Staging ONE vehicle? JMT North from Duck Pass to Happy Isles

HSF thanks! -- you really are a fan of the high Sierra! I'm curious how many years you've hiked this area?

Re the "backpacker's lot" -- is this the large lot right next to "Campground Rentals", or the smaller "trailhead parking" lot closer to the Happy Isles trailhead?

Either way, both of those lots seem like they are a short walk from the Happy Isles trailhead.

So the thing to do would be to park there, then take YARTS to Mammoth, and the Mammoth Lakes Basin Trolly to Lake Mary Marina, which is walking distance from the Duck Lake trailhead (well, it APPEARS to be walking distance, but what difference does it make if we're doing 80+ miles on a JMT segment?).

I have stayed at the Mammoth Lodge complex prior to entering southbound JMT at Red's Meadow. As I recall staging our car was a bit of a hassle -- I recall they acted like it was a novel idea to stage a vehicle there, and maybe wanted to charge a lot to do so.

The Mammoth Lodge was lovely, but at 9,000 feet I got hit with altitude sickness, because coming up 395 there's not a lot of places to stay to acclimate and we headed right up. Probably should've stayed near the Mammoth village center, which is 7,800. And since the Duck Lake trailhead is also around 9,000 feet, probably best to stop the night before in Mammoth village center.

Last year my car stayed at Curry Village parking lot for weeks. It's a short bus ride from Happy Isles. I'd recommend parking there and catching buses to Duck Pass trailhead while your smell is still inoffensive.

And then you're walking TO your car which is something I always appreciate.

The lot is maybe halfway along the road, south side? (They seem to move it) Front country tends to confuse me. The worst I've ever been turned around was one time, after two weeks off trail having a fine time, I was trying to find the }}#^<>€ lot along the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge Rd. Finally just had to say, screw it, and head north to the Tioga Road I knew presented a big feature across my path that I could work off of.

I like to stay along the Tioga Rd in one if those no reserve campgrounds for a day or two even when I'm not using one of those trailheads. Cooler than low country and a bit of acclimation. Or Murpheys in Lee Vining. lol

Up to two days before for a reserved permit for Inyo.

www.recreation.gov/marketing.do?goto=/permitgeneralrules_72203.html&backLink


"Permit Pick up:
There is a deadline confirming reserved permits. The group size must be confirmed online before the deadline or the reservation will be canceled and made available to other groups. Deadline for Day Use permit is Noon, one day before the entry date. Deadline for overnight permit is 10 a.m. on the entry date.
Walk-in permits are only issued to visitors in person at an Inyo National Forest permit issuing station.
Only the group leader or alternate leader may pick up the permit; the person picking up the permit must be going on the wilderness trip.
Walk-in permits are issued after 11am one day before the entry date or any time on the entry date.
Reserved permits can be picked up one or two days before the entry date or on the entry date.
Open hours for issuing locations may change; check the Inyo National Forest web for current hours of operation before your trip."

When I've stayed in Curry, most recently two years ago, they've issued me a window hang with my date of checkout for my car boldly written on it. I'd be a little leery of parking outside the backpacker's lot without clarifying that with someone. The implication was that windshield hang was checked.... It's been forever since I parked in the Valley, maybe the valley Wilderness Center gave me a similar hang along with my wilderness permit? That almost sounds familiar....