Thanks, Steve. That info was very helpful. I called the number you provided and got a little bit more info, so thought I'd share it here...
Each day at 8AM (14) Walk-In Overnight Wilderness Permits are up for grabs on a first come first served basis for entry THE FOLLOWING day.
If Walk-In permits are not claimed for that day, they carry over to the next day. For example, this means you can get a Thursday permit on Friday, and start your hike on that day.
At 11AM each day all unclaimed reserved permits are up for grabs on a first come first served basis and allow for entry that day.
What does this mean for me? Well, I'm heading up on Thursday in hopes of getting a leftover Wednesday permit so I can start. If not, I'll be first in line for the Walk-In permits for Thursday. Win-Win.
Thanks for the help guys!
Hiking is a game you can't win. Enjoy the ride.
