Issuing PCT long distance permits

pctpermitphoto

Some requests come with fun art or notes.

Nathaniel Willson is a PCTA office volunteer who will graduate from law school in a few weeks. He has helped out on many projects, from permits, to volunteer project reporting, to creating a database for our photos. We asked him to write a little about what it’s like to work on the permit project. Every year, a handful of volunteers help with the process.

Name, address, contact information. Swap screens. Start location/date, end location/date, Whitney date? Next.

I knew what I was getting into when I volunteered to help with permits. After all I have been volunteering at the PCTA Sacramento offices for around two years. I do data entry and other tasks. Issuing 40+ permits in an afternoon is assembly line work, pouring information into the brain only long enough for it to flow to the fingers and onto the computer. However, the work has its rewards. By issuing and packing the permits into the envelopes I am enabling an adventure to occur.

Name, address, contact information. Swap screens. Start location/date, end location/date, Whitney date? Next.

Having hiked the trail in 2006, I have been to these places and know the excitement and agony of planning and hiking. ‘Mexican border’ to ‘Canadian border’ the permit reads and memories of the southern California desert come to mind. ‘Bridge of the Gods’ to ‘Harts Pass’ reads another and I see the Washington forests stretching before me and feel the crisp autumn air.

Name, address, contact information. Swap screens. Start location/date, end location/date, Whitney date? Next.

Permitting is interesting because I get to see the wide variety of hikers on the trail. I have stuffed envelopes that go to nearly every state. I have folded the letters that went to Europe, Canada, and Japan. I see the college student who still has the .edu e-mail address. I see the long-time PCTA members alongside the new members and silently wish them all happy trails.

Name, address, contact information. Swap screens. Start location/date, end location/date, Whitney date? Next.

These are good reasons to spend time working on permits. They are all rewarding experiences; however, the real reason I signed up to issue permits was to simply help out.

Name, address, contact …

– Nathaniel Willson

Author: Jack "Found" Haskel

As the Trail Information Manager, Jack works to connect people to the PCT. He's involved with a wide variety of projects that help the trail, the trail's users and the community that surrounds the experience. He has thru-hiked (Pacific Crest Trail in 2006; Colorado Trail in 2008; Continental Divide Trail in 2010) and is an obsessed weekend warrior.