Let's try to steer this in a more positive (and productive!) direction.
Looking forward, is it even remotely possible that Whitney Main Trail permits will be cancelled after June 30? So far, I haven't seen anything to indicate that the closure will last into July and August. I've also been watching Recreation.gov pretty closely over the past week or two and saw several permits pop up for dates in July (some as early as July 5), but nothing in June.
Also, will the Mountaineers Route likely be snow-free by mid July?
Penny...I see from one of your earlier posts that you want to avoid having to learn how to use crampons or an axe. You have no interest in mountaineering; you just want the selfie. That’s too bad. There are literally hundreds of other worthy peaks in the Sierra.
Are there any notable peaks in the Sierra or elsewhere in California that require crampons or rock climbing equipment? I think that just about any California peak can be day-hiked in boots and poles; it's just a matter of having the right skills and fitness, going at the right times, and picking the right routes. For example, most people think "ice axe and crampons" when Shasta is mentioned (which is true if you go up Avalanche Gulch in June), but it's doable in boots if you go up Clear Creek in late August. I also know someone who comfortably free-soloed the Milk Bottle on Starlight (he can climb 5.13 walls), and I have read reports of people dayhiking all SPS peaks:
https://www.snwburd.com/bob/trip_reports/table_n1_1.htmlHeck, you can even go up Aconcagua in trail runners if you choose the right route and season, and that's at almost 23,000 feet!
