Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion 2012 Whitney Lottery information

Tom, I updated the lottery report above regarding the April 1 scramble. You could possibly snag one then.

Out of curiosity, I went browsing the Day Hike availability at Recreation.gov. There are lots of slots still available, in May and late Sept through October, of course. But surprisingly, there are scads of slots in June, even 6 on Wed, July 4!
Check it out: Click here, then the "Find Permits" button.

Overnight permits are not so plentiful. With the exception of a few single-person slots, they are booked solid between June 7 and Sept 30.
Here's the link to Overnight Permits (Follow the link, then click the "Find Permits" button.)

Talking about gliches in the lottery system, my first pick was for 4 or 5 days but after i submitted it it reset it for only one day june 12-13. My question is that i got picked but if i call recreation.gov can they fix that? i looked at my details of my picks and the first date is screwed up. I remember when i was filling out the application it kept resetting my dates. any advice?

Respectfully

John Prietto

JQ,
oh, I plan on being there when all of you are there. Even if I don't get a permit, I'll hang with you and Gary and whoever else and hit another trail if I need be.
Tom

Are you saying that your entry date is June 12, with exit on June 13? And that you wanted to exit on June 17? If that is the case, then no worries. You can change the exit date when you pick up the permit. Entry dates are the thing that is cast in stone.

But if you got the wrong ENTRY date, good luck. You can call and try, but if there are no slots available on the day you are trying to get, I doubt they will change.

I am not sure, but to ask about changing start dates, I think you should call Inyo N.F. first.

I'm officially bummed. All of yesterday's credit card hits have gone through, but none from recreation.gov. I previously was charged for the $6 fee, so I know they have my number right. I'll be angling for a walk up permit.

Brent

Yes although i dont know for sure out of my 7 different start dates which one they picked but i do know that my preference date got screwed up. I went to recreation.gov and looked at the details o fmy application with joy until i saw it say eenter june 12 exit june 13, i was like what the @@@##$. Thats not what i put in when i submitted the application. I thought entry and exit had quota's? So you are saying that if only my exit date is a problem then i can change it? how sure are you ? because that would make me really happy! Good to see you again steve.

Respectfully

John Prietto

Does the recreation.gov site show anything different than the "Lottery Freeze Period" for those of you that have been charged the $15 pp permit fee??? It would appear that my card has more than a day delay, I do not see any charges from yesterday yet so I am still trying to hold out hope. The recreation.gov site has not changed on my acct since the lottery closed, but I submitted four applications with at least 10 alternate dates a pieced, I can't believe we wouldn't be able to score one with all of that.

Steve I confirmed your statement with Inyo ranger! Now let's hope I didn't get picked when my wife is due to deliver, I accidentally put two of my dates around her due date, stupid me I was just so exited

How many people have actually seen the $15pp charge hit their credit card?

I use AMEX and they have a "view pending charges" option on their site that is nearly immediate and I don't see anything from recreation.gov on there. I did see the $6 charge hit my card on 3/14 when I applied.

Thanks,
Chad

> I thought entry and exit had quota's?
Exit quotas apply only to backpackers starting on and coming from OTHER Inyo N.F. trail heads.

> So you are saying that if only my exit date is a problem then i can change it? how sure are you ?
100% It is ok for hikers to change their plan even while out on the trail. Exiting early or a day or two later is ok (as long as friends and relatives don't start calling Search and Rescue!)

> Does the recreation.gov site show anything different than the "Lottery Freeze Period" for those of you that have been charged the $15 pp permit fee???
No.

> I submitted four applications with at least 10 alternate dates apiece
Wow! You increased your chances of getting a slot by 4x. Sounds pretty unlucky, though. All your entries must have been picked to process more toward the end of the processing run.

My entry included a day hike in the middle of May (which I don't intend to really do). So I was sure to get a hit, even if processed last. I did that just to see how it all works so as not to be completely in the dark about the process.

> I accidentally put two of my dates around her due date, stupid me
Dude! Congratulations on the upcoming event! If you don't get your Whitney hike done at least 2 weeks before that magical date, forget it. Your baby is way more important that this mountain. It will always be there, but that birthday is once in a lifetime. (And after the birth, I'd hope you would hang around to help. Trust me, it's a lifestyle-changing event.)

