Happy New Year...
Beautiful view of Whitney this morning...

I'll bet we're getting to the point where the snow level is sufficient for a straight-line ascent to LBSL...

Now on to the question: 4'+ at Crabtree...(with a LOT of Winter to come) how long do I delay my permit attempt if I want to do the JMT mostly snow-free this summer...I see they're taking reservations for mid-June right now...

It's almost 6' at Crabtree :-)

Hi Richard,
Long time since we have conversed. If the current pattern persists I would think you would be best to aim for August. I have done June with success with plenty of snow on the typical spots - Donahue, Muir, etc. with the PCTers having set a good boot track.
I like August for less bugs, less snow, still some good flowers if it is a good snow year, no PCTers, typically good weather and still plenty of water available. You didn't say if you were pushing a "fast" pace or a leisurely trip so some variables come into play there.
My two cents,
Scott

Thanks for the reply, Scott.

I'm sticking to my plan from last year ~15 miles days...
(I've found that at this age, I can go up to about 17-18 miles and wake up fine the next day...if I push beyond this, the next day is not as much fun...)

You confirm my thoughts (although I did think about holding off until September) that August would be best. I'll start paying attention to the Yosemite Permit Lottery when the August dates become available.

On another topic, although related: I wonder if we're going to have a Wild Death Valley Wildflower Bloom this Spring...?

Richard,

Perhaps it is only acceptable for you to hike the JMT from Happy Isles to Mt Whitney as a thru hike. If so, I completely understand. If not, you have a vast array of options, especially with your knowledge, skill set, and experience in the Sierras, as well as proximity to the area.

An option to the thru hike is to break the adventure into multiple segments. Adding them all up during the summer = JMT. Each segment can be planned a relatively short period in advance (Inyo walk-in permit window starts two weeks out) to avoid deep snow, high creek crossings, monsoons, fires, etc.

For example:

(1) Happy Isles to Tuolumne Meadows is a day hike for anyone who can day hike Mt Whitney. Take a daypack and no permit is needed.

(2) Tuolumne Meadows to Reds Meadow is a Monster Day Hike and could provide the ultimate (and thrilling) single segment challenge in your JMT experience. I believe Doug Sr and Doug Jr have done this. Ask them how it went. Again, no permit, just take a day pack and (for sure) extra snacks.

(3) Reds Meadow to Onion Valley (with final 7 mile exit off JMT). Possibly resupply at the Muir Trail Ranch, as this is a 132 mile segment.

(4) Onion Valley (with initial 7 mile return to JMT) to Mt Whitney. I know you have done these 50 miles as a day hike, but now probably seek a multi day outing. If you can not get a permit wth a Trail Crest exit, descend the MR or go down the Sand Hill to Crabtree Pass and the Miter Basin to finally exit at Horseshoe Meadows.

(1) to (4)above can be done in any order. They require only 14 miles of travel off the JMT.

You get Bonus Points if you add the Miter Basin to the JMT! However, the Cheeseburger will be delayed a day. We realize that Bonus Points versus Cheeseburger Delay is a tough decision. We will leave it as a future topic.

Best of luck in your outing.

Jim

Richard,
Jim's #1 and #2 have always been part of my sequence and twice I did Happy Isles to Reds in a very long single day (not recommended). This avoids a bunch of permits problems with a start in T Meadows or the Mammoth area.
Scott

Over the years we have wanted to do the JMT , busy time of the year and always felt taking the time would transfer the work at the store onto others , so we did section hikes .

Yes Doug and I did the TM thing in a day about 11 hours with a very long lunch ( side story we stopped in Bishop and bought snacks a lot of snack we ate all the snacks at lunch and was sick when we started walking again) plan was for a cup of noddles and cheese we ate it all!
Now the option is a walk Down to HI , get a room and shuttle back up the next day. We had this plan in place , but Doug will explain some day something about profiled , bears and dogs ,long hair old beat up truck.
The section behind Bishop is still missing but should be a 3-4 nights trip if going lite and coming out at Keserage .

Kersage to Whitney not a bad trip but avoid the summit and don't cross country up Wallace , trail miles are faster than cross country. We once tried to contour after Forester heading south again very slow going so we dropped back to the JMT (Don't take the guy thats says he can do 50 miles a day 50 turned into a 20 death march! )

Late August worked fine for us, the winter fat was off we had 4 months at elevation and working 14 + hours day so were in top shape plus local quick hikes before work if we could sneak them in ( not get caught by Earlene or the ranger yelling you won't make it back in time to open!)
Plan your trip for doing a pass in the morning and sleeping below the pass the night before ,

I would go for a late season trip break it up as above , do the long middle section come out at Keserage and stop at the store get a post card of the summit hut and call it a trip.

