Hi everyone,
I have a last minute opportunity to hike on the PCT, and I'd love to hike roughly from Kennedy meadows to Sierra City, starting this mid-May. It would be under 500 miles so I'm looking at local permits and I'm a bit unsure about what's the right way to do it.
- Can I simply register for a permit on the recreation website in the Inyo National Forest from Kennedy Meadows and hike from there (or does it have to start Horseshoe Meadow?).
- If so, is Happy Isles Yosemite Valley the best exit point to pick and is the exit date arbitrary?
- And once I'm done with the Inyo part, can I just keep walking towards Yosemite and then Sierra City with that initial permit if I don't exit the PCT trail? I want to do things right, it's my first time hiking in the US and a bit confused.
- I know it's early in the season but considering the low snow this year, do you still advice to pack micro spikes and an ice axe or not necessarily?
Thanks for your attention and help! Happy trails!