Walk in permits

[Musgrove]

Alright, me and my two friends planned to do the HST this year. However, I was late getting the permits and the only date I could find was June 3rd.

We decided this was too early seeing as we wanted to summit whintey. So now we are risking the walk-in permit.

We plan on showing up at loge-pole and waiting around for a 24-hour permit.


What would you all recommend to ensure we get our permits? this is very important to use.

[Wandering Daisy]

Obviously, be first in line. Go in week day or even Sunday. Good to camp nearby the night before. If Lodgepole CG is full, a first-come CG is located north a short distance (cannot remember the name of it). There also is a square of FS dispersed camping north of Lodgepole. You can do a lot of packing-up chores while in line and I have even cooked breakfast in line. Handy to have a small camp chair. With a group you can take turns. Lodgepole is actually one of the nicer places to wait in line, because there is a store, showers, and little cafe and plenty of buildings with sheltered entrances if it is raining.

Call to find out when permits are given out. Everything is in such a flux this year, that it is very important to call a few days ahead. Ask if they have separate lines for those picking up reserved permits and those seeking walk-ins. If not, be sure you are allowed to standby (not be kicked to the back of the line) until walk-ins are issued. Ask if you can listen to "the talk" with a reserved permit group so when you get your walk-in permit, one chore is out of the way. Not sure of current rules but there used to be "same day" permits which were released at 11AM? when someone did not show up, AND non-reserve permits given out for the next day. In the past I have used "same day" permits, driven to Crescent Meadow TH and walked to Mehrten Creek camp by dusk. There are few if any campsites before Mehrten, mainly due to steep terrain, and later in the season, no water until Mehrten.

Seriously, you need to have the flexibility to wait a day if needed, so build in a contingency day to your schedule and transportation logistics. You can also connect with the HST via Wolverton TH. I am not sure if both trailheads are in one big quota bucket, or they are considered two different quotas. Even though it does not look like it on the map, the elevation gain to Merhten Creek is not too much more than Crescent Meadow TH. Wolverton is one big uphill, then down; Crescent Meadow is a rollercoaster of smaller ups and downs. And if it is peak water flow, I prefer Wolverton because it avoids tons of water crossings (wading needed). If going in Wolverton, you have to backtrack about half a mile to the Mehrten Creek camp.

[TurboHike]

I'll just add a few comments to what was mentioned earlier:

If you can wait until later in September, you'll be past the quota date and you'll get your permit for sure. Just a thought.

I believe you are not allowed to access the High Sierra Trail by using the Alta trail from Wolverton. This is mentioned on recreation.gov and appears to be a new rule for 2021.

By getting a walk up permit, you will likely not begin hiking until late a.m. or early p.m. You'll need to decide how this fits with your planned trip. I prefer early a.m. starts so I can better plan my food strategy given the size of my bear canister.

There are other trail heads that might make sense, like Paradise trail or Timber Gap trail, both out of the Mineral King area. You could then hook up with the High Sierra Trail around Bearpaw Meadow. It's much easier to reserve these two trails in advance, so you could start early a.m. on your hike. Regardless of what trail you start on, the first day IMO will be the least scenic day. The views don't really start to open up (again, IMO) until you get closer to Hamilton Lake.

[Wandering Daisy]

After more thought, it should be emphasized that walk-in permits are not a sure thing, so IF the HST is your only goal, then walk-in may not be a good choice. Additionally, a solo hiker can almost assuredly get a walk-in; if there are three in your group, less likely. If you still decide to chance walk-in then have equally rewarding alternates; "Plan B" and even "Plan C". The HST, with its transportation logistics is not the best route to try for a walk-in. The suggestion to wait until the quota period is over (Sept) is a good one.

I have left as late as 3PM and made it to Mehrten camp. It is a 6 hour drive for me; get permit by about 1PM, on trail about 2-3PM and walk to Mehrten camp arriving at dusk. It is tight, for sure. I also take enough car camping stuff to camp and go the next morning.

