Lyell Canyon Permit Difficulty?

[jahneee]

Hey there! I'm in the beginning stages of planning a 3 night/4 day tip next summer (July or August 2019...I know, it's far away haha) with one other buddy. Tuolumne Meadows to Agnew Meadows looks ideal, with overnights at upper Lyell Canyon, 1000 Island Lakes and Lake Ediza. However, I'm a bit concerned about getting a permit, as I understand this is the jumping off point for many JMT backpackers. Unfortunately, start dates can't be super flexible for this weekend warrior...we'll likely need to start on a Thursday in July or August and exit on the following Sunday.

Any thoughts? If it's easier to get permits out of Agnew Meadows, I'm happy to do a loop out of there, but I'd still like to cover some ground (7-10 miles per day) and camp 3 nights. Definitely open to itinerary suggestions.

[maverick]

If you plan on getting a reserved permits for July/Aug, you better go to Rec.gov quick, just checked and there is only 1 day for Shadow, 3 days for Rush, 1 day for Minaret, and 3 days for Beck for your time period (July-Aug), otherwise you will have to drive up and get a first come first served permit.

[CAMERONM]

He is looking for 2019, so no permit rush. I am guessing that a northbound out of Agnew Meadows will be easier, as most JMT'ers want to go SOBO, and Donohue is the choke point. But even then, I have seen morning walkups. A lot of people overbook, and then don't show. I don't know if Reds Meadow is considered another TH and could be another option if you have no time, but I would prefer it and did it myself last week. I showed up one time in Mammoth with no time to wait the next day, and they gave me a permit out of June Lake. Not sure exactly why, but everyone in our party really hated that trip....Long hot ascent in the sun.

[maverick]

He is looking for 2019, so no permit rush.

Whoops, my bad, missed the 2019 part.

[CAMERONM]

Whoops, my bad, missed the 2019 part.

Oh, I just thought that you were planning a bit far in advance...

[wildhiker]

You will have to compete with the JMT thru-hikers in the lottery for permits to reserve one for a Lyell Canyon start. As I recall, the Yosemite park wilderness permit web pages state that about 90% of JMT permit reservation requests are denied, so your odds are low.

Another alternative hike from Tuolumne Meadows to Agnew Meadows that gets low use would be to start at the Mono Pass/Parker Pass trailhead (close to Tioga Pass - the Tuolumne Meadows shuttle bus will take you there on certain runs). First day up and over Parker Pass and camp by one of the small lakes in the upper Parker Creek drainage. I like the lowest lake, just before the trail starts up toward Koip Peak Pass. Second day is up and over Koip Peak Pass. We only went as far as Alger Lakes on the south side to camp, because they were so beautiful. You could probably make it all the way to Gem Lake (all downhill), but it's not as scenic to camp. Third day takes you to 1000 Island Lake. Then on the fourth day, you go out to Agnew Meadow. You would probably need to skip Ediza Lake, but you can hike by Garnet and Shadow Lakes before leaving the JMT to head to Agnew Meadow.

Permits to start from the Mono Pass/Parker Pass trailhead are rarely fully reserved, so you should have no problem reserving in advance. I've hiked out of that trailhead 5 times now (last time 2014) and always just got a walk-up permit.

-Phil

[davepctjmt]

The problem here is as much the exit permit as it is the entry permit. Yosemite restricts Donohue Pass exit permits to 45/day , irrespective of trailhead. Of these, 15 are allocated to Lyell canyon reservations and 10 to walk ups, the rest are reservable from other trailheads. If you absolutely have to reserve vs chance a walk up then as everyone else has pointed out, you’re in competition with hundreds of JMT hikers each day. https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/jmtfaq.htm

Bizarrely, coming the other way (from Agnew/Reds) there are no restrictions. Clearly NOBO hikers don’t contribute to overuse or trail erosion like SOBO hikers, and the speed with which the horseshoe meadows permits go suggests NOBO could be as popular as SOBO this year. Thus reversing your plan is an easy solution. It also enables you to get the YARTS bus back to your start point in Mammoth; assuming the 2018 schedule holds there are a couple of buses around 5-6pm.

From reds/Agnew there’s a bunch of options with separate quotas. Shadow lake trail, river trail, high trail (all from Agnew) or JMT north from devils postpile. Check the exact rules for each, as the first night camping and initial trail taken are linked to the permit type, even if the trailhead is the same.

[TehipiteTom]

Anecdata point, FWIW: Some years ago (2010, I think) I got to Tuolumne ranger station on a Wednesday afternoon in August some time after 1:00 pm, hoping to snag a next-day walk-up permit for...more or less anywhere out of TM. The only thing available was Young Lakes. That was mid-week, and not long after they started issuing permits that day. That's my only experience with trying to get a walk-up permit at TM--it reminded me why I had never tried before, and resolved me not to try again--but it was not encouraging.

[jahneee]

Thanks all! Very helpful. I think I'll try and battle the JMT masses for a permit, but if I'm unable to get one, I'll just start out of the Mammoth area. It's a bit more inconvenient with the YARTS schedule, but not a deal breaker

[rightstar76]

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