I'll start with the comment that...a majority of the North Bound hikers I met last summer were coming from Cottonwood Pass so they didn't have to deal with a Whitney Permit.

I now have some great fallback strategies, but I would like to do the (classic) Happy Isle start. If I do have to Section Hike it, there are a few sections I'll leave out (especially the lower elevation stuff - I'd have to look back at my photos to be specific).

My cancelled plans from last summer had me drive the truck (with motorcycle) to TM, ride down with a day pack on Day 1 for a day hike back up to TM, leaving the heavy pack at TM.

Great stories and advice, as usual, Doug.

Thanks.

I'd probably wait until late July if you want little to no snow.

I completed the JMT in 2021 Northbound from Whitney to Happy Isles. Started Mid-June, ended after the 4th. No snow(pockets) and was a quite dry season.

This year there's a lot dumping down, and it's too early to tell what kind of conditions will result after this atmospheric river and whatever else comes until end of Feb. so I'd wait and let summer do it's work.

Now 175 inches of snow at Tyndall Creek - south of Forrester Pass. Wouldn't expect it to clear until late July - early Aug.

Crabtree Meadow has over ten feet of snow.

Won't just be the snow - runoff will create very dangerous stream crossings.

Yeah, I've been watching the sensors...

A couple of months ago, I had HM To Whitney in Winter as a snowshoe trip on the list, but now it would be crazy...maybe if I get myself in BC Skiing shape...unlikely at this age...


I recall having to bail out at Shepherd Pass (left motorcycles at Shepherd Pass TH and OV just in case...) when the Tyndall Creek crossing (got there late in the day...) scared the $4!7 out of me...2 weeks later, it was a sheet of ice when I crossed early in the morning... (This was the late-Spring/Summer Section Hike The JMT Project way back when...obviously, in a drought year...)

On the bright side, you'll have plenty of water to refill along those 200+ miles!

The other option is that I forget long range hiking and do a few months on a cross-country motorcycle trip...another of those list items that's never happened...

I spent the days after Christmas back in Boston (where I was born and where my parents WWII era war buddies/families live...) at the funeral services for one of them...It is amazing how easy it is to (mostly - I thought about them occasionally) forget, but reconnect with such a strong bond in short period of time...the Ride Across America would allow me to visit again...could time it for Fall Colors in New England...and then home on a Southerly Route...

Richard
I looked up some of my trips. Seemed to have hit some big snow years.
Snowpack totals are already as high as some of the years below:

Bottom line - if this year does not melt out then August would be easier, or even Sept if the snow keeps up .

8/9/05 Donahue Pass - 2 miles of snow .easy

7/15/06 Muir Pass miles and miles(8?)of postholing

8/27/06 Old JMT route
Iceberg L to Minaret L - not passable without real crampons & ax

8/5/11 Forester Pass - 2-3 miles of snow on north side only. No problem.
Whitney had patches on west side but well carved path

9/11/17 Upper Crabtree Lake (not Crabtree Meadow)
dicey snow tongue steep north shore. Rather than wait for the sun to soften we detoured 1 hr up & around. Better than sliding into the lake

8/17/19 Muir Pass south side, big patches & big penitentes, a bit slower going.

have fun

Harvey

Thanks Doc...

I'm looking at mid-August through end of season for when I'll do it (if I do it) this year.

Looking at the sensors, there's been about 2 1/2 feet of consolidation since the dumps ended, with 7-9 feet of snow on most sensors.

Failed to get a Happy Isle permit in the lottery, but did get a Whitney Overnight for the 18th of August (first time I've participated in the Whitney Madness), so it looks like (if I go) I'll be doing a NoBo trip on the JMT.

On a positive note, the sun will be on my back for most of the trip in that direction...

A snowy year... did the JMT in late June 2009, lots of hiking through snow (both sides of Forester were challenging)... some sections were easier, pick a direction and go, no trail to follow... Mammoth has almost 15 feet of more snow this year! Enjoy your hike!

Resurrecting this thread for Summer '24...
Anybody willing to pipe in...I'm reading...


BTW: A tip of the Chapeau (TdF...cycling endeavour...) to RG for his B'day Challenges...

I rode 100+ (AR/Virtual) miles for the first time since I did the Length of Thailand Tour (with my wife as support) on an MTB back in the early 2000's...(13 days, with one of them being a rest day for sight-seeing...)

Proud of myself...4:57:22 (at 100)...had to push the watts up by 30 in the last hour to get it done, but did manage to limit over Red Line to 5+ minutes...

BTW2: Gorgeous views of the mountain on the Webcam today...