Sierra High Route TM Permits

[Wandering Daisy]

Another option is to go over the saddle between Mt Conness and White Mtn, drop and traverse to Young Lakes, where it is legal to camp- and good campsites too. Then trail past Dog Lake out to Lembert Dome parking, step across the road, get on the trail to Rafferty and camp legally 4 miles in. I would think this would satisfy the current permit rules without getting a new permit. The part of the SHR you would detour is logistically difficult and scenery is just as good on the detour. Mt. Conness west side is impressive. When Roper put together the SHR permits were no issue. I think it is in the spirit of the route to make this kind of detour given today's permit system.

[treks]

Thanks for the alternate. I spoke to the ranger and they require a permit at Rafferty Creek TH. Too late for lottery so I'll try 2 weeks before, then a walkup and finally the alternate if all fails.

[Wandering Daisy]

If you cannot get a permit from Young Lakes to go across 120, instead put in Glen Aulin (but do not camp there) and see if that will allow you to pass through. You are not going to see a ranger at Young Lakes. By the time you get to the trail from Glen Aulin you will be legal. They may be giving no permits across 120 if you start from Twin Lakes. Call Bridgeport and ask if there is ANY way you can get a permit to continue across 120.

In that case, try to get a Nelson Lake permit from Hwy 120. Put in Nelson Lake for the first night and Vogelsang Lake second. Then do not drop to the lake, instead go to Raymond Lake. From here you go over a little pass due east to intersect the Rafferty Creek Trail. I do not think it matters where you camp- I doubt rangers ever go to Nelson Lake. Just camp somewhere away from the trail - I would avoid Vogelsang Lake.

You may have to do several calls to Yosemite Wilderness office until you get a ranger who knows what is allowed. Just because Reserve.gov does not allow something does not necessarily mean Yosemite Wilderness rules do not allow it. It could be a glitch in Reserve.gov. Personally, I would make a big stink if PCT hikers are allowed a north-to-south crossing, but SHR hikers are not. Once at the Wilderness Kiosk at Tuolumne they may be able to find a solution for you at that time.

Well, I hope you simply can get a Rafferty permit before your trip.

[bobby49]

You are not going to see a ranger at Young Lakes.

In the old days, like 25-30 years ago, I would get a permit and take my small group to the middle Young Lake. One time, there was some fool camped right across the lake from us, and he pitched his tent within arm's reach of the water (which is obviously illegal). The fool was asleep in the grass when a ranger had seen him, so the ranger was circling around behind the fool. When the fool woke up, the ranger was standing there next to him. The ranger was packing a sidearm, so the fool didn't make any moves. The ID was checked, and apparently the fool had no permit at all, so a citation was written.

We were all watching this from across the lake, so there was a round of applause.

The lowest Young Lake is the first one you reach, so it tended to be crowded. The highest Young Lake has almost no tree cover, and has mosquitos. As a result, the middle Young Lake was always our destination.

[wildhiker]

I do not think it matters where you camp- I doubt rangers ever go to Nelson Lake. Just camp somewhere away from the trail - I would avoid Vogelsang Lake.

While a Nelson Lake permit allows you to camp legally the first night beyond Nelson Lake, further into the backcountry, for example, along the cross-country route over to Vogelsang, I wouldn't count on never seeing a ranger back there. I had a ranger check my permit at Matthes Lake in 2020 - totally cross-country destination with no use trail. Yosemite has 30 wilderness rangers, I was told. Most of them spend most of their time at the permit stations, but still, there are many out in the backcountry.

-Phil

[Wandering Daisy]

I was thinking about the legality of camping at Raymond Lake and not even dropping down to Nelson Lake. If heading to intersect the Rafferty Trail, there is no need to drop to Nelson Lake and the Raymond Lake legality is not an issue.

Related question- are the High Camps going to be operating this summer? I wonder how many permits are taken by people doing the High Camp loop? Do they get their permits on Reserve.gov just like everyone else, or if they book the huts, do their permits apply to the daily quotas or do the people managing the huts get the permits for them, not restricted by daily quotas?

[wildhiker]

I was thinking about the legality of camping at Raymond Lake and not even dropping down to Nelson Lake. If heading to intersect the Rafferty Trail, there is no need to drop to Nelson Lake and the Raymond Lake legality is not an issue.

Related question- are the High Camps going to be operating this summer? I wonder how many permits are taken by people doing the High Camp loop? Do they get their permits on Reserve.gov just like everyone else, or if they book the huts, do their permits apply to the daily quotas or do the people managing the huts get the permits for them, not restricted by daily quotas?

I've recently read through all the Park Service web pages regarding wilderness permits in Yosemite and saw no mention of people needing those permits to stay at the High Sierra Camps. That makes sense, because technically, the HSCs are NOT in the official wilderness! Each one resides within about a 30 acre "donut hole" that was deliberately left out of the wilderness designation by Congress. People staying in the HSCs are actually just day-hikers in the wilderness. I also remember seeing a thread somewhere that in 2024, only the Glen Aulin, May Lake, and Sunrise HSCs will be open - Vogelsang and Merced Lake HSCs will be closed.

By the way, the lake you are thinking of near Nelson Lake is Reymann Lake, not Raymond.

-Phil

[treks]

I called into the Bridgeport ranger district and spoke to a ranger there. They said that Yosemite and Inyo should be able to honor my permit coming from the Twin Lakes trailhead, so I think I should be good. I'm going to call the Inyo office today and just confirm. If I hear anything different I'll post it here in the thread. To play it safe, I probably will be camping on the cross country sections so it's not a problem.