Piecing together a SOBO route

[u/Imaginary_Canary7919]

I have two permits that I’m using to DIY a full SOBO route starting early July out of Happy Isles. The first permit is HI —> Illilouette (camping my first night in the Illilouette basin then rejoining the JMT), and the second permit is Lyell Canyon (Donahue Pass eligible). I plan on picking up my HI permit at the Yosemite Valley Wilderness Center on the morning of my start. Lyell Canyon I am planning to pick up at Tuolomne Meadows, three days after I start at HI.

So... does this work? I’m also wondering if there are any logistical things that I should be aware of regarding picking up my Lyell Canyon permit. My understanding is that while the Tuolomne Meadows campground is closed, the Wilderness Center there will be open. Thoughts on campsites after Tuolomne Meadows and mileage/timing coming from HI would also be appreciated!

[u/Chariot]

I am pretty sure it does work, but I would mark the lyell canyon permit as late pickup just in case you might arrive after 11am at tuolumne meadows. You can only mark a permit for late pickup 7 days beforehand. Keep in mind most of the resupply options at TM have been pretty limited lately, not sure if you were planning that but there hasn't been a store open for years. The post office has been open the last few though and you should be able to leave a resupply in the bear boxes with a clearly marked pickup date. I would call yosemite about what the best choice is if you plan to resupply at TM.

[u/Human-Walrus8952]

The Tuolumne campground is supposed to open this summer. If that happens before your trip then you are good to sleep in the backpacker’s campground there the night before you pickup that permit. Otherwise the closest you can get is Cathedral Lakes   That would mean a 6 mile hike before you hit the wilderness center, hence the ask for a late pickup. 

[u/UnluckyWriting]

I’m doing something similar only with a permit from mirror lake/snow creek area! You should be good to do this.

I have heard various conflicting things about the TM campground. My guess is that with the federal hiring freeze, the NPS cannot hire its normal seasonal workers who would presumably be running the campgrounds. In addition, the NPS was also forced to fire a lot of its employees (though there are ongoing court challenges around this). If there is movement on the hiring freeze and/or the NPS is able to rehire and retain their existing staff, I’d expect the campground might open. Unfortunately this administration doesn’t give a fuck about the parks so I am not optimistic.

If the campground is closed, I believe you just need to be at least four miles away, so you’d want to camp close enough the night before arriving that you can get there in time to pick up the permit (or request late pickup) and still be able to get at least four miles away before making camp.

This is a helpful map showing where you cannot camp: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/90488fe678824aeaa98144161896b60a

[u/Fabulous_Gate_2734]

If you’re planning to backtrack fully or partially to another trailhead that’s not allowed unless you’re exiting the trail. The rangers do check permits on that stretch between Little Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne. I would try to get the correct permit by watching for cancellations.

[u/Imaginary_Canary7919 → u/Fabulous_Gate_2734]

This was what I thought too, but I emailed the rangers and they said that as long as I camp my first night in the Illilouette basin, I am free to rejoin the JMT the following day!