I don't advocate this, but I just read it on wpsmb. If too many people do this, I'll bet they will put a stop to it.

Well, it is a toll-free number on the uppper right on recreation.gov's website!

It was put there for a reason...to call, but not just for Whitney matters...

Tom, Joe - the rough draft of the plan is to arrive in L.A or San Diego on July 11th or 12th and spend 4 nights relatively close to Baldy and Sanny J. We'd like to get both of those this trip. We'll then move on to Horseshoe Meadows for a couple of nights acclimation, then shoot for a 2 or 3-nighter on Whitney, entering Wed the 18th. MT or MR is up in the air, depending on a number of factors. A few days at the Hostel & Portal afterwards, and maybe a walk up White Mtn or another adventurous trip to Cathedral Peak if the family's feeling fairly energetic post-Whitney. If we're just bustling with energy, maybe we'll try Tom's direct route to Lone Pine Lake . . .

Did the National Forest Service name Tom's Route to LPL yet? I think Tom will have to let them check his SPOT device to show them the simplicity of the trail.

I'm up for Baldy and San Jacinto. I would love to pick the routes. Nothing tough on Baldy, just different. Sanny J, Marion Mtn.

Wow, MT or MR.... Up in the air! LOVE IT :-) I'm open for either. I'm pretty sure Tom wanted to try the MR too. And, for me, going with mom and dad doesn't hurt. I'll make sure my lil' sis will be fine.

Yes I have chase and mine showed up yesterday for $15 . I got my first preference for June 12th!

"Li'l Sis" is the biggest problem, Joe. She's all for the MR, especially if Laura is with her, but is adamant that she doesn't want to climb the Final 400. Imagine that - she wants to go all the way to 14,100' and turn around! Of course, that's now - maybe her perception will change over the next few months. Kids can surprise you. She did great scrambling up the C4 MR on Cathedral last year with Steve, despite being scared s**tless. Steve's presence was a huge confidence-builder for her while I was over on the technical side of the mountain with Bob. And you remember how wiggy she was crossing the snow chute on the 97th switchback last year without spikes, but she did it just fine - going and coming.

She's just twitchy about exposure if she's not harnessed and roped. She's only 12, so I guess it's only natural. She prefers tackling a 5.7 wall rather than an unroped C3/4 scramble. In the climbing gym she's almost completely over her fear of heights - she just concentrates on solving the climb and ignores the exposure. No rope though, and all she can think about is falling. An Alex Honnold she ain't. Bottom line though, I'm not going to ask her to work an unroped C4 climb that she's uncomfortable with, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens as we get closer to July.

And the routes on Sanny J and Baldy are definitely your call.

Tell Bri I don't want to do the final 400 either, but I'm not going back at that point. And rope. I mean, we could bring some if it makes her feel better...... hey, maybe even an escalator and stools for the Starbucks on the summit!
She'll be fine. Laura's gonna have more concern for the guy holding a pillow, that's wiggin out on the final 400.... oh....that BE me :-)

Gary, I met that spunky 12 year old last year just before the final push. She is one tough chick. I'll bet she does it.

Brent N

Now that I have made my mistakes, I do want to try that direct route again. God forbid that the NPS every gets ahold of my gps track and names the route that I actually took. They'd have to name it the "Aimless wanderer" route.

As Joe pointed out, I am pretty much up for whatever and whenever. If I can get permits, great. If I can't, no problem, I'll either do meysan or tuttle or whatever. I would love to head up the MR and I would have Joe haul my lazy ass up the final 400' with the rope he is bringing for Bri.

It may be just me, but it's looking the boy will likely join us too.

Oh I just have to put in my 2 cents:
1st cent, I am so excited, I won a spot even though I have no clue what date. It doesn't matter though.
2nd cent, Nothing is more fulfilling than the joy and wonder of a new baby..Believe me your wife and your baby on the way need you more than the mountain plus due dates are just an estimate.Your baby could arrive 2 weeks before or 2 weeks after the due date. Once in a while they come right on schedule .Congratulations on both of your upcoming events,.pray for good timing.