Saltydog,
It does not matter, if you do not sleep in a zone that requires a canister. Travel through and overnight stay in the wilderness are the operative phrases because if something happens to you, you might have to stay overnight in those places. He complained of pain so great that he was contemplating bail out points back through the Inyo.
Yosemite has a hard side and the Inyo has a softside canister requirement, period.
The forest/park land managers could have been asked for a special dispensation. There was nothing in the narrative that stated they were.
It is a great accomplishment but it done by breaking park and forest rules.
