JMT Section Hike Question

The Parks and Forest Service are most concerned about where you start you hike. Many of the JMT trailheads have quotas for the number of people starting at the trailhead each day. You would be required to make a new reservation. Its been my experience that they are not concerned about where you leave the trail system, and they do have back country rangers checking for valid permits and bear cans.

The JMT is an amazing trail, do what you have time for, and leave the rest for next year.

edit: Yeesh, sorry Chris, you already nailed it.

You are free to change your exit point as you like, but your permit is tied to the date and trailhead of entry.

If you want to start your hike from Red's Meadow, you need a brand new permit–one issued from your friends in Inyo National Forest. Your permit is only valid for a hike starting at Glacier Point, in Yosemite.

The silver lining is that I suspect those are much easier to get than the permit you currently have.

Not to put too fine a point on it, you could even pick up your pass at the nearest (or in Yosemite ANY) of the back country permit stations, and then spend one night, or hike to Toulumne Meadows, then go for "resupply" at reds meadows if you have transportation. Etc. Not recommending this, but it is an option depending on contingencies. So you are covered. As far as getting on the trail head as red's (for example), you are doing a resupply.

People always gripe out the wahzoo about the permit application process (my "drawing" is in 2 days) but they never seem to praise how liberal the rules are after you start. I will be doing the "JMT (director's cut super-extended edition) at the end of the summer – 45 days starting a White Wolf and ending nominally at Whitney with a lot of side trips and fly fishing. It is actually pretty amazing that short of starting on a certain trailhead on a certain day I will be able to be pretty flexible (short of running out of food) on what I do each day through such a long trip.

Thanks so much for all the information. Always lots of helpful and knowledgeable people on this site.

I would really like to tackle the whole trail this summer, but I'm already having a bit of trouble getting that much time off work. I had originally thought it wouldn't be that difficult. It's nice to know that if I can't get the 3 weeks, I could get a new permit fairly easily for a section.

I will admit to complaining about the permit process, but one thing I am thankful for is that it's only $5/person (+$5 for processing). So, changing our plans will only cost me $20.