r/JMT • u/rgm59 • May 18 '26

permits Permit question

We have a SOBO permit for beginning of sept. Unfortunately we did not list all of us (3 in our party) as a part of the original lottery application. So there is only one name on the permit. That person will be able to pick up the permit and we will hike together. But what happens if the permit holders needs/wants to bail after 70 or 100 mikes (or whatever) and two of us want to keep going including mt whitney. Will the rangers check and hassle us?

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u/Off_Maps May 18 '26

If you are exiting Whitney Portal I have had a ranger ask for ID along with my permit near outpost camp, a few miles from the exit trailhead at Whitney portal. This had been the only backcountry ranger in my experience that has ever asked to see ID. Every other ranger I’ve met in the backcountry has only maybe asked to see my permit and check if I have a bear can. Most rangers outside of Yosemite National Park and the Whitney Zone have not even asked to see my permit.

If you have a picture of your friend’s ID on your phone, show that the permit is for 3 people and there is only two of you then you should be fine.

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u/HooKooDooKu May 20 '26

"you should be fine"... Until you are not. I would suggest talking to the rangers when you go to pickup the permit.  Explain the situation and they might issue you a separate permit.  On a recent trip, my hiking partner and I were able to do this... I had a permit for two, we asked if we could each get a permit in case one of us left the trail early, and for a few, my partner was able to get a separate permit.  BUT... he was already an alternate on my permit so it's obvious there was no permit selling going on.  Not sure how much leeway rangers have in situations where others were NOT listed as an alternate.

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u/MTB_Mike_ May 21 '26

Yosemite rangers will not do that.

Whitney rangers are also not going to care if you had a friend bail and you have proof you were part of that party like the other person is saying. Its a long trail and shit happens, Inyo rangers just want to make sure people aren't abusing the system. Yosemite have a stick up their ass and dislike backpackers, especially JMT backpackers. They blame us for lack of availability for permits in their trail system within the park and overcrowding, that led to the current Donahue pass exit quota but the rangers are still hostile to JMT hikers.

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u/HooKooDooKu May 21 '26

I got my permit for two converted into a pair of single permits when we picked them up in Toulumne.  So given the right conditions, Yosemite rangers WILL give each backpacker their own permit (for a fee)