We'll probably just do some sort of loop.
But I did figure out that, from the Bay Area, it is entirely possible to do the thru hike, Sequoia/Lodgepole to Whitney Portal, using no cars, and instead a combination of Greyhound, ESTA, and a Visalia-Sequoia NP shuttle (and, of course, hitchhiking from the Portal to Lone Pine). It is not nearly as time consuming as one would think (the worst part is the ESTA/Greyhound bus trip from Lone Pine-Reno-Oakland, which is about 12 hours).
One other option might be to hook up with a Whitney hiker that is finishing their hike on the same day that you hike out to the portal. Provided that hiker had room, and was going to Fresno, Visalia, or the Bay Area they could easily drop you off at you car (well a bit out of the way, but not much, and something a fellow hiker might be willing to do). Even if this strategy fell apart you would still have the option Steve pointed out.
