Found this thread extremely useful for trying to 'pick up' my permit so wanted to provide an update as of Jun 26 (e.g. post earthquake).
I spent a lot of time trying the 760-873-2483 number, probably about 3-4 hours in total over three days. I also tried the *-2400 number. Both had zero luck.
I then tried calling the "Lone Pine Area – Mt. Whitney Ranger District" number (per this link:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/inyo/passes-permits/recreation/?cid=stelprdb5144746) - the number is 760-876-6200 ... got through within an hour of trying.
The lady with whom I spoke to on the end of the line told me that as of yesterday, all Whitney permits are being cancelled, however she indicated that I should call back daily leading up to my permit date (July 4th) to check the latest status. She also added that in her personal opinion, based on the damage she has seen, it would be unlikely to open in that time frame (7 days away as of this post).
I'm lucky in that I live in the Bay so only a half day's drive away so can make my go / no go decision <24 hours before my hike. Will be calling back Mon-Thurs next week to get the latest & will update here.
2020 ... what a year!
Here's my experience:
June 26, 6 AM: Received a "Reservation Reminder" email from Recreation.gov for my Whitney Day use permit on July 3.
June 26 - Called the 760-873-2483 number and got through on my 17th attempt at around 4:15 PM. I didn't try any other numbers. The strategy (if there is one?) I used was to spread out my calls throughout the day. If I called at, say, 9 AM and didn't get though, I'd redial only once and would try again 30-45 minutes later instead of trying to get through for the next several hours. So I'd spend 9:00 - 9:05 on the phone, 9:05 - 9:40 doing something else, 9:40-9:45 on the phone, and so on.
June 26, 4:15 PM - Spoke with a ranger and tried to get my reserved permit for July 13 since I figured that July 3 would be a lost cause due to the earthquake. Was told to call back on or after June 29 since they couldn't process permits until 2 weeks before the reservation date. But she did process and email me both my July 3 and July 6 permits and said that I would get a refund if the trail remained closed during those dates. WAG bags would be available at the trailhead.
Unfortunately, she did not have any concrete info regarding the trail or the closure length beyond what was mentioned on the Inyo County Sheriff's Facebook page. I don't think there was much damage to the trail since they're allowing hikers to exit at Whitney Portal if they started at Onion Valley, Cottonwood Lakes, or somewhere other than Whitney Portal. And there were no reports that the cars parked at the Portal the day of the quake had any difficulty in getting out, so the road couldn't have been damaged that badly. But that is only my guess.
