Sublatum, if you don't hit the lottery, it doesn't mean you can't still do Whitney. Lots of permits go unclaimed each week throughout the summer - some considerate souls even call to cancel to ensure someone has a chance to use the permit they can't. Regularly calling the Bishop Inyo NFS office to seek cancellations is one way to go about it.
Another is to show up at the Inter-Agency Center in Lone Pine the day before you want to do Whitney and take part in the "mini-lottery" for the no-shows for the following day. Dayhike reserved permits must be picked up or claimed by phone the morning before the hike - each day the INFS releases permits for the next day that have not yet been claimed. They then have the people waiting to snag those released permits draw numbers, and take them in order till the permits are gone or there is no more demand.
There's a reason the locals who bag Whitney regularly never enter the lottery - permits come available almost every day in the summer. People from all over the country (and world) hit lottery reservations, but then can't make the trip work or change their plans. It's astonishing how many Whitney permits go completely unused each "high demand" summer day - even after the above process. There are 160 available permits each day for people heading up the mountain (100 day, 60 overnight), but it is a rare occassion when that is actually the case.
Spoken like a true Whitney veteran.
Best regards,
Someone who has never participated in the permit lottery
