I finally secured a PCT permit!
First of all, how do PCT permits work? Long distance permits like the one I applied for are for those traveling 500 or more miles in a continuous footpath. The Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) allocates 50 per day for the dates between March 1 and May 31. This quota is only for the first 900 miles are so, as large amounts of hikers leave the Mexico border each spring. It spreads them out enough so there aren't hundreds of hikers leaving the monument at the same day. The 50 permits/day are released in two batches- 35 on November 15, and 15 on January 10. It is still possible to hike the trail without a PCTA permit, as many hikers secure local permits for areas that the trail passes through. The PCTA permit makes the logistics much easier because all forests, national parks, etc. honor it. Getting a permit The quest to get a Pacific Crest Trail permit started in October of 2022, when I first registered for the first permit release day on November 15th. This put my name i...