Nothing to do with permits, but I would avoid the "standard" campsites when possible. Particularly avoid Bearpaw- it is crowded, over used, stinky and not at all scenic. Note that it is not safe or even feasible to get down to the creek from the bridge a mile or so past Bearpaw - go upstream and off the trail or carry enough water to reach the crossing below Hamilton Lake. Although Hamilton Lake is also a very crowded campsite, it is at least very scenic.

[mkbgdns]

maybe "HST" is a trophy hike, and you will accept no substitute, but as Daisy said, walk-up is a risk. you can pick up the HST at Bearpaw (or better yet, don't cross but continue up the Kaweah to the crossing below Hamilton) via Timber Gap out of Mineral King. done that. or, you can come in over Sawtooth, drop to Big Arroyo, ascend cross country to Sky Parlor Meadow and hit the HST there. done that too. 1st day not for the faint of heart. you can come in over Franklin Pass, and pick up the HST just below Kern Hot Spring. the latter two workarounds miss oft-photographed Hamilton and Precipice Lakes.

there is no way to "ensure" you will get a walkup same day, though Daisy's suggeations give you a darn good chance. contact SEKI, finds out what happens to cancelled reservations--if they go back into reservations rather into walkups, you might snag one ahead of time.

[Wandering Daisy]

I wonder if part of failing to get a HST permit reservation is the limit on Whitney exit permits, regardless of where you enter? I wonder what would happen if you did not call it "HST" and then exited Vacation Pass to George Creek? (not that you would do this, but just experiment to see if it makes a difference). Or exit a non-quota TH like Tuttle Creek via Tuttle Pass (again feasible, but nothing you really want to do)? What about exiting Cottonwood or New Army?

I have never had any problems getting a permit into Hamilton Lake, Tamarack Lake, Tablelands, Nine Lakes Basin or Big 5 Lakes using the Wolverton trailhead. I just think Wolverton cannot be used if you are officially doing the "HST". And at what point, entering an entirely different way, is it no longer the "HST"?

I did a HST "yo-yo" mid September from Whitney Portal, to Hamilton Lake, then out via Pants Pass and Kern Keweah to Junction Meadow. No problem getting a walk-in permit. Over the years I have found that Whitney Zone walk-in permits (freed up by cancelled reservations) are not that hard to get after Labor Day, at least for a solo hiker.

[TurboHike]

For the Alta trail, this is the language on recreation.gov that appears to be new for 2021:

"This entry point does not allow travel on the High Sierra Trail between the Sevenmile Hill Trail and Kaweah Gap; to do so select a "High Sierra Trail" entry point instead."

So no more access to Tamarack, Hamilton, etc., since travel along HST is now forbidden if you enter via Alta trail.

[Wandering Daisy]

Well that is really annoying! So I guess that leaves Alta-Moose Lake-down to Tamarack, Lion Pass (or is it Lion Lake Pass) to Nine Lakes Basin. An option for those willing to do some moderately difficult off-trail.

The HST is also the main access to fishing in Nine Lakes Basin, climbing, and many other destinations. I do not know why there is not a "walk through" permit that simply does not allow camping between Bearpaw and Nine Lakes Basin. That way the HST people would not be competing with those who simply have other destinations.

[Musgrove]

Do they normally just check for the permit while entering the trails? How are these enforced? I got permits for the Teton crest trail last year and we ended up not seeing any rangers and just camped where we wanted. Obviously, we were respectful and there was always plenty of space.

[TurboHike]

Musgrove, I have no idea what is "normal", but I've had my permit checked both near trailheads and deeper into the backcountry. The last time I entered via the Kearsarge Pass trail, I got an early 7 a.m. start, and about 2 miles in I encountered a ranger coming down the trail. She checked my permit and asked if I had a bear canister (I did). After she left I wondered to myself if that is standard procedure, i.e., hike up the trail very early a.m. and then check permits coming down the trail as hikers are going up. It makes sense to me, easy way to check a lot of permits. On a separate occasion, I had my permit checked coming down the east side of Colby Pass, which is in the middle of nowhere, so to speak. That's fairly deep into the backcountry. Maybe I just got *lucky* that day.