Petition To Change Back To Pre-Covid Walk-in Permit System

[erutan]

Really happy with the 2022 Yosemite system. I'll miss free walk-ups, but it's still the same price as SEKI has been for ages for a solo backpacker and cheaper than most other areas which charge per person per night vs just per person. A 2 person permit for trip in Paria Canyon cost me $59, my Inyo trips that are more than twice the length are $16. If that money goes towards hiring trail crews etc I'm fine with it.

I wonder if Yosemite is pocketing the extra $4 flat fee for the permit or if that's a rec.gov thing?

[Suzy]

I like the sound of the Yosemite 24 week out lottery system for all permits AND the return to true walkup permits, that sounds great. Still no info. on Inyo about 2022 system for walkups. I might try giving them a call this week.

[Suzy]

@michaelzim thank you for this information! appreciate it.

[wildhiker]

Had my first experience with the Inyo NF wilderness permit reservations for 2022 on recreation.gov this morning.
Result? Not good! There has to be a fairer way to do this, such as the Yosemite lottery system (see https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wpres.htm )

I'm planning a week-long solo trip from the ever-popular Bishop Pass trailhead. My first idea was to start on Sunday, July 24. Since permit reservations are released exactly 6 months earlier at 7 am Pacific time, I was logged into recreation.gov and ready to go this morning, Jan 24, at 6:45 am. I put in my data and see that there are 0 permits for all trailheads on July 24 - just as expected, they are not released yet. I then used the "Filters" option to show only Bishop Pass. At exactly 7 am (yes, my computer is synchronizing with internet time servers), I went back to "Filters" and clicked "Show Results" again. No change. Still 0 permits for Bishop Pass. I clicked "Show Results" again, now about 7:00:10. Still no change. Hmm, maybe that button doesn't actually reload results, so I refreshed my entire browser window, had to re-answer group size and commercial trip questions, and then got new results. It is now about 7:00:20. Scrolling down, I see 6 permits for Bishop Pass. Supposedly, 22 permits were released at 7 am; gee, 16 are gone already! I clicked on the date and clicked "Book Now". At this point, it is probably close to 7:00:30.

Anticipation high, I wait while the system churns away, only to return in a few seconds with the message (paraphrased): "Error: too many people are trying to reserve right now. Try again later". Display still shows 6 permits available. I only need one. So I tried again 5 seconds later - same result. One more time - same result. Last time - now it says (paraphrased): "Sorry, this is a popular area and it is now fully reserved." I refreshed my browser, and the display shows all permits gone for Bishop Pass, which is now in the "W" (walkups only) state.

This whole process was over by 7:01 am. Only the extraordinarily quick - or extremely lucky - can succeed in this system! I will try again tomorrow morning to see if there is less competition for a permit to start on Monday, July 25.

By the way, in answer to a question above, the recreation.gov site clearly states that the "W" (walkup) permits for Inyo Forest wilderness areas will be made available for reservation on recreation.gov exactly 14 days in advance. So there are NO true walkup permits on the Inyo Forest in 2022.

-Phil

EDIT: Tried again on January 25 for permit to start Bishop Pass on Monday, July 25. This time, ready at 7:00 am with two browsers logged into recreation.gov. Ready to refresh both at 7:00 am in hopes one will have lucky timing. Refreshed first one about 7:00:10 and saw 22 permits available for Bishop Pass. Quickly clicked on "Book Now" and went right to the page where I can complete the booking. Yay! Then refreshed the other browser about 7:00:25 and it shows NO permits left for Bishop Pass. All 22 permits were taken in 15 seconds! I was able to complete my booking and get my permit reservation. But this system is crazy.

[Wandering Daisy]

You should forward this post to Inyo Forest. It is absurd that you need two computers and very quick fingers to simply book a trip.

I may do an Inyo trip after Labor Day and I will probably wait until the 2-week before "walk-ins" to try to permit.

[wildhiker]

You should forward this post to Inyo Forest. It is absurd that you need two computers and very quick fingers to simply book a trip.
...

In fairness, only the popular trailheads were reserved up "instantly" - basically, any of the good trails that connect to the Muir Trail, plus anything out of Agnew Meadows/Devils Postpile. Many of the "dead-end" trails into east side basins plus the notorious hard passes (Baxter, Sawmill, Taboose, Shepherd) still have availability on the reservation site days later.

-Phil

[potatopants]

I've been trying all week for a Piute Pass permit for 1 and had the same exact experience, but without the lucky result. I live in Illinois so a two-week out shot at a walk-up permit isn't useful at all. I don't remember it being this competitive even a year ago.

[Wandering Daisy]

"In all fairness", well, not exactly "fair" when only computer experts with fast fingers and tricks up their sleeves can get permits for trails that are needed for longer trips when what is left over for the "general public" are dead end trails or other "undesirables". Makes me want to simply get a nearby dead-end permit and enter my desired trailhead anyway.

Potatoepants - keep applying, as gradually things open up when people start cancelling. Everyone seems to over-book at the first chance at permits. I hope you eventually get what you need. Depending on where you are going, you can also get into most areas accessed by Piute Pass, with a permit from Pine Creek. Have you thought about west side entry, via Florence Lake?

[LMBSGV]

Last year, I wrote both Lesley Yen, the Inyo Supervisor, and my congressman, Jared Huffman, about the Inyo permit situation and the use of bots to get permits. Neither replied with any response except a form letter. I managed to get a Bishop Pass permit last year by checking at 15 minutes or so after 7:00 when the time limit to book the permit runs out. Two permits reappeared at that point.

Until someone with a lot more clout and publicity looks into this, I don't think the system will be fixed unless Lesley Yen is convinced to change the Inyo permit system to run more like Yosemite.

[terrapin]

You should forward this post to Inyo Forest. It is absurd that you need two computers and very quick fingers to simply book a trip.
...

In fairness, only the popular trailheads were reserved up "instantly" - basically, any of the good trails that connect to the Muir Trail, plus anything out of Agnew Meadows/Devils Postpile. Many of the "dead-end" trails into east side basins plus the notorious hard passes (Baxter, Sawmill, Taboose, Shepherd) still have availability on the reservation site days later.

-Phil

Actually even the "notorious" passes can fill up. Looking now, the morning of January 29th, from July 25-29, Taboose and Shepherd are filled three out of those five days (and Taboose only has one spot each on the other two days). Even Baxter and Sawmill are filled on one day! I think people desperate to access the JMT are taking them not realizing what they are signing up for.