[pct-l] Mt. Rainier Fees to double May 1st.

[Montedodge@xxxxxxx (Montedodge@xxxxxxx)]

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 Yes once again fees are on the rise. Fees for climbing Mt. Rainier were
15.00 per climber ( Fees started in 1995) and will double to 30.00 per
climber  starting May 1st. ( That's 120.00 permit for four friends to make a
weekend climb) . Many climbers pro and con do have a problem with the fees
being instituted without proper public involement or a fee-review process.
The 25.00 annual is elimated as well.
   Monkey See- Monkey Do is expected on all the other Volcanos along the PCT
as well. ( Hood, Shasta, Adams, St,. Helens)
    I've said it for years, the park service just doubles fees. ( They don't
mess around!!)
     120.00 may not stop some from climbing ,but a guy ( Or gal) with a
family or starving college student may have a problem with this!!!
      Park Service ad in future may read " Come Climb Our Cash Cow"
      IN the Olympics , the the South Fork of the Quanalt River is a trail
leading to Enchanted Valley which has a three story Chalet built as a hunting
lodge in 1923 before it was a Park . For years ,we would hike in each spring
and sleep in it's walls. Now the Park Service has kicked out hikers and taken
over the whole Mary Ann for itself. ( They used to have just a small closed
off area for the summer ranger) . This is not fair or is pricing climbers off
their mountain. So is the fee in a few more years going to be 60.00 per
climber?? Drop a line to your favorite park and complain.
   Even the Sierra Club is Anti-Fees these days. ( Big Article in this
month's Backpack mag) The reason is it encourages more developement  in the
areas that see more people and therefore take in more money.