[pct-l] Pay to Hike Fees " PCT next!!! "

[Montedodge@aol.com]

 With all our recent new park and forest service fees, I am becoming 
convinced that nothing is sacred with the area of new fees. Now Lake 
Roosevelt is charging 30.00 a year boat launch fee. I look for the forest 
service and park service to come up with a super permit to allow a thru-hike 
to do the PCT for a super price. ( of course they'll slip it to us an inch or 
an increase at a time )  Once fees are in place, they rise each year ( like 
our friendly cascade volcano permit system, free at first, then 15.00, then 
???   ) After the passing  of 695 in Washington last month ( a motor vehicle 
excise tax ), our buddy's in Olympia have worked night and day to raise any 
fee possible. Soon our parks will be country clubs for rich singles and DINKS 
, ( double income, no kids ). Free unimproved campgrounds  now charge 9 
dollars a night which doesn't even go back into the forest service, but to 
the private contractors pocket who collects the fees. Remember when hikes 
involved just gassing up a VW bus and grabbing a few boxes of Mac-Cheese out 
of the cupboard. Soon hikers will need to provide  SAT scores along with all 
the other infor at each trailhead. The author of " 1984" wasn't too far off!! 
 A hike in Mt. Rainier Park is about as fun as a stroll with the NAZI  Youth 
Groups of the 30's. ( Police State)  Bottom Line ---- User fees are out of 
hand.
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