the sense of adventure… the great feeling of discovering things for yourself… and spontaneity

My suggestion is to just plan your begin and end dates and your food for the number of days between… then wing it… get to the top of a pass and see a great looking canyon or ridge or peak or lake and say, 'hey, let's go see that over there'…

Whatever, just have fun.

Billy

A fun way to get some ideas/incentive to explore is to buy all the Tom Harrison maps that cover the Sierra and then pour over them…. lots of interesting looking canyons, rivers, peaks… I particularly like the areas above the green… above treeline with lots of lakes… I see something like that on the map and I want to go check it out…

Realizing that you are from out of area, I think this set of maps would help you to get excited about exploring…

http://www.tomharrisonmaps.com/

I suggest getting the entire 'high country' series:
Yosemite High Country
Mammoth…
Mono…
Kings Canyon…
Mt. Whitney…

If these cover more area than you want you can cut them down before your trip.
I find the John Muir Trial Map Pack (8 1/2 x 11 and also by Harrison) to be too narrow for side-tripping… best for those of a linear mindset who don't much care to identify those area off to the sides of the JMT…

Billy

I agree with Billy that the best way to plan side trips or an extension is just to pore over the maps and see what you think looks cool. Though since you're from out of town, you may not want to go and buy all the Tom Harrison maps; instead I'd recommend browsing the NatGeo Trails Illustrated maps online, which you can open up a free preview of online and see all the mileages, etc. They are available here:

http://www.natgeomaps.com/ti_california

I'm surprised our request is rejected for HI-Illilouette since there are many days in July still available for this TH on their site and we're only 2. Maybe the park doesn't want people to use this unofficial start for the JMT, though I read that some people had success on this forum.

Thank you very much for the suggestions. Sonora Pass seems a good compromise in terms of distances. I was wondering if there was enough traffic to rely on hitchhiking in those passes. If so, route 4 (Carson Wilderness?) would be a good longer alternative.

I'm guessing we should request the permit from Toiyabe Nat. forest for Sonora Pass heading South… and hoping they take réservations early enough to secure the plan in advance. Am I right that such a permit would be valid up to Whitney Portal or we need something else for overnight in Inyo Nat. For.?

Maps and books are quickly becoming a necessity to understand our options :)

Highway 108 has a good amount of traffic in the summer. Many PCT'ers hitchhike from that trailhead into town to resupply. Will you be coming from the east or west? Flying into SF or Reno?

South of Highway 108 is Emigrant Wilderness. In the past I've gotten permits for Sonora Pass TH from the Pinecrest Ranger Station. The contact info for all the Stanislaus National Forest ranger stations is listed here:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/stanislaus/recarea/?recid=15107

There's no quota for that trailhead – they give out as many permits as are requested – so you may not even need a reservation. In the past I've just called a day before and asked them to leave a permit for me in the night drop box. Give the Pinecrest RS a call though and see what they say.

I am not too surprised your Happy Isles permit got rejected – it's a total hassle to get a permit out of there. In fact Yosemite Valley itself, while a beautiful and worthy destination, can be a huge hassle – dealing with camping, permits, etc. For me it's a no-brainer to start a JMT hike somewhere other than Happy Isles.

I have been doing a little armchair research on hybrid hikes using bus routes to get to trailheads. One surprise was the Amtrack BUS service to some areas like a couple of the PCT highway crossings in Washington. I don't know if that is the case with your trip to California, but may be worth including in your research and options.

Lots of other trailhead to start from; getting to them is the issue. Sonora Pass is probably the easiest to reach. No bus serves it but hitching from Bridgeport, which is served by daily CREST bus service that goes to Reno where you can get Greyhound or reach the airport, is fairly reliable. PCT hikers often resupply in Bridgeport by hitching from and to Sonora. (I've even picked some up myself in the past).
I would not suggest trying Ebbets Pass on HWY 4; much less traffic than Sonora.

And some very nice country from Sonora pass to Tuolumne, as a bonus.

Wilderness permit can be picked up in Bridgeport at the ranger station there.

Thanks for the info Paul, it confirms our plan to go with Andrew's suggestion. We will probably fly to Reno as it is closer to both trailheads. I received a confirmation from Inyo NF that a Stanislaus or Humboltdt-Toiyabe permit would be fine up to Whitney. If less crowded, the miles from Sonora Pass to Tuolumne might be our favorite part.

You can also self permit for the trailhead at Leavitt Meadows, and anyone going over Sonora Pass is also going right past that trailhead. The hike up and over the Sierra Crest there is quite beautiful…and probably a little easier than the hike down from Sonora Pass.

Marjorie, if you're interested I did a blog post about side trips to the Minarets just off the JMT. There are trip details, maps and photos.

http://seatosummitultralight.blogspot.com/2013/03/jmt-side-trips-in-minarets-wilderness.html

Also, here's some info on Darwin Bench, it's easily accessible via a use trail at the top off the switchbacks leading to Darwin Basin.

http://seatosummitultralight.blogspot.com/2013/09/sierra-wandering-0824-08302013.html

Have fun.

I would highly recommend starting out at the Virginia Lakes Trailhead out of Bridgeport, off Hwy 395. Permits are easy to get from Humboldt/Toiyabe National Forest. The mileage from the Virginia Lakes trailhead to Tuolumne Meadows is within a mile or so of the mileage you would do from Happy Isles to Tuolumne Meadows, with much less elevation gain, and a lot more solitude. I did this an alternative to a Happy Ilses JMT start many years ago, and would do it again if I couldn't score a Yosemite permit. Yosemite's permit system sucks-ass in my opinion! It is an antiquated fax and phone based system that is understaffed and uses outdated equipment and technology. I know the Yosemite Conservancy makes money for the good of Yosemite, and I have had very helpful and polite people in the past that I have dealt with there, but they need to go with a new model.