> I thought entry and exit had quota's?
Exit quotas apply only to backpackers starting on and coming from OTHER Inyo N.F. trail heads.

> So you are saying that if only my exit date is a problem then i can change it? how sure are you ?
100% It is ok for hikers to change their plan even while out on the trail. Exiting early or a day or two later is ok (as long as friends and relatives don't start calling Search and Rescue!)

> Does the recreation.gov site show anything different than the "Lottery Freeze Period" for those of you that have been charged the $15 pp permit fee???
No.

> I submitted four applications with at least 10 alternate dates apiece
Wow! You increased your chances of getting a slot by 4x. Sounds pretty unlucky, though. All your entries must have been picked to process more toward the end of the processing run.

My entry included a day hike in the middle of May (which I don't intend to really do). So I was sure to get a hit, even if processed last. I did that just to see how it all works so as not to be completely in the dark about the process.

> I accidentally put two of my dates around her due date, stupid me
grin Dude! Congratulations on the upcoming event! If you don't get your Whitney hike done at least 2 weeks before that magical date, forget it. Your baby is way more important that this mountain. It will always be there, but that birthday is once in a lifetime. (And after the birth, I'd hope you would hang around to help. Trust me, it's a lifestyle-changing event.)