Another thing worth mentioning is that, if you are willing to forgo climbing 14ers, there are other climbs you can do that are quite comparable to Whitney in many ways. Good examples here would be climbing to the summit of Red Slate Mountain from the McGee Creek Trailhead or climbing to the top of Kuna, Koip, and/or Parker Peak from the Silver Lake Trailhead. Although you only reach the summits of 13ers on these hikes, they are good alternatives to Whitney should permits become a problem or should the trail become closed. They are also a good deal less crowded than Whitney.
