[pct-l] permit paperwork in No. Cal. and Oregon

[DPlotnikoff at mercurynews.com (Plotnikoff, David)]

Greetings from a longtime list lurker and section hiker.

 This season I'm doing Peavine Creek ("infamous" section O which was in
great shape when I stopped there last year) north to Willamette Pass. That's
477 miles, just under the line when it comes to getting a blanket permit
from PCTA. 

Over the last week, I've been calling various National Forest offices trying
to ascertain whether I need any wilderness permits at all. After being
shuttled from ranger district office to ranger district office (the PCT of
course, skirts the edge of many different jurisdictions) I've come to the
conclusion that the answer is NO.

 Although Shasta-Trinity and Klamath NF offices seemed to be the most
confused (with contradictory information about areas such as Castle Crags
Wilderness and Trinity Alps wilderness being dispensed on their Web sites
and by their occasionally clueless headquarters administrative staff) I
explained as clearly as I could that I would be passing *through* both of
those without stopping to camp in either. That seemed to clear that up. They
seemed much firmer in declaring I wouldn't need permits to camp in either
the Russian or Marble wilderness. 

The situation got clearer past the Oregon border. No ranger district office
I called on the Winema, Willamette or Deschutes NFs needed any permit
paperwork at all for Sky Lakes, Diamond Lake/Mt. Thiesen wilderness, etc. 

Does my information square with the experience of those who have done this
section recently? I can't see any mention in any journal of permit hassles
through here. (Yogi? The Hiker formerly known as Cupcake? Your thoughts?)
It's just as a Bay Area person whose early experiences were shaped by many
summers in Yosemite and Inyo NF, I'm just programmed to figure I have to
fill out six forms in triplicate every time I grab my trowel and ... 

Thank you. 


David Plotnikoff
San Jose Mercury News
(408) 920-5867
dplotnikoff@mercurynews.com