Revised Mt Whitney Lottery regs
Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:53 amby Hyadventure
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.
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
Re: Revised Mt Whitney Lottery regs
Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:58 amby WML
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
Wow, should be interesting...
Re: Revised Mt Whitney Lottery regs
Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2010 2:04 amby KathyW
Overnight trips via the North Fork have not been part of the lottery. It's the day trips via the North Fork that have been included in the lottery. Is there a change for day trips?
Re: Revised Mt Whitney Lottery regs
Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2010 2:50 amby MoapaPk
Following on KathyW's comment, from the same cited document:
Under discussion of the lottery:
Day hikes that will not enter the Mt Whitney zone at any point do not require a permit.
Day Use Permit: If the entire trip will be on one calendar date and you will enter the Mt. Whitney Zone, a Day Use permit is required. Day Use includes all routes (access to Mountaineer’s Route, East Face/Buttress routes, Mt Russell). No consecutive day use, if trip is more than one calendar date an Overnight permit is required.
Last I checked, the Mt Whitney zone included the MR. The wording is fuzzy, but it seems like the day permits for MR are still in the lottery.
Re: Revised Mt Whitney Lottery regs
Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2010 5:21 pmby KathyW
Not the Whitney zone, but close.
What looks like might have changed are some of the restricted recreational use in the California Bighorn Sheep Zoological Areas. The quota sheet does not indicate closure dates anymore and there was this notice:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPyhQoY6BdkOyoCAGixyPg!/?ss=110504&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=STELPRDB5201581&navid=180000000000000&pnavid=null&position=News&ttype=detail&pname=Inyo%20National%20Forest-%20News%20&%20EventsThankfully, most people will still be interested in the Whitney zone and lottery even if the Bighorn sheep restrictions are lifted.
Re: Revised Mt Whitney Lottery regs
Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:07 pmby Hyadventure
Thanx Kathy, You're right, overnight trips have never 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!
Re: Revised Mt Whitney Lottery regs
Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:28 pmby WML
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!
Really?!!?!!? If so that is HUGE. Awesome!