u/bananaleomhann

I have friends hiking JMT sobo from Tuolumne Meadows and I'd like to join them for their first day and night. If I get a Lyell/non-Donohue-eligible backpacking permit, how far up Donohue Pass can I go with them? Can I go right up to the park boundary?

And then when I turn around, can I go back north up the JMT and then continue around to Ireland Lake and Vogelsang, or does that violate the no-backtracking rule? Would I have to continue straight back to the Lyell trailhead and end my trip to stay legal?

Seems like it should be legal to go from the Lyell trailhead directly to Ireland Lake, Vogelsang etc, but if I add a spur hike up Donohue, that's what would break the rules?