Dropped $200 on a permit for a route that was washed out

I booked a 4-day loop in the Sierras near Bishop last month and paid $200 for permits, only to find out at the trailhead that a spring storm had wiped out two creek crossings. The ranger station in town told me the trail was closed but their online system still sold me the permit, no refunds. Anyone else get burned by outdated permit info and have a workaround for checking conditions before you pay?

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1 Comment

riley4320d agoMost Upvoted

Expecting the government to give you a live trail report is like expecting a weather forecast to be right a week out, it's just not how the system works. You paid for a permit, not a guarantee the mountains would still be there, and the ranger station's job is to manage access, not babysit your plans. Next time, call the local ranger district a day before you drive, it costs five minutes and saves you two hundred bucks.