JMT – Options for storing a backpack in Tuolumne Meadows overnight?

[Lange Jorstad]

Dear knowledgeable colleagues,

I have a JMT permit starting from Lyell Canyon later this year. I am interested in day hiking the section from Happy Isles to Tuolumne Meadows the day before my permit starts to cover the whole trail, as a day hike would not require a wilderness permit (I appreciate this is a big day hike). Working concept is to store my pack with most of my gear in TM for the night, shuttle down to the valley to overnight (Curry Village?), then hike up the next morning with a small-ish day pack.

Does anyone know if there are options to store a pack/gear in TM overnight? I would pitch my tent in the TM backpackers campground for the night and leave some gear there, but the wilderness permit only gives access to that campground one night before the permit starts (which would be the night of the day hike from the valley). I could book a standard TM campsite and do the same thing, but that seems like a waste of money and campsite (which would be occupied by an empty tent for the night!).

I’d be grateful for any advice on options for storing gear overnight in TM.

[David Gardner]

There are bear-proof steel storage lockers at the trailhead for the trail leading to Glen Aulin on a short road between Lembert Dome and the Tuolomne Meadows Visitor Center, on the north side of Highway 120. No permit needed to put your stuff in there, although they don’t lock, so consider the risks of leaving all your $$$ gear there.

[Ken Thompson]

No more rental lockers. Curry Village is now Half Dome Village.

 

[Kenneth Keating]

You could store the pack overnight at the Post Office in TM, that’s probably the safest.  The PO will charge a small fee to do so.  The disadvantage is you’d need to be there by a certain time before they close.  The other option is to  leave your items in one of the bear lockers at the TM backpackers campsite. No one is going to check to see who it belongs to.

[Matthew / BPL]

What about asking some nice family at the TM campground if you can throw your pack in their RV?

Also, if I were doing your plan I’d make life way easier on myself and go from TM to HI, leaving in the morning and catching the shuttle back.

Also, that is the least interesting portion of the JMT. My $.02 is to blow that section off and spend an extra day anywhere else on the trail.

However you do it, you are likely to have a good time. Enjoy!

[Kenneth Keating]

To expand on the PO concept, last year they were accepting packages for resupply.  There was was no mailing or special packaging required, you just stopped by, dropped your packages off and paid the fee depending on the size and number of packages, so it was fairly simple.

[Lange Jorstad]

Six replies in the first hour – now THAT is an effective group!

Thank you all – I’ll try the post office first. A few bucks seems like a small price to pay for peace of mind that the gear will actually be there when I get back! Of course it does put on a little pressure to complete the hike before 5pm or I’ll have an interesting bivy in Tuolumne Meadows. Maybe I hedge my bets and keep my sleeping bag and ground cloth…

Skipping this section – I thought about it. I grew up in California and have walked as far as LYV and Half Dome many times. However I have now lived in Australia for 17 years, and there is a bit of nostalgia in retracing these steps. My clock will be ticking from the permit start date anyway, so skipping that leg doesn’t actually buy me a day in the rest of the trip – it’s more like a bonus day on the front end.

Thanks again everyone.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Since you are willing to pay for a lodging night at Half Dome Village (Curry),you might want to consider one night lodging at Tuolumne Lodge instead.  Since you would be a guest, I assume you can leave a pack for a night; inquire first.  Leave pack in office or wherever the night before hiking out, get up early and hike to Happy Isles, which, as pointed  out, is a long day hike.  Or, get up, leave pack, take first bus to valley and hike back to Tuolumne Lodge, quite possibly arriving Tuolumne Lodge after sunset.  Since they serve dinner, I assume some staff are available until 9:30/10 PM or arrange for a pack pick up location.  If budget is not an issue, could pay for two nights at Tuolumne Lodge.  .

[jscott]

Since this section is a lark, and you want to indulge a bit of nostalgia, and since it’s the first not-in-hiking-shape day of a long hike and involves many miles…go downhill. It’s a many thousand feet climb from Happy Isles to TM.

[Matthew / BPL]

Yeah Sunrise is a grind.

Here is somebody’s caltopo map of the hike, headed downhill. I’d much rather not climb up ~7,000′ on a dayhike.

[jscott]

7.000 feet with no acclimation.

p.s. this is my ‘backyard’ so I know this hike very well.

[Lange Jorstad]

Thanks again – yes I have reviewed the Caltopo profile in detail – 7K climb on Day 1 is asking for trouble, and I’ll probably have 2 days max to acclimate beforehand. Will make Plan A and B…

[Author]

Posts