I'm hoping to share some of the various expertise out there:
I want to plan a backpack trip including the Whitney summit. I hope to go mid August 2016 and camp for 5 nights with a group of 5 to 7 people.. My original plan was to enter near Independence (Onion Valley?) and exit at Whitney Portal. However I think my chances of obtaining permits for this are slim.
What are some alternatives? If I have to exit other than Whitney Portal I think it may take more time to finish after summiting Mt Whitney so my entry point would have to be adjusted to make it a 5 night trip.
