Originally Posted by Rico Borchia
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Forgive me for not explaining better: For the Cottonwood Pass trailhead, unlike, say, the one for Cottonwood Lakes, prior to 6/25, i.e. the non-quota period, there is no W for any of those days. There's also no # sign (which means Available or Unavailable depending on the background color), no number, nothing. It's as if the trailhead is simply closed until 6/25 (which is why I mentioned the nearby fire-related closure area, although Cottonwood Pass is NOT in it). I'll call the permit help line tomorrow and see what they say about that.

Not sure if this will help. According to the https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/inyo/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=20896 and https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/inyo/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=20812

Permits are required for Cottonwood Lakes from -
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Between May 1 and Nov. 1, overnight use is limited to 60 people / day.

For Cottonwood Pass, it's -
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From the last Friday in June to September 15, overnight use is limited by daily entry quotas.