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2012 Permits?
#18688 09/24/11 02:05 PM
Joined: Sep 2011
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K
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K
Joined: Sep 2011
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Does anyone have any information on the process required for OVERNIGHT permits for 2012?
Thanks smile

Re: 2012 Permits?
kcarabio #18689 09/24/11 02:23 PM
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Every year, there is a lottery for permits in February. Up through this year, people would mail in their permit/lottery applications during the first two weeks in February, then wait until about April 1 to hear the results.

This process is described in the Wilderness Permit Options link (to the left), especially in box 4 on that page.

For 2012, Inyo National Forest is working with Recreation.gov to make the lottery process a computer-based operation. We have yet to see the application process, and hope for the best with the lottery itself. If all goes as planned, the lottery will complete in minutes or hours, so people would likely know the results sometime between March 16 and April 1.

Update:   Check these links for more information:

Last edited by Steve C; 01/03/12 09:49 PM.
Re: 2012 Permits?
Steve C #18714 09/25/11 11:20 PM
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The current Whitney lottery has its drawbacks in that it makes it difficult to plan time off work and reserve campground space well in advance. However, overall the process is quite good, appears equitable, and does not require you to take time off work in order to get a permit during the 3 minutes that permits are available (e.g. Half Dome). Even though my MMWT Lottery bid this year failed, I was able to go up the MMWT twice this year by taking advantage of permits that others kindly turned in to the ranger station ($15 by phone). And while I have never used the other approach of showing up to pick up an unused permit in person ($0), this feature too is an excellent aspect of the Whitney lottery.
I sure hope the new lottery does not end up being like the Half Dome lottery. While I was able to score Half Dome permits this year it was an experience akin to one of those department store sales you see in the old movies where everyone rushes the door and grabs whatever they can get. It is not really a lottery. Instead it is a first come first served operation in which the person with the fastest internet connection and a bit of luck wins. The only mechanism they have for obtaining an unused permit is if someone turns it back in online and it is repurchased. No-Shows are never used. This is a real shame and I believe it is poor management of a limited resource.
By the way, I did the Half Dome trail twice this year. Both times the number of people on the trail was dramatically less than what I have experienced in years past. I would venture to say the trail was under utilized this year. I also question the approach and rational that was used to introduce the expanded quota this year. It certainly failed to achieve one of its major stated objectives (reduction in injuries and loss of life). As for wear and tear on the trail, concentrating a large number of people on this trail leaves the other trails more pristine in my opinion.
I think many people actually enjoy meeting interesting people on the trail, be it Half Dome or Whitney. Also, I have personally witnessed many times on the Half Dome trail where more experienced hikers have advised or helped less experienced hikers. Running short of water on this trail is a chronic problem for the inexperienced. I always carry a filter and usually carry spare bottles of water on the HD trail and rarely come back with unused ones.
When I want solitude I head out on other trails.


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