Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Change in the wind for JMT/Whitney access.

For those of you who do not follow the JMT media sites, the background to the following post is briefly:

Some Rangers in the Yos Wilderness office and some Staff in the Reservations office have been denying permit reservations in recent days based on draft rule changes that have not yet been implemented at the Yos end of the trail. These purported restrictions have run from denying permits that would allow access to the JMT from anywhere except Happy isles an Tuolumne to imposition of a quota on JMT throughikers based on whether stated exit trailheads are north or south of Red's. Those of you familiar with TH permit policy will recognize both of these purported changes as radical departures from present policy.

Long story (500 posts on JMT FB page) short, a brief but furious letter writing campaign and some meetings between Yos, Inyo, Sierra NF and SEKI over the past few days have resulted in the following communication:

"Dear Yosemite Hiking Community,

I wanted to take this opportunity to share information with you about the John Muir Trail (JMT) within Yosemite National Park. Over the last several years, Yosemite National Park has seen a significant increase in demand for permits to hike the JMT. During that time, there also has been an increase in the number of impacts related to JMT hikers along the trail corridor. Last summer, for example, there were 31 reported bear incidents in the Yosemite Wilderness; 30 of which occurred along the JMT. In addition, popular backcountry camps have seen a sharp increase in overnight users which is affecting the quality of the visitor experience. The increased demand for JMT permits has also lead to some hikers skirting the traditional permit system, which has made it more difficult for non-JMT hikers to obtain wilderness permits for other trails within Yosemite National Park.

The National Park Service is working with its neighboring agencies to develop an interim solution that will protect natural resources, provide for a quality visitor experience, and maintain hiking access throughout Yosemite—including the JMT. Implementation of an interim solution will be communicated to the public and the hiking community.

The National Park Service will continue to work with social media sites to ensure current, accurate, and up to date information is shared. We look forward to a solution that enables access and protects the park resources that attract JMT hikers.

Finally, I would like to apologize for any confusing or mis-information that has reached the Yosemite (John Muir) hiking community. I understand and appreciate your support for Yosemite’s Wilderness and invite you help us protect its truly unique qualities.

Sincerely,

Ed Dunlavey
Wilderness Manager, Yosemite National Park
National Park Service
Yosemite National Park
http://www.nps.gov/yose/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/YosemiteNPS
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/YosemiteNPS
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/YosemiteNPS"

Mr. Dunlavey asked me to post this here and elsewhere, and I gladly do so because it is clear to me that the apparent interagency effort that is under way may affect access to the entire JMT including Whitney summit approaches from the west.

I am hoping that there will be more opportunity for input from the hiking community than this letter implies before any interim changes are implemented.

Hi Salty I received the same email. Thanks for posting. The perfect storm may be coming the PCT increase , for us the HST is very popular now and the JMT we are seeing many first time hikes doing the trail, young people high school age the always retired people and all inbetween is on a rapid rise.

Please participate in this survey By John Ladd. Yos is receiving comments on this issue only until Monday, and has no plans to make any proposed rule changes public until after it has enacted them. Let us know what you think of this procedure.

Link is here
Coment Period Poll http://bit.ly/JMTCmtPeriod

What I just emailed Yosemite National Park:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, Jan 11, 2015 at 7:47 PM
Subject: 92% of nearly 300 surveyed JMT hikers request a public comment period from Yosemite prior to any rule changes

1/11/2015 7:41 PM

Ed Dunlavey
Wilderness Manager
Yosemite National Park

Donald Neubacher
Office of the Superintendent
Yosemite National Park

Dear Mr. Dunlavey and Mr. Neubacher,

A group of the Facebook JMT members communicated after the personal feedback they directly got from you two last week and the concern was that an intermediate solution is going to be proposed to the Superintendent on 1/11/2015 or thereabouts. Another member at the Facebook JMT group suggested that JMT hikers recommend to Yosemite National Park, first, a public comment period. He mentioned that he had �seen this done at other national parks for issues of much less consequence. Shenandoah National Park just ended a long comment period regarding a proposed entrance fee increase. I would think that something as important as a major change in wilderness use should justify a similar comment period.�

