Thanks, Stormin Matt. You're right I could have searched.
This takes me back to the time leading up to the lottery and limits on Half Dome. I have multiple times written that if they would issue time-based permits -- where people had to be up and down from HD before or after specific times, they could very easily issue a lot more permits. And that would reduce the people on the cables -- and on the trail -- at any specific time. Doing that could very well make it easier for people to obtain permits, and therefore make it less of a "hell-bent for leather" commitment.
Some Whitney hikers start hiking at and before midnight. Many finish near midnight. A well-working Half Dome permit system could spread out the numbers, and might work. But nobody in YNP seems to listen to such outside-the-box ideas.
