Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Any new insights on next-day permits?

Thanks. Not as helpful as shoveling out the switchbacks, but easier to do from 7 hours away! I hope I got my analysis and assumptions right. I've e-mailed Cindy some followup q's based on this.

Agree that my "not useful" for same-day day permits is over-broad. Perhaps "dangerous" and "not in line with expectations" would be more accurate. If late purchasers fully intend to go no farther than trail camp, then all is well. But I can envision others excitedly grabbing a permit at 6pm without thinking things thru, then being disappointed that they can't summit and are out the money (another big change: these last-minute permits are no longer free!). Or, far worse, making a foolhardy late summit attempt because they've already invested money and/or travel.

Practically, if it's too late for "summiteers" to get a next-day, then it's too late, unless Inyo wanted to extend or automate the night-box window. Probably they just need a very prominent warning that the store is closed, first permit pickup is 8am tomorrow, and that late summit starts are inherently hazardous.