Thus, a survey was conducted via social media over the weekend to find out how JMT hikers felt about a public comment period preceding a significant change in the Yosemite permits used by JMT hikers. Please note, a consensus on an outcome was not sought, rather just one on the process for Yosemite changing the rules that will affect JMT thru-hikers. As of writing this email, nearly 300 members of the hiking community have responded, with around 92 percent supporting the opportunity to publicly comment on any changes before they go into effect.

If you want to see the results of the poll (a Survey Monkey poll), this link will lead you to them. This page has continuously updated votes.

http://bit.ly/JMTCmtPeriodResults

The survey is still open to be taken and is available here:

http://bit.ly/JMTCmtPeriod

The first link above will probably include a few votes that come in late Sunday or early Monday. Every effort was made to make sure there were no double votes and that the poll encouraged those who were opposed to a comment period would vote. The main protection against double voting was that the survey was set to accept only one vote per IP address (essentially, one vote per computer). While it is possible that one person could go to different computers and vote several times, it is unlikely that any person could significantly altered the responses by doing so.

Invitations to take the survey were made by John Ladd, Roleigh Martin and Peter Hirst on six social forum JMT groups. The survey answers indicate which groups are involved and below are links to the threads where the invitations were announced. Registration might be required to access some of these links. They are provided in case you desire all relevant information about this questionnaire.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2240988980/permalink/10152675739968981/

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/johnmuirtrail/conversations/topics/48315

http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=99106#Post99106

http://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12174#sthash.3l5PxRi7.dpbs

http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,78265

In hindsight, I wish I had removed the wording (I accept the blame for it) about whether or not the group should take a position or not about the public comment period. I wish I had limited it just how that one respondent individually feels. Criticism was made, which I 100% agree with, that these JMT social groups should avoid forming consensus positions. The groups are for individuals who know or want to know more about the JMT, not to agree politically about things. (By visiting the links above, you can see how many felt.) The JMT community though is regularly surveyed for their individual opinion and experiences. John Ladd leads that effort although I have done a few myself. One other hindsight reservation: an earlier draft of the question was about any proposed changes to the rules affecting JMT Hikers. The Survey Monkey question, strictly worded and read, leads one to think the group only cares about any proposed quotas being put on those JMT Hikers who thru-hike south of Yosemite. I can assure you the bulk of those surveyed, if not all of them, feel equally the same for any proposed rule changes that affect JMT hikers. (I was absent most of Saturday leading a Sierra Club snowshoe hike and missed this wording change.)

Last, a couple of the JMT Social Groups listed in the directory I provided recently, I did not have time to reach out to them with the survey invite. However, I am sure we reached out to substantially over 95% of those online concerned about the JMT in our invitations who are members of the groups documented in that earlier directory I sent you this last week.

Respectfully,

Roleigh Martin
Lead Moderator, John Muir Trail Yahoo Group
Reno NV 89523

I think if John Muir was alive today, he'd be laughing and crying about there only being one long trail in the Sierra named after him as if he only favored one long trail to hike in the high sierra. There should be multiple 210+ mile long trails in the High Sierra to hike, on established trails. The National Parks and National Forests should be leading the way in suggesting hikers to try out a variety of long distance Sierra trails.

The best documented 200+ mile alternate Sierra trail is the Theodore Solomons Trail but it is not documented on any Tom Harrison, nor any other map. You have to obtain an out of print book since 1992.
See http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Theodore-Solomons-Dennis-Gagnon/dp/0934136343/

I have shown on a JPG how the Theodore Solomons Trail looks at the following link but I realize a big problem with the TST is it has too much Middle Sierra and not enough High Sierra in it.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7L_TrVYTWZRSERYNURPYkdOMU0/view?usp=sharing

But there should be numerous more. And they are there to be documented. One can start trails in Yosemite and leave the park at it's southern borders headed to Clover Meadow and go over 1, 2 or 3 passes during that time, then head ENE over to Devil's Postpile. Three to four different uses of existing trails to do that trek. The passes available (depending on which of the routes that you choose, using existing trails) include Merced, Fernandez, Red Peak, Isberg, and Post Peak. It's too clumsy to think of doing all 5 in an alternate JMT hike.

