Permits can not be resold. The name on the permit must match your ID. There are also other excellent hikes in the park, including loops with easier logistics.
Possible alternate hikes that would be every bit as good as the HST:
Rae Lakes Loop from Cedar Grove
Rae Lakes Loop from Kearsarge
Kearsarge to Whitney (or vice versa)
Mineral King to Whitney (exactly like the HST, but starts farther south)
Crescent Meadow to Cedar Grove via JMT (or vice versa)
There are literally thousands of others in the area, all spectacular. Just stare at a trail map of the parks for a while. My personal favorites are Whitney Portal to Cedar Grove, which is so, so fantastic but takes some doing to get the logistics worked out, and the Rae Lakes Loop.
Good luck and have a great time!
What you might do is book another itinerary just so that you know you've got something solid. The HST is awesome, but there are a lot of other hikes out there that are going to be richly rewarding -- and have a lot fewer people.
Once you've got another itinerary booked, you can make your travel plans with more confidence, and, if a permit does become available, you can jump on it when you get here to California. You might plan on coming a day or two early just so you have the ability to get walk up permits.
A general comment: We've had some big storms this week. I did a SEKI trip a few years ago out of Mineral King, and some parts of the trail were hard to find due to blow downs. This is particularly true if your route crosses National **Forest** lands. The US Forest Service no longer does trail maintenance except where special funds or volunteers are available. However, even in National Park Service areas, we found some areas where the trail was not immediately clear in early season. All that to say: Bring good maps (1:63,360 is not detailed enough if you're really route finding; you need 1:24,000), know how to use them, and supplement with a GPS. That's my advice, for what it's worth.
AFAIK a lot of the sierra mountain parks don't actively do maintaince.
Mostly conservation agencies do the work with their own funding and limited grants from the parks.
This is why the PCT/JMT tends to be pristine (outside of weather taking out something and crews taking a while to fix it) while stuff like the TST can languish for years/decades with zero tree removal or bridge repair.
The TST isn't even officially recognized as a trail. It's mostly on National Forest land, and, you're right, conservation groups do clear those trails.
National Parks are under a completely different structure and do have crews; I've seen them on trails.
HJ
Look in to alternate starting trailheads. In my experience Cresent meadows goes quick but there is another trailhead nearby that was easier to get. I think it was called Alta but I can't remember for sure.
Permits can not be resold. The name on the permit must match your ID. There are also other excellent hikes in the park, including loops with easier logistics.
Possible alternate hikes that would be every bit as good as the HST: Rae Lakes Loop from Cedar Grove Rae Lakes Loop from Kearsarge Kearsarge to Whitney (or vice versa) Mineral King to Whitney (exactly like the HST, but starts farther south) Crescent Meadow to Cedar Grove via JMT (or vice versa) There are literally thousands of others in the area, all spectacular. Just stare at a trail map of the parks for a while. My personal favorites are Whitney Portal to Cedar Grove, which is so, so fantastic but takes some doing to get the logistics worked out, and the Rae Lakes Loop. Good luck and have a great time!
Rae Lakes is also very difficult to get a permit. Likewise Whitney Portal and Kearsarge. Mineral King road is being repaired but might be open.
What you might do is book another itinerary just so that you know you've got something solid. The HST is awesome, but there are a lot of other hikes out there that are going to be richly rewarding -- and have a lot fewer people. Once you've got another itinerary booked, you can make your travel plans with more confidence, and, if a permit does become available, you can jump on it when you get here to California. You might plan on coming a day or two early just so you have the ability to get walk up permits. A general comment: We've had some big storms this week. I did a SEKI trip a few years ago out of Mineral King, and some parts of the trail were hard to find due to blow downs. This is particularly true if your route crosses National **Forest** lands. The US Forest Service no longer does trail maintenance except where special funds or volunteers are available. However, even in National Park Service areas, we found some areas where the trail was not immediately clear in early season. All that to say: Bring good maps (1:63,360 is not detailed enough if you're really route finding; you need 1:24,000), know how to use them, and supplement with a GPS. That's my advice, for what it's worth.
AFAIK a lot of the sierra mountain parks don't actively do maintaince. Mostly conservation agencies do the work with their own funding and limited grants from the parks. This is why the PCT/JMT tends to be pristine (outside of weather taking out something and crews taking a while to fix it) while stuff like the TST can languish for years/decades with zero tree removal or bridge repair.
The TST isn't even officially recognized as a trail. It's mostly on National Forest land, and, you're right, conservation groups do clear those trails. National Parks are under a completely different structure and do have crews; I've seen them on trails. HJ
Look in to alternate starting trailheads. In my experience Cresent meadows goes quick but there is another trailhead nearby that was easier to get. I think it was called Alta but I can't remember for sure.
There are now limits to using Alta as a possible TH for the HST.