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Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
Intrepid #45576 03/28/16 12:11 AM
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Originally Posted By: Intrepid
Hi Steve,
Yes the roadworks and parking (i.e. lack of it, looks like a real issue). It seems that there is a real risk that I could turn up for a walk in permit only to be told 'Yes we have permits but we are not issuing them because of the road congestion and shortage of parking'
At least that is the message I am getting from the posts about the road construction.
I am hoping to maybe pick something up on 4/1. It would be great to have some certainty before I launch from 'down under'

This is a quote from my Inyo N.F. contact:

"Walk in permits will be issued if quota space is available. However, walk in permits will not be issued a parking pass so it is essential the party has alternate transportation that does not require parking."

Regardless, your 4/1 (and 5/1 too) plan is best.

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
Steve C #45587 03/29/16 07:18 AM
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I was unsuccessful in the lottery so I went the next day and climbed it smile heres to no permit season!

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
Steve C #45606 03/29/16 05:21 PM
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Hi Guys,

our group got the lottery for the first day of the lottery period - May 1st. We did the hike last year on June 8th and some of us even went up the chute but that was horribly slushy then. I am guessing the snow will be much better on May 1st but anyone with experience around that date know what sort of weather and trail conditions to expect? Our group has used crampons and ice axe before on whitney and shasta but nothing technical. Any idea what the conditions will be like on different sections of the trail from whitney portal, through trail camp, trail crest and onto the summit? Thanks for any info.

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
111san #45610 03/29/16 10:41 PM
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Hi 111san, welcome. Are you day-hiking or spending a night? I'm not sure why you would choose May 1. That is so early that you are guaranteed to have considerable snow to trudge through.

If you pick any day in May in the lottery, it's nearly a sure thing you will get a permit. In fact, you really shouldn't enter the lottery for a May hiking date, unless you are shooting for Memorial weekend. If I were you, I'd decline the permits you got (and save your money), and choose a later date. Starting April 1, Recreation.gov opens up and you can log on and simply pick any date where permits are available. Even then, other overly-anxious people may tie up all the slots. But, if you look at the Unused Permits data, you can see that any day in May and June, except Saturdays in June, you can walk in and pick up a free permit. (Only this year parking permits are required, and they don't give parking permits to walk-ins. So maybe that isn't the wisest choice this year.)

If you go May 1, it will likely be an ok hike, only more difficult due to the miles you will do over snow. Just be SURE you watch the weather and hold back if it is stormy. (But I would choose a later date.)

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
Steve C #45617 03/31/16 07:09 AM
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Steve are you able to keep the lottery winning date and also attempt reserving another date on April 1st?

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
Briang191 #45619 03/31/16 08:26 AM
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Originally Posted By: Briang191
Steve are you able to keep the lottery winning date and also attempt reserving another date on April 1st?

Yes. Lottery entry was supposed to be limited to a single application, but that was enforced by staff looking for duplicates. The online system does not have any restrictions, and actually there are no rules against it.

Of course, to keep your first winning date, you have to pay the $15 per hiker fee, and it is non-refundable.

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
eje67 #45622 03/31/16 10:29 PM
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Originally Posted By: eje67
Lottery results are in...unsuccessful for me. I had requested a Tuesday, August 30th day hike (with 8 backup dates, all week days in late or early August), 1 person. I have a Whitney Portal campground reservation for the nights of August 29th and 30th, so the backup plan is to try for an August 30th walk-in permit, as I will already have parking.


Start checking in May when people have canceled dates they won in the lottery for various reasons.

Last year I found better permits than what I got in the lottery.

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
WanderingJim #45623 04/01/16 07:19 AM
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As expected. Didn't have a chance this morning. Not sure how all the dates got reserved so fast. On to my 1st.

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
Steve C #45624 04/01/16 07:32 AM
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Good morning everyone,

I won a permit this year (mon-weds trip), but trying to accept the permit from recreation.gov isn't working.

I just get a message "This permit reservation cannot be processed. Please try again later." I've been trying since last night, but no luck.

Is anyone else having this problem?

Thanks!

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
Briang191 #45625 04/01/16 07:33 AM
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Denied again. Had my finger on the key at exactly 10 A.M. for a date with multiple openings in October...but no luck. Actually I had better luck back when they put the paper permits in a closet and used a fan to 'randomize' them!

Last edited by Marty; 04/01/16 07:33 AM.
Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
Marty #45626 04/01/16 07:58 AM
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Unfortunately, you and dozens of other would-be hikers probably had their fingers on their keyboards, too. The available permits disappear instantly.

May 1, with the permits showing up throughout the day would be better, since people will have to check multiple times, so fewer people will be at the ready.

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
Steve C #45627 04/01/16 08:05 AM
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Yes, I started clicking at 9:57am. Anyway, Steve C, as people accept and cancel their permits through April, will dates show up randomly during April or does the system hold that inventory until May 1? I thought May 1 was just when not accepted dates are auto-canceled.

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
Golden Ram #45628 04/01/16 08:30 AM
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I think if people log in and cancel their reservation, it will show up, and probably "at a random time" over the next 24 hours. But people have already had the several weeks to do that, so what are the chances anyone else will?

The May 1 permits will be all those of the do-nothing people -- those who won in the lottery, but did not log on and either decline or pay for their slots.

I don't have any idea how large a pool that is... maybe I should inquire.

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
Steve C #45629 04/01/16 09:40 AM
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Dumb question: why there're permits today?

I saw tons of permits available today right before 10am EDT, e.g., 30 permits for a popular day like 08/14. As stated in the rules, you can accept or decline a winning lottery starting from 04/01. It does't convince me that so many people declined their permits between mid-night and 10am EDT.

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
sneakyengineer #45630 04/01/16 09:52 AM
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sneaky: Contrary to what you wrote, I believe people were able to log in and decline their slots already. So those 30 slots were simply declined winnings. There aren't any there now. I saw those permits, too, leading up to today.

My guess is that some large groups got many people in their group to apply for the lottery, and more than one of them won slots in the lottery. So all but one logged on and declined their slots, resulting in 30 slots showing up available.

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
Steve C #45631 04/01/16 10:18 AM
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Update I able to secure a permit for August 14th. I wasn't successful from my desktop PC. I was successful on my iPhone and this was about 15 mins after my original post this morning. Good luck to everyone on May 1st

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
Steve C #45632 04/01/16 10:25 AM
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It makes sense.

Anyway, all weekend permits gone when I woke up and checked the website at 7:01am. :-(

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
Steve C #45634 04/01/16 01:19 PM
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Originally Posted By: Steve C
I think if people log in and cancel their reservation, it will show up, and probably "at a random time" over the next 24 hours. But people have already had the several weeks to do that, so what are the chances anyone else will?

The May 1 permits will be all those of the do-nothing people -- those who won in the lottery, but did not log on and either decline or pay for their slots.

I don't have any idea how large a pool that is... maybe I should inquire.

So I inquired... May 1 will see far better chances, but you will need to check often, due to that "random time over the next 24 hours".
Last year, "more than 1,000 groups" forfeited their reservations on May 1.

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
Steve C #45644 04/04/16 09:08 AM
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I think a large percentage of those do-nothing people simply forgot to log in and pay. I was one of them last year, but fortunately was able to scramble and get another date (probably somebody else's spot who also forgot to pay). They really need to send a reminder email on April 1st. Either that, have you pay it all at once like before, or give you the chance to pay it as soon as the results are known.

Re: Mt Whitney Permit Lottery 2016
Steve C #45682 04/07/16 07:36 AM
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Snagged me a single day Saturday Sept 10 that was just sitting there online, cya on the MT!

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