Re: [CDT-L] CDT: Universal Permit

I'd also add that there the NPS should be considering the numbers of people 
involved here. Less than 20 thru-hikers a year can't possibly be enough to 
destory a permit system that is touted as a national model! Or could it be 
that the model ain't so good?  A temporary experimental plan (isn't that what 
they called the parking/fee/permits in the national forests?) could be 
implemented with the understanding that if the numbers of thru-hikers and 
other long-distnace hikers arriving on foot grew unmanageable, the plan would 
be adapted to deal with it.

Small sites for walk-in hikers could simply be tucked away somewhere near the 
other sites, and only used by long distance hikers arriving on foot. I'd 
prefer the universal permit, but if you had to call ahead (say, from Togwotee 
or Mack's Inn or East Glacier to let them know you were coming) I'd be okay 
with that.  

By the way, as some of you know from Where the Waters Divide, this is a big 
issue for me. I just want to tell you that what I wrote in the book re: the 
permit problems at Glacier was only about 25  percent of what actually 
happened!!! The publisher wouldn't let me write a chapter called "Why 
Glacier's Permit System Sucks!" The details made the whole story even more 
ridiculous, convoluted, and time-consuming than is recounted! Whiteroot told 
me that the rangers at Glacier are going around telling people that 
thru-hikers are problems, and as an example, Dan and I broke the rules. The 
truth is that all of our problems stemmed from trying to FOLLOW the rules. I 
guess it's easier for them to deal with our criticism by trying to discredit 
us than by looking at the very real flaws in their "wonderful" permit 
process. 

Karen
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