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Sam Sockwell
(sockwellsam) - MLife
 		JMT timing summer 2011/walk on on 04/19/2011 06:00:01 MDT Print View

Hello out there.

Anyone have an opinion about starting the JMT July 29 vs July 6? A bit less snow? More or less wildflowers?
Also, does anyone know the # of walk on spots at Yellowstone- of course I can call too.

Sam.
Jack H.
(Found) - F

Locale: Sacramento, CA
Re: JMT timing summer 2011/walk on on 04/19/2011 07:18:31 MDT Print View

Are you asking about walk in sites in Yellowstone, Wyoming or Yosemite, CA? And for which campgrounds in said park?

It's hard to predict weather. Both start dates would provide for an amazing trip. It's possible that there will still be some (very manageable) snow starting on July 6th. It wouldn't be much of a factor later in the year. My guess is that the later start will provide for better wildflowers. How fast will you walk? Which direction?
Sam Sockwell
(sockwellsam) - MLife
 		a bit more on 04/19/2011 16:54:56 MDT Print View

Found the info about walk ons. Made a reservation for the 6th today- BUT would try walk on if I thought flowers better and easier to manage the snow. The ranger today thought 3 weeks would make a real difference.
Planning about 15 days Tuolomne to Kearsarge and out from there.
Would welcome any thoughts/critique.

Sam.
Amy Lauterbach
(drongobird) - MLife

Locale: San Francisco Bay Area
RE: JMT timing summer 2011 on 05/19/2011 15:40:22 MDT Print View

Sam,

As you probably know, we have quite heavy snowpack this year in the Sierras.
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/snow/PLOT_SWC

This means that the mosquitos won't thin out until late August. I think that any start date in July will mean heavy mosquito load. If you care about bugs, then the later you can go the better. July will have heavy bugs. September will be bug free, but few flowers. Early August will still be buggy, late August might or might not be bug free. If you don't care about bugs, then any July date will have great flowers.
Amy
David Lutz
(davidlutz) - M

Locale: Bay Area
JMT timing summer 2011/walk on on 05/19/2011 22:57:00 MDT Print View

Amy -

I hope you're wrong about the bugs!

But I have no reason to doubt you're right.

We're on the JMT for two weeks right in the middle of August. We'll just have to see how it goes.....
Nate Meinzer
(Rezniem) - F

Locale: San Francisco
JMT timing on 05/20/2011 02:58:54 MDT Print View

I predict the bugs will mostly be gone by August. Certainly entirely gone by late August. Every year, the snowpack at this time looks overwhelmingly bad, and the predictions for closed routes well into August seem dire....and somehow, by the beginning of July the trail is mostly clear of snow, and by the end of the month the bugs are mostly gone.

The long days in June will do the trick again this year...

Cheers!
Ken Helwig
(kennyhel77) - MLife

Locale: Scotts Valley CA via San Jose, CA
Re: JMT timing on 05/20/2011 07:41:23 MDT Print View

Lets hope so, I leave July 25th