Reservations and permits are non-transferable. Once a reservation has been issued, there are no refunds for cancellations. You must enter the wilderness on the date specified on your permit - no exceptions. For this trail follow wilderness permit procedures for all other trails on the forest. Day hike permits are good for one calendar date and do not allow a hiker to stay overnight.
Reservations are encouragedas the demand for permits far exceeds the supply.
After reading the new rules and regulations for 2001 there are only minor changes in the rules for 2001. The other biggie is the expansion of the Whitney Zone on the Mountaineer Route east to Lower Boy Scout Lake from top of the Sierra Crest. This change does not affect the Whitney Trail, see the new Whitney Zone map below. One thing we are disappointed by is the inaction of the INF to address permit cancellations in a positive manner. If you missed the rules and regulations above if you have to cancel there will be no refunds and according to the new rules you can't even give your permit to a friend to use, we find this to be ridiculous and unenforceable.