My first stop is the Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center nestled in the valley just south of downtown Lone Pine. The (brown) Alabama Hills are dwarfed by the mighty Sierra whose peaks are engulfed in weather. Wilderness permits for Inyo National Forest and the Whitney Zone must be picked up here. The center has some informative displays, and a nice book/gift store. I arrived here on Saturday and picked up a Wilderness Permit to camp that night at Lone Pine Lake; I'm one day early so I am not able to pick up my Whitney permit until two days prior to my entrance to the Whitney Zone. Along with the permit, mandatory "Wag Bags" are issued at no cost.