[pct-l] Permits 2017

Wed Sep 28 01:01:19 CDT 2016

Richard -

Permits are required in Yosemite, but not necessarily PCT permits. You
could have had a wilderness permit specifically for that are issued by the
NPS instead.

Wikipedia

On Tue, Sep 27, 2016 at 11:44 PM, Richard Brinkman <richardb10 at live.com>
wrote:

> In Yosemite, I was asked by a Ranger to show my PCT thru-hiker permit.
> Thank goodness I had it, albeit folded in a ziplock.
>
> Roadwalker, '15
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Pct-L [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Cody B
> Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2016 3:39 PM
> To: Robert E. Riess
> Cc: PCT-L
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Permits 2017
>
> BR,
>
> The permit limits are in place to protect the fragile environments and
> ecosystems that the Pacific Crest Trail passes through from overuse by
> hikers. They are there for a very good reason and it is indeed backed by
> research on environmental impact. The first several hundred miles are
> particularly vulnerable as there are very limited water resources and many
> of them cannot support hundreds of hikers draining them in addition to
> supplying the necessary water for the native plants and animals.
>
> It is possible to hike the PCT legally without a long-distance permit
> published by the PCTA, but that does require seeking out each permit
> individually and doing the research on your own. The permit issued by the
> PCTA is actually a collection of permits by the National Parks Service,
> State Parks Systems, Forest Service, and others that allows you to pass
> through the entire trail corridor without seeking out each necessary permit
> individually. It is a service provided to us and there is a limit on that
> service so that the trail is still there, beautiful, and most importantly,
> usable for years to come.
>
> I saw a lot of disregard for permits on the trail this summer and it
> concerns me. People ranted about "the government trying to control their
> rights saying when they can or can't hike" (I would like to note that the
> PCTA is not a government organization) while not paying any regard to the
> reason those permits are there.
>
> PLEASE be conscientious about this. If we aim to be stewards of the
> environment and participate in LNT practices then paying mind to the permit
> system and the permit limits is extremely important. They are not there to
> limit us. They are there to protect us and the beauty we love to indulge
> ourselves in.
>
> Passionately,
>
> Wikipedia
>
> On Tue, Sep 27, 2016 at 5:19 PM, Robert E. Riess <robert.riess at cox.net>
> wrote:
>
> > Congratulations to the Class of 2016, who were lucky enough to draw a
> > PCTA Long Distance Permit starting at the border, and who had no
> > ADZPCTKO to inspire and enlighten them. I am saddened by what I hope
> > is a temporary halt to the world-class hiking event which for 17 great
> > years gave so much to so many, provided by so few, and who did it so
> > very, very well. I am thankful for the opportunity to have partaken.
> >
> >
> >
> > Certainly, a 2016 PCT through hike is an accomplishment of great pride
> > and satisfaction.  Some were not so fortunate.  Some from overseas
> > could not get a permit to conform with their travel arrangements and
> > just gave up on their goal of hiking the PCT in 2016.  At least one
> > hiker known to me had to cancel his airline ticket and rebook to
> > conform with his PCTA permit at an additional cost of over $1000.
> > Some were scared to death of being stopped by the US Forest Service
> > because their only chance to hike did not conform with the date of
> > their PCTA Long Distance Permit.  They were in genuine fear of having
> their passports confiscated for “illegal hiking.”
> > Many US and foreign hikers had permits which were at variance with the
> > actual dates of their starts, and many more hiked without a permit of
> > any kind.
> >
> >
> >
> > In 2015 and 2016, the PCTA, on its own authority as trail manager,
> > established a daily quota of 50 Long Distance Permits starting at the
> > border during the height of through-hiker season.  I was told by Beth
> > Boyst, the PCT Trail Manager for the US Forest Service, that the limit
> > of
> > 50 permits per day was her idea, stating also that she arrived at the
> > decision based upon exhaustive research into the increase in hiker
> > numbers experienced during the years 2012-2014, and their attendant
> impact on the
> > first 100 miles of the PCT.   This confused me in that one agency limited
> > the number of permits and another took credit for the decision, so on
> > April
> > 14 of this year, I submitted a Freedom of Information Act request
> > asking for all documentation discussing or supporting the 50 permit
> daily limit.
> > The US Forest Service reply to my FOIA request providing 4 pages of
> > responsive documents was received on July 7.  I will provide my
> > original FOIA request and the Forest Service’s response by email to
> > anyone who requests them.  I have read these documents many times, and
> > I have found no basis whatsoever for limiting daily hiking permits.
> > This is the official response of the government of the United States
> > to a valid request for information.  By law, it is exhaustive and
> > complete.  There is no more information to consider.  No anecdotes, no
> > feelings, no opinions, no guesses.
> >
> >
> >
> > So, with the 2016 PCT through hiking season drawing to a close, there
> > will be many hikers with recent experiences on the trail who may be
> > willing to share their experiences and offer their opinions regarding
> > the necessity and efficacy of the 2015-2016 permit limitations.  IMO,
> > this is necessary if the PCT hiking community wants to influence the
> > 2017 hiking season on the PCT, either in favor of permit limitations,
> > or opposed to them.  You should not expect to be asked for your
> > experiences and opinions by the US Forest Service or the PCTA.  Some
> > of us recall how the permit limitations were implemented for the past
> > 2 years.  There was no public discussion, there was no opportunity for
> > hikers to state their positions, and there was no advance notice.
> > Hikers first became aware of the 50 permit per day limitation
> > simultaneously with the opening of the issuance of permits by the
> > PCTA.  There is every indication there will be more of the same in
> 2017.  Congratulations to the Class of 2016.  Good Luck to the Class of
> > 2017.   BR
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>
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