[pct-l] permit

[Bob Bankhead]

A PCTA permit is only good within the date range AND between the locations listed on it. Plan accordingly.

Assume my permit says I'm starting at Campo on April 15, 2010 and ending at Tuolumne Meadows on July 15, 2010. If I reach Tuolumne Meadows early, say on July 01, my permit is now invalid north of there. Even though I have another 15 days on the permit, I've reached my permitted end point. I can reverse directions and hike south until the 15th, but I can't go on north. The same is true if on July 15, I've only reached Reds Meadow; I can't continue to TM because I've used up the date range on my permit.


What constitues a thru-hike? I think about the only thing all hikers would agree on is that it means you did the entire trail from end to end. Your degree of "trail purity" is up to you. Personally, I've found several of the PCT alternate routes to be superior to the PCT through the same area. For example, most hikers take the Eagle Creek trail from Wahtum Lake to Cascade Locks rather than the PCT. Other popular alterantes include the rim walk at Crater Lake and the Fish Creek trail to Reds Meadow

The time factor is where you'll get the greatest diversity of opinions. Rarely would anyone argue that short off-trail excursions for re-supply, zero days, medical care, etc negate a thru-hike. Most folks would probably say within a single year, depending upon the length of the trail. At 6000 miles, the ADT might be an exception to that. 

But it's your hike; if you take two years to do it and want to call yourself a thru-hiker, that's up to you. 


Wandering Bob