If anyone has overnight permits for the 15th/16th of July that they are going to turn in, let Bulldog34 or me know. I'll be in Lone Pine on the 14th to check on availability of permits. If you are not going to use yours, please let the Wilderness Permit Reservation Office know.
Joe, I'll be stopping to check at the IA Center on the 9th as well, on our way from Vegas to Mammoth. Based on what the people there have told me recently, they generally see cancellations come through about a week out from permit date - so for a 7/15 entry we should probably start hounding them by phone just after the 4th. Unless, that is, some Wonderful Soul alerts us to their cancelling a couple of overnighters for that date, and we know to call immediately. Wonderful Soul, are you out there and listening?
Sidebar: Dragged my ass outta bed at 4:30 this morning and was hiking up a mountain by 5:20 with 30 pounds on my back. Seven miles and 2000 feet of elevation gain and loss before showering and coming to work at 8:30 to "start" my day. It's already been a loooong day . . .