Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Wilderness Permit Question

In looking on the forest service website, I couldn't find any information on "hours of operation." Does anyone know? Do they work on Saturday? Reservations can be made 6 months inadvance from date of entry, correct?

Thanks

paul

Yes, other than the main Whitney trail you can reserve 6 months in advance.

(760) 873-2483 Reservation Line
8am-4pm 7 days a week June 1 - October 1, Weekdays only the rest of the year

<a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/howto.shtml">http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/howto.shtml</a>

Not to split hairs, but it's 24 weeks to the day. For instance, if you want an entry date of Thursday, September 1st, you can call on Thursday, March 17th.

If you try to call on Tuesday, March 1st (exactly 6 months), they'll make you call back on the 17th.

I just went through this with them!

James

That is a little odd. 6 months is 182 days. 24 weeks is 168 days.

When I sent my permit in for this June 26th to go up the MR, I faxed it in on the morning of December 27, 2004. I was one day short of "6 months."

No problem. It went through. Same was true last year. I faxed in my permit six months to the actual day I wanted and they processed it.

So that "24 week thing" would be new to me.

I went to the web site listed above by JCB. There is no question it says a 6 month rolling date for all trails except the Mt. Whitney trail.

Unfortunately the people who work the phones don't all have the same understanding of the rules etc.

It doesn't hurt to assume the web site is correct and call or FAX 6 months to the date. If they say it has been changed you can point out what it says on the web site. Otherwise you might put yourself at a disadvantage and not get the date you want. It might be stolen out from under you as you wait to fall within the "24 week" window.

I called on February 7 for August 5 (Onion Valley to Whitney) and had no probelm except that because I asked for 8 slots, the exit at Trail Crest was iffy since only 15 per day can exit. But, who's counting. I got my permit.

paul

The six month rule worked for me too. Mailed my request for a 28-30 July Shepherds Pass permit on January 28th, and got just what I asked for.

Apparently the exit quotas apply only for trips originating in the Inyo National Forest. I just received confirmation on my JMT permit request from Yosemite for mid August. Applied on Monday of this week.

Also the following quote is from the INF website, "If you are entering at any other trail on the Inyo National Forest and exiting on the Main Mt. Whitney Trail, an exit quota applies to your trip!

Not sure if this applies to trips originating from Sequoia on the HST, the Sequoia webiste refers you to the Whitney ****** District.

Theoretically, a JMT hike applies since you do enter "at any other trail on the Inyo National Forest". Sure wish they would confirm these policies on their web-sites.

Usually with through hikers they are pretty lenient(sp?). I went South to North so I had to get a main trail overnight permit, EVENTHOUGH I camped at Guitar Lake my first night. Though from then on the ******s I ran into said I could camp pretty much anywhere and the quotas(in Yosemite esp) didn't apply to me. I think you'll be just fine.
Eric J Lee

The exit quota only applies to people STARTING their trip on any of the Inyo NF trails. If you start in Sequoia or Yosemite or the PCT, you are home free.

PCT hikers can exit for a resupply and re-enter on any trail, including Mt Whitney, without having to get a new trail permit, since they are just continuing a trip started elsewhere.

The Inyo NF started the exit quota because they found lots of people exiting were using space and taxing the facilities at Trail Crest and Outpost Camp. Don't know why that is, because once I've been to the peak and I am that close to Whitney Portal, I just want to get out of there and back to the comforts of home :-)