Hello LarryD,
There's always the Plan B approach
If in your shoes, I would make the travel arrangements and do everything I could to get the whitney permits right up to the day of the hike. And if you can't get them, the Meysan Lake trail is right next door. In fact, you can park your car in the Whitney portal parking lot. It's a lot less traveled than the MMWT. In fact, in August of last year I only saw a total of 6 people in two days on the trail. Meysan Lake is very similar to Consultation and there are a number of peaks available to summit.
