Adding to Krisha's post...
Whitney Zone starts at Trail crest. If you don't go down to the portal, you're not in it. But, you DON'T need a special permit if you start in Seki. In fact, wilderness permits allow you to exit for a resupply and return (as long as you are not off-trail > 24 hours, and as long as you re-enter the same trail). So you could head down to the portal, hitch-hike to Lone Pine, resupply, spend the night, and return, all on the Seki permit.
If you returned via Onion Valley, you would need a new permit. It would also require a hitch hike back to wherever the Seki shuttle runs. But the Kearsarge return is quite short -- I've day-hiked that.
You could also X-C down to Crabtree Lakes from Discovery Pinnacle -- that would be easy. You could shortcut down Whitney Creek (opposite direction of my climb up) (a little more difficult than the Discovery descent). Two years ago, I came down the Colby Pass trail after crossing Pants Pass (pretty difficult).
Krishna's Colby Pass suggestion sounds nice.
