Sublatum
you can call the wilderness office every day and ask if there have been any cancellations for September.
The number is 760-873-2483
Specify day or overnight.
If there is a cancellation and you do want to reserve the date, you will need to pay the $15.
Sublatum, you definitely want to do this - twice a day every day if you can. A lot can happen between a call at 10 am and another at 4 pm. Permit holders typically begin cancelling or reducing group size between 7-10 days out from their permit date, then it really picks up within the 4-day window - remember what Steve said about people in groups typically bailing at the last minute.
The best strategy is to target a mid-week day and be flexible enough to accept one day on either side of that target date. When you call the INFS ask for availability for those 3 dates - you're bound to have a permit open on one of the 3 days, especially in September when school is back in session. The idea of heading to Lone Pine and hoping for a no-show is a last ditch effort.
