[pct-l] Semi off topic Yosemite advice

[Lindsey Sommer]

Hello fellow list-servers, I know this question is not related to hiking
the PCT, but I thought it would be wise to come to you to ask you advice
regarding Yosemite over the summer, since many of you seem to frequent (or
live close to) the Sierras.

Here is my dilemma: I'm currently an archival grad student and
have wonderfully been offered a summer internship working in the Yosemite
archives, which is not only well paid (gasp! a paid intern!), but I get to
live in the park for the entire summer. GREAT!

*Downside:* It's Yosemite during the summer, and since I didn't actually
have the option to know in February where I was going to be, the permit and
camping situation for the summer is looking DIRE. I know that ideally, I
would have reserved campsites and wilderness permits months ago, but sadly
this was not an option.

*This is my question:* I've been reviewing the current permit reservation
list, and while the obvious popular spots are 100% reserved for the summer,
I notice there are a lot of trailheads that seem less full at this point.
My Yosemite experience is limited to winter hut skiing trips, so
I'm unfamiliar with a majority of the park, and I'm wondering if anyone has
any experience or suggestions related to Yosemite during the summer? Where
are the best places to go that aren't going to be insane (if any such place
exists, but, it's a huge park)? Is it even going to be possible for me to
camp on any weekend without a permit??

And no, it's not an option to go somewhere else, how often does a national
park pay YOU :)

(I know that Yosemite reserves 40% of their daily wilderness permits for
walk-ins, but I'm fairly certain these are only for next day entry dates,
and that is complicated, since I can't run out of the archives to stand in
line all morning.)

Thanks so much!
Lindsey



-- 
Lindsey Sommer
MLIS Candidate 2014 -- University of California, Los Angeles
lgsommer at gmail.com
M: (808) 298-1116
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/lindsey-sommer/7/7b1/454