Page 2 ~ Revised December 2011 ~ Use Recycled Paper
Wilderness Terms and Lottery Conditions:
The following are NOT Reserved by the Mt Whitney Lottery:
Overnight trips starting on routes other than the Mt Whitney Trail. This includes overnight trips via the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek to access the Mountaineer’s Route, East Face/Buttress routes, and trips starting at other entry points, like Cottonwood or Kearsarge Pass. These trips can be reserved 6 months in advance by contacting the wilderness permit reservation office. (760) 873-2483.

Hyadventure wrote:

Page 2 ~ Revised December 2011 ~ Use Recycled Paper
Wilderness Terms and Lottery Conditions:
The following are NOT Reserved by the Mt Whitney Lottery:
Overnight trips starting on routes other than the Mt Whitney Trail. This includes overnight trips via the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek to access the Mountaineer’s Route, East Face/Buttress routes, and trips starting at other entry points, like Cottonwood or Kearsarge Pass. These trips can be reserved 6 months in advance by contacting the wilderness permit reservation office. (760) 873-2483 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (760) 873-2483      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

I just cut and pasted this from the 2011 Mt. Whitney Lottery Application. Although I'm not sure how they could have revised it a year from now, hope that's a typo, it appears that trips that start via the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek to access the Mountaineer’s Route, East Face/Buttress routes (and Mt. Russell) are excluded for the lottery again!!! I tried to call the wilderness permit office to verify this, but they were all ready closed. Check it out yourself:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5227396.pdf

Hyadventure wrote:Thanx Kathy, You're right they never have been in the lottery. I'd always assumed they were. I checked with the wilderness permit office, day trips up the North Fork are still in the lottery. I also talked to them about the Bighorn Sheep restrictions. They told me the restrictions have been completely dropped. Thanx Chief!