One can enter the JMT at Rush Creek going over anywhere from 1-to-4 passes, starting at 4 different starting points (Mono Pass, Walker Lake, Parker Lake Road, Silver Lake). These last 2 options have you only go over Agnew Pass if you backtrack 7/10ths of a mile after doing Agnew Pass. The first two options have you go over Mono, Parker, Koip and Gem passes.

Farther south, there are other options, like continuing South at Middle Fork Junction to Bubbs Creek instead of going due East to Mather Pass, or going over Goodale Pass versus Silver Pass farther North.

In Colorado, there are three long distance trails, each sharing parts of trails used by the others. There is the CT (Colorado Trail) West Spur Trail, CT East Spur, and the Colorado section of the Continental Divide Trail.

After all, it's not like the JMT is fixed forever to be one trail. The JMT took a different route at various points of its development. I wish I could get my hands on historical JMT routes during the trail's historical development.

There is also the Big SEKI Loop (only 154 miles) but it could easily be appended to to make 210 miles.
See http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/...thread_id=73686

Once these trails are mapped, cool names should be given to them. Having the park or forest service do such is the best idea. I like the name "Stephen Mather" for one of the newer documented long trails. - See more at: http://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12174&p=91809#p91809

An update from the Yosemite Wilderness Office. I had another very constructive conversation with Ed Dunlavey, Wilderness Manager, today. Learned the following. They are continuing to look at ways to accomplish the dual goals that were reflected in the reported proposed rule changes: balance traffic flows within the Park so as to protect rescources along the JMT and balance access to the wilderness between hikers staying primarily in Yosemite and long distance and through-hikers leaving Yos. As I understand Ed's assurances, they are decidedly NOT contemplating simply removing or shutting down JMT access from any trailhead, including Glacier Point. That would abdicate what Ed confirmed is an imprtant principle of the trailhead permit system: they do not tell people where they can and can't hike, beyond the trailhead and first night requirements. T he specific example Ed cited was the Glacier Point/ Illilouette permit. A hiker with that permit must spend the first night in the Illilouette drainage, but then may go down to the JMT at LYV and continue up the Sunrise drainage to Tuolumne. That will not change. The mechanism they are looking at now is to simply reallocate the total GP quota to more Illilouette permits and fewer LYV permits. He did emphasize that the Sunrise Creek drainage (LYV to Cathedral Pass) is the area of primary concern. It had reached its visitor capacity almost 5 years ago when the last calculation was made. Next in importance is Lyell Canyon, which was nearing capacity in the last study and is believed to be at or over capacity now. For the second rule, designed to balance intra-Park trips with JMT distance and through-hikes, they are still looking at an exit TH quota. They have found, however, that establishing Red's as the cutoff point for the quota is not going to work, and the quota is likely to apply to any trip south of a point much nearer Yos. In my written comment that I sent this morning, I raised the question of whether the principle of not establishing quotas based on exit TH - the policy clearly stated in YO Wilderness permit materials - was not just as important as not restricting travel routes beyond the entry trailhead. I restated that issue to Ed today, but still have not received an clear answer,On the question of public comment, no change. The adjustments they have in mind do not amount to Federal Register rulemaking, and are within discretionary authority already provided by law and rule. If we can keep these lines of communication open and constructive, however, I have every reason to believe that our voices will be heard and surprises will be minimal. That's news from Lake Helengawn, where all the women are acclimated, all the men are resupplied, and all the hikes are above 9,000 feet, on average.

