Thru-permits - Pacific Crest Trail

imported
#1

hi all, can i pick up a thru-permit at the kick-off?

robohiker

#2

but why would you want to?

Seriously though, there’s no reason to wait and try to pick up a thru-hiking permit at ADZPCTKO. The PCTA
permits page has all the info you need to get it ahead of time and thus have it in hand by the time you get to Lake Morena. I don’t doubt that you could persuade someone from PCTA to bring it there for you, but that just seems to be risking that it gets accidentally left, etc., etc., and spoiling your start.

There is also the issue of Whitney permits; if you want one of those too (and the PCTA does issue them) you must get it ahead of time (at least sixty days, per USFS regs.) and thus generally couldn’t get one at ADZPCTKO. Then there’s the Canadian Entry permit, which you must send off for (though you can do this through PCTA too) since it comes from the Canadian government.

All in all, this is one of those details best done ahead and settled long before you get to Lake Morena. Hope this helps.

Strategic

#3

As specified on the permit and by a park ranger you do not need a permit to summit whitney unless you plan on resupplying via whitney portal (which would be needlessly difficult). ascents from crabtree meadows do not require a permit, donate the extra bucks you would have spent on that permit to trailjournals.

fester

#4

Actually, the park that runs Whitney does require a permit, regardless of which side you come up. But, you’ll probably be there so early in the season, it won’t matter. Plus, you’ll have your thruhiker permit, right? You might get away with just that. The rangers were all pretty cool about anyone going through.

wing it

#5

I’m sure exceptions are made, and some rangers are lax, but it’s true that you do need a Whitney Zone permit regardless of from where you are ascending Whitney. The Whitney Portal exit permit is a different thing than the Whitney Zone permit, though they can both be issued at the same time.

markv

#6

it sounds like crampons,(or other traction device) would be very helpful in getting over the passes just about whenever you’d like,(exceptmid-day)it also seems most don’t bother with them and usually do just fine. your thoughts?

robohiker

#7

After reading Cindy Ross’ book about her PCT hike, where Todd broke his leg because of his crampons, we decided against wearing any. We didn’t need them. We did need and use the ice axes. Best is to set up the passes so you reach the top late morning, when the snow has softened enough that you can kick steps but isn’t yet so soft that you end up postholing. We mostly did one pass a day, so it isn’t that difficult to set up the mileage that way.

Ginny

#8

I wouldn’t bring crampons. I did two passes a day on the PCT in 2003, and went over several high passes (trailed and trail-less) on the Sierra High Route in 2006. The only time you need them is early morning (before light hits the snow) and near sunset. You really don’t want to camp so close to a pass that you hit it that early (we did on the SHR, it gets really cold) and you want to be off things a lot earlier than 9 pm. The sun changes the snow from concrete to kickable very rapidly. Now, some spots are almost permanently in the shade, like the little snow finger below Whitney. But, this has a big boot path to use in crossing.

Suge