[pct-l] Section hike questions

[Kit Hepburn]

Hello the List,

I just finalized my plans to join my thru-hiking boyfriend and his hiking
partner for a section, and I am so excited and maybe a bit terrified as
well (I feel okay when I think I only have to hike 14.5 miles per day, but
when I add that up to 170 miles... oh man).  The plan is to join them in
northern California in July at the Highway 36 trailhead near Chester, and
hike with them to Mount Shasta.  I gather that some of this section isn't
the most scenic on the trail, but--it's what works with my time off from
work, and it will be great to celebrate the halfway point with Snowplow and
Yardsale.

My lingering questions:

--do I need a permit to hike this section?  How do I obtain one?

--should I have my own California Fire Permit, or is it sufficient that
Snowplow will have one?  (He's going to be doing all the cooking, right?)

--one guidebook recommends wearing gaiters when travelling in the Hat Creek
Rim area to keep grass seeds out of your socks.  Would Dirty Girl gaiters
be suitable, or is there another brand/style I should try?

--I had been thinking that it would be nice to stay overnight at the
Drakesbad Ranch, but then I almost fell out of my chair when I realized how
expensive that would be.  Is there another hotel/motel somewhere in that
section where it would be nice to spend the night (maybe Old Station or
Burney)?  (Amenities required: bed and a shower).

--we built enough time into our plan to allow for some extra wandering in
Lassen National Park.  What's the best/most interesting thing to see or do
in the park in an afternoon?

Thanks for the advice!

Kit.