It strikes me that the process of potentially substantive change to wilderness access is starting. I wonder where it ends.
Given all the other access changes, its clear that JMT hikers in particular (see the yahoo JMT forum) have put considerable effort into finding legal ways to hike the JMT. The PCT permit simply required an intent to hike 500 miles. It would therefore have enabled a way around the new Yosemite/Donohue restrictions for JMT hikers.
Given that at least one other wilderness area (Hoover) is reportedly no longer issuing what would otherwise be an entirely legal permit for JMT hikers (i.e. to enter Hoover then into Yosemite, then onto the JMT/Whitney) its not surprising that there appears to be a coordinated crackdown on any permit that might provide a loophole. The Donohue pass limits could have much wider implications for wilderness travel.
I reckon that very broadly half the thru-hikers our year had a whitney permit. My wife & I certainly did, even tho' we had no intention to exit that way, but for $15 (in the context of a $5-10k hike) it was a cheap insurance policy in case we needed to. Hence my 350 hikers estimate.
