[pct-l] Inyo/Whitney reservations

[Birgitte Jensen <bjensen4@juno.com>]

just got this in the e-mail:                                          bj

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Copyright 1999 Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved Friday, March 5,
1999 

Boon for Sierra Nevada Hikers 
There's good news from the Inyo National Forest for the hundreds of
thousands of Southern Californians who hike or backpack in the gentle
wilderness of the eastern Sierra Nevada. The U.S. Forest Service has
decided to take back the operation of its wilderness permit system from
private contractors. 
     Beginning next Jan. 1, hikers can reserve a permit by mail or fax
for a fee of $5 for any time during the year 2000. Forty percent of the
permits for each trailhead will be reserved for walk-up travelers at
Forest Service offices from Lone Pine to Mammoth Lakes. This will be a
boon for hikers who are not able to plan their trips far in advance. The
system--which does not include the Mt. Whitney trail--is bound to be more
convenient and efficient than it has been. The present reservation system
will remain in use through 1999, however. Information is available by
calling (888) 374-3773. 
     Some hikers may not be too happy that the Forest Service also is
considering imposing a fee of $10 to $15 a person to hike the Mt. Whitney
trail from Whitney Portal to the 14,495-foot summit of the nation's
highest peak outside Alaska. But hampered by tight budgets, the Forest
Service's Lone Pine staff is unable to maintain the trail, toilets,
campsites and other facilities needed to handle the crowds. The revenue
collected would pay for those services. The fee may be a burden for some.
But for the cost of a movie, a bag of popcorn and a Coke, the Mt. Whitney
trek provides a high-country experience that is priceless. 




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