Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion What permit do I need? In Bishiop Pass & out Whitney Portal

What permit do I need? In Bishop Pass & out Whitney Portal.

I've got wrapped around the axle and the Recreation.gov site doesn't help much.

I think I need something for Inyo National Forest, but not sure what options to push on the Recreation.gov site to not total botch the submission.

Thanks a ton for any advice.

When are you trying to go?

Here's the link to the Rec.gov page with the Bishop Pass entry and Trail Crest exit: Link

Unfortunately, the Trail Crest Exit permit is extremely difficult to get, as only 15 are reservable, and they become available at 7 AM Pacific time 6 months before the date you want to exit. The available permits are snapped up on the website in just a few seconds!

If you would exit on ANY other trail, you aren't constrained with an exit permit date, so the permits are much easier to get. You might also try entering a little to the south at Horseshoe Meadows (permit is Cottonwood Pass or Cottonwood Lakes) and exiting at Bishop Pass. That permit should be way easier to get. Starting there adds 1 long day to your trip, and you can still climb Whitney from the west side.

I see the two Cottonwood entries are pretty well booked full now, too. Trail Pass has no quota, and adds only 2 miles to the Cottonwood Pass entry.

Walk-in permits for Bishop Pass at Bishop's White Mtn. ranger station (on Main St, Bishop, CA) can be obtained quite easily Monday to Thursday. The process is as follows:

Apply for the permit on the morning of the day before you want to cross Bishop Pass. Get there early (8 AM)! Go for breakfast. Then, at about 11 AM that day (the computer system won't let them issue permits until then), the rangers begin issuing the walk-in permits for the next day. As a Bishop resident, I use this system throughout the Summer, and always manage to get a permit. There are usually fewer walk-in permits available for Saturdays and Sundays.

By June, the parking lot at the Bishop Pass trailhead begins to fill quickly, so again, get there early.

For exits other than Whitney, you might try for Kearsarge Pass, which is a fairly moderate walk-out. Then hitch a ride down to Independence from the Onion Valley trail-head. Lots of people use that trailhead; you probably won't have to wait long for a lift out.

The Bishop Pass walkup may be an easy get, but the Whitney exit is subject to the quota, and is not. Definitely have a plan B exit, which may require skipping Whitney summit: Kearsarge or Cottonwood.