A little history. I have been dreaming of hiking the JMT (John Muir Trail) for a long time. Like years. Five years ago I actually started applying for a southbound permit. (This website was instrumental in assisting me in planning and getting my permit.) Getting a southbound permit from Yosemite is a lottery process. Yosemite limits the total number of hikers starting each day to 45. You can apply for a range of dates from a range of actual starting points. The golden ticket is a permit from Happy Isles, the classic north-to-south route and the official northern terminus of the trail. So, you enter your desired starting dates, starting trailhead, first night's camp and exit trailhead (Whitney Portal is the exit trailhead that allows you to summit Mt Whitney, the official southern terminus of the trail.) It's a rolling lottery so you then cross your fingers and obsessively check your email each day. You can enter up to 21 starting days. The first few days you are excited to check your email, then after seeing "Not Selected..." for many days, checking the email becomes less of a priority. 4 years of "Not Selected." On February 2, 2021 late in the afternoon I opened my email and saw, "This confirms your reservation..."
A quick flight from Sea-Tac to Fresno (on a very small plane), an Uber adventure in Fresno to find fuel, one night in a motel and a YARTS bus ride later, we found ourselves in Yosemite Valley ready to begin. And by we, I mean my step-dad Dick and I. He's been my backpacking partner for years so he was the obvious choice for my co-adventurer.
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