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John Muir Trail - Red's Meadow to Tuolumne Meadows 2016
Previous
Friday September 2, 2016
Driving from the Bay Area to Mammoth Mountain

Saturday September 3, 2016
Driving from Mammoth Mountain to Tuolumne Meadows, dropping off a car, and driving back
Next
Sunday September 4, 2016
Backpacking Red's Meadow to the Minarets

At about 3:40am I got up, got dressed, and drove to the nearby  Mammoth Mountain Visitor Center where the US Forest Service issues permits.  In the dark it took me a while to locate the front door since it is really on the back of the building.  I placed my folding chair at the head of the line and went back to the Camry to wait for anyone else to show up to get in line for a permit.  Shortly before 5am a van drove in to the parking lot, so I got out of the car and assumed my position at the front of the line.  The van held 6 twentysomethings from Southern California who had driven up last night and then camped out in a field for a few hours before coming here.  A few of them set up their sleeping bags in line in back of me - they're in the left foreground in the picture below.  They wanted to do the John Muir Trail / PTC - Highline Trail loop in two days - one of them had to be back at work Monday night, which I figured would be nearly impossible but I didn't tell them.  However since there were 6 of them and only 4 remaining permits for the JMT, they'd have to start on the Highline trail.  In theory these 6 were not in competition with me for the 4 JMT permits.
At 5:50am the next party arrived, and shortly after that the next party after them.  So it turns out that in theory I could have slept in until 5:30am and still gotten the permit I wanted.

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
06:54
Line for backcountry permits to hike Sunday morning into Inyo National Forrest.

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
08:05

At 8am they hand out numbers so you can return at 11am to get your permit.
I of course got number 1, the prize for being the idiot who gets in line at 4am.

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
10:10
Kent's pic

Meanwhile, Kent's driving through Nevada....

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
10:18
Kent's pic
Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project near Tonopah, Nevada

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
11:08

Jed and I returned to the Visitor Center shortly before 11am.
The easiest thing for the Forest Service to do was issue Jed his own permit for the JMT, adding him to my existing permit would have required the Rangers to make a phone call to somewhere...
We then drove to the Whoa Nelli Deli to wait for Kent.

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
12:49

Kent arrived and we had lunch at the best place to eat on the East Side...

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
13:06
Kent's pic

We all drove to Tuolumne Meadows, left my Camry at the trailhead, and crowded into Kent's Porsche for the drive back to Mammoth Mountain.

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
16:34

john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
17:28

We went to the Mammouth Mountain Brewing Company, makers of one of my favorite beers Epic IPA. 
Epic is not available in the Bay Area, I always try to bring a case back from Yosemite.
I got a beer sampler.... Jed got two!


john muir trail ansel adams wilderness tuolumne meadows 2016 trip report
17:36



Previous
Friday September 2, 2016
Driving from the Bay Area to Mammoth Mountain

Saturday September 3, 2016
Driving from Mammoth Mountain to Tuolumne Meadows and Back
Next
Sunday September 4, 2016
 Backpacking Red's Meadow to the Minarets