Ed Dunlavey called me this morning, just got off the phone with him. I was focused on hiking SE out of Yosemite on either Fernandez Pass, Isberg Pass, or Post Peak Pass (the 3 different trail paths on established trails to leave Yosemite in that direction), all headed towards Clover Meadow, if there is foreseen (by him) any impact in 2015 about those options being changed. He answered that he does not foresee a change there for any interim changes (or for 2015). Regarding the option of Mono Pass, the park is concerned that abuse is not done there such as they've seen people seek permits to hike North from Tuolumne to Glen Aulin and then they turn around on day two and hike south onto the JMT. They would not want people to hike over Mono Pass, turn around or go cross-country and end up going over Donahue. The park wants people (rightly) to abide by the permit they get. If such honest practices are the overwhelming norm then there should be no change to the Mono Pass route in 2015 over what it was in 2014. He did mention one has to hike south into Inyo National Forest (it's always been this case) before they can camp, if they start with the Mono Pass permit. So that is for people already altitude acclimated to take that more challenging option.

Like Peter Hirst said, they are most concerned about using the permit reservation practices they have in place now to reduce use of the Sunrise parts of the JMT and the Lyell Canyon/Donahue Pass part of the JMT for those who are thru hikers.

Last if people intend to cross-country their permit obtainment is a whole different story. He limited his discussion with me for permit reservation applications where the hiker intends to use established (printed on national maps, as he said, which include Tom Harrison maps).

Again, for the time being nothing has changed. Reservations are to be processed now as they were in 2014. The preceding paragraphs is about any interim solutions made by and announced in the near future by Yosemite (nothing is concrete yet!)

I am sending the above wording to Ed Dunlavey if I misunderstood, I will correct the above posting.

Late night update from the Yos Wilderness office. The Wilderness Manager asked me to clear up a couple of points from my post yesterday so here they are. Yesterday I reflected what I see as Yos managements firm commitment to the principle that once you have complied with the trailhead conditions of your permit, i.e stayed in LYV, or not, stayed in Illilouette drainage, etc, you may hike to anywhere in the wilderness.

HOWEVER, if you choose to go into the Sunrise drainage, you are contributing to the problem that Yos is wrestling with; impacts in the Sunrise and Lyell drainages. Which by the way is illustrated by some numbers Ed Dunlavey passed along to me today. How many JMT-access reservations would you estimate were issued by this date in 2012, 2013, 2014 and this year? Understanding JMT access permits as individuals with reservations to the usual trialheads and exit points at Red's or farther south? If you already know this, let the others have a chance.

Meantime, another clarification: it turns out that the current entry trailhead quotas are NOT on the table in the present effort. That means that not only will the total permits quotas at a given trailhead not be changed, but the allocation of split traiheads will not be changed. I E. Glacier point will remain at 30 per day, split 10 and 20 betweem LYV and Illilouette. What they are looking at adjusting is the passthrough quotas and exit quotas. I know: I do not understand either how adjusting passthrough and exit quotas is going to address total numbers travelling from LYV to Tuolumne: I am just reporting what I am told is going on.

OK, ready for the answers to today's quiz? Check back here in an an hour or so.

some current numbers from the reservations office for 2015 reservations.

For JMT permits, we are 242% of last year, 608% of 2013 and 1216% of 2012. (523 people in 2015, 233 in 2014, 86 in 2013 and 43 in 2012

For all reservations, the office is about 165% of last year.

Hi These are the numbers we are seeing but add the HST, Onion Valley /Horseshoe Meadow, and the PCT traffic , then you have all the other Trailheads say Bishop Pass, Sawmill Baxter (which I never would think about using going in heavy).

Again I have always suggested it is not the number of hikers it is what they do. Many seasoned hike will leave the trail cleaner than they found it, remove loose rock off the trail, clean campsites, bust fire rings assist hikes in trouble, be extra eyes and ears for the BC Rangers, and advocate for funding for the Agencies. This core group may in fact be permit free as they are a valuable resource with the great inflow of first time users.