Permit Update: I am on the phone with the Wilderness Permit Office right now, speaking with someone who is both very pleasant and patient. It took 22 minutes of repeated dialing to get a live person and I will admit that the lack of a proper phone tree or hold system is nuts. The only option is to press "0" which yields three possibilities--a message that the line is busy and a transfer back to the beginning, a dozen or so rings before a hang-up, or--eventually--a live person. Also, be warned--the permits need to be located by reservation number, converted to pdfs, have signatures added, be rotated, saved, moved to a folder, and then attached to an email. Not kidding. However, I ultimately succeeded in having all three of my upcoming permits (Shepherd Pass, Cottonwood Lakes, and NFLP Exiting Trail Crest) processed and emailed to me. A small hassle now in exchange for not having to stop at any ranger stations or visitor centers.
I confirmed that the road to the portal and the portal campground will be open today, Friday, June 19th.
I can also confirm that the MWT will not be open until the cables and chute are free of snow which is currently expected to be on or after July 1st.
And finally, I also confirmed that the last, upper-most gate on Horseshoe Meadows road is still closed and that Inyo County has sole authority over its opening. Anyone may park near the gate and hike up, however.
In closing, as one of the old, quieter geezers on the forum, what you misperceive to be an obsession with selfie-takers is a genuine care that people treat each other with respect here and take care of themselves out there.
Last edited by Goose; 06/19/20 09:03 AM.
