Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Day use permit check

Does anyone check for day use permits. I just was reliving my Whitney experience with a friend and don't recall having my permit checked. Has anyone been asked for a permit while hiking Whitney?

The last few times we were on Whitney, there were hang tags that you put on the outside of your pack. The rangers can see them at a glance. Before that, we were asked for permits some times and other times not.

I had a hang tag on the outside of my pack. I didn't see a ranger the entire day on Whitney. I wonder how many people hike Whitney with out a permit.

I was on Whitney early September 2015. We spent two nights on the mountain and I didn't see one ranger. Now, I'd like to go back this September, I'm checking for online permit openings daily, but still have nothing. If need be, I'll try the "daily" lottery when I get out there. If I don't get a permit, I'll respect the rules and will bypass doing the trail but I too wonder how many people are on the mountain with no permits.

I summitted last week. We came up from Guitar Lake, dropped our packs at the trail junction, and proceeded to Whitney. My wife advised me to carry my permit and I joked "Ya, sure...like there's going to be a Ranger up there." Actually we saw two. But neither asked to see our permit. One seemed to be collecting wag bags.

A couple of years ago I unexpectedly encountered a Ranger on the Mountaineers Route. He asked me if I had a permit, bear canister, and wag bag. I replied yes, yes, yes. He took my word and I did not open my pack.

If I ever had the nerve to call the visitor center Id ask why have a permit system in place, if no one is enforcing the rule.

I would guess 20% hike with no permit.

I hiked overnight 6/7 September. There was a FS ranger checking permits at trailside meadow on the 6th. Also, they are using hangtags for packs which they weren't back in June.

That seems kinda high, I doubt that many hike without permits. I would say the odds of getting your permit checked is at least 20% though. I've been up there about 30 times of the last 20 years and have gotten checked perhaps 5 times over that span. However there could have been a few times where I didn't notice a ranger who already saw that I had a tag on my bag and so never bothered to stop me.

I have been up the MT 6 times and I saw a FS ranger on my last time. We talked about the weather a bit and as he was walking away I asked him if he was the person who checks permits and he said "yes". Then he asked if I had one and I showed him my tag which was ok. Then I told him how many times I had been up there and that I had never seen a ranger and he told me that the FS was cutting back because of budget problems. So I am to guess that there aren't many rangers up there.

-Dan

Cya up on the MT this Sat!