There is a VERY interesting discussion going on over at the FB JMT page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2240988980/permalink/10153438982448981/ .
In the wake of new restrictions on permits for JMT trailheads there is a lot of pressure on permits from alternative THs, many of which are in Inyo. SO on the JMT FB page, there are inquiries about whether it is necessary to get an additional permit that Inyo offers, and charges $15 for, i.e "Visiting Whitney", to start the JMT NOBO at somehwere other than WP, or to tag Whitney SOBO and exit at other than the Portal.. On both the Inyo and rec dot gov websites, the statement is made that to summit Whitney from the west, i.e. the JMT or HST routes, you need the "Visiting Whitney" permit and pay the $15 per. This is for entries at Cottonwood, Rush Creek, wherever in Inyo, and tagging Whitney from the JMT in SEKI, and moving on to other exits, never crossing into the WHitney Zone. What's wrong with this picture, you may ask, and so did I.
Turns out that Inyo is KNOWINGLY posting a false requirement for the $15 "Visiting Whitney" permit on both its own and the rec dot gov website. Inyo's reasoning is - wait for it - is that it needs the extra revenue to support its sanitation efforts - i.e the wagbag deal.
SO my take is that Inyo is collecting a fee that it has no authorization for - the Visiting Whitney fee - to support a program that it also has no authorization for, the Wagbag deal.
Check out the discussion at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2240988980/permalink/10153438982448981/
