hey, having read this website for MONTHS before going to Whitney WITHOUT a permit in hand, I read that in the entire year of 2010, there were only 3 days that one was unable to obtain a permit when they walked into the visitors center, and all of those days were on the weekend. SO, my group of 4 took the chance, prepared for the trip, then drove to Lone Pine the day before our hike. We got to the visitors center before 11, the time that they draw a lottery for the next days permits. There were no overnight permits at that time. I was told that anything could happen in during that afternoon and to check back. Overnight permits have until the day of the hike at 10 to pick up their permits, but one-day permits are cancelled at 4 the day before. An hour and a half after that 11 o'clock lottery, we had our permit in our hands. So, lottery or no lottery, you really can hike Whitney when you want to, you just need to do a little more work when you get to Lone Pine, and get there early.
