Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Any day-hike permits available for Sept 10 or 11?

Wishful thinking here, but worth the shot:

Anybody has 2 day-hike permits for Sept 10 or 11 available?

Should I take my chances to drive up there from SoCal to see if there are any cancellations?

Thanks,
Ben

Does this mean if I'm willing to day hike during the week, I may not have to do the Lottery for say August, 2011? I probably will, but it appears that the odds are good that I can typically get a last minute permit for 2-3 people on say a Wednesday in July or August unless I'm not reading the stats properly

I'm no expert on the topic, but I have read many accounts of people showing up without a permit and getting one with no problem. Apparently people bail out all the time.

The other benefit is that the permit itself doesn't cost anything. It is the reservation that has that hefty $15 price tag. So if you just show up to get the permit.....no $15.

If you are planning on hiking with more than 2 people in your group, i would think that the lottery is a more reliable process.