PCT Start Timing And The Nerve-Wrecking Permit Lottery

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Most people start their thru-hike at the Southern Terminus of the PCT. There are actually far more aspiring hikers than permits, so you literally have to win the lottery to get one!

Sunset At Sheep Lake, PCT Section H

Before I could even enter the lottery, I had to decide my start date and also make a prediction how long the whole trek would take me.

So, how did I decide when I should start? The trail starts in the desert at the US border with Mexico and hiking early in the year would help avoiding the stifling heat. On the other hand, after crossing the roughly 700 mile long desert areas, the High Sierra awaits where snowy passes and flooding rivers can become huge obstacles if you enter the high country too early.

Goat Rocks, PCT Section H

I went back to the NOAA precipitation and temperature prediction maps from my last post and also researched previous entry dates into the High Sierra. I found that in a normal snow year most hikers started flocking into the high country between mid and late June. The maps indicate less snow than average, so I estimated that I may be able to enter the Sierra a bit earlier, perhaps around June 8. I also estimated that it will take me around 44 days to cross the desert and arrive at the entry point of the high country, Kennedy Meadows. Subtracting 44 days from June 8 got me to April 25. There we go. Another big decision made.


But wait, you say. Isn't this all just a lot of speculation? Nobody can really predict the weather reliably that far out and anyway, how can you know it will take you 44 days to cross 700 miles of freakin' desert?
All very true, but the permit lottery took place on November 9 and in order to participate I had to make a decision with the information I had.
On the day of the lottery I armed myself with my start date (and a more loosely defined end date), four different browsers on three different devices and a large cup of coffee.


At 10 am all participants received a random place in the queue. Then it became truly nerve-wrecking. For almost an hour nothing seemed to happen at all. Then each browser began showing an estimate of how far from entering each of them were. Only my iPad shown on the right ever got a fighting chance at a permit. After another agonizing half hour I finally had my chance to enter. There were only 5 permits left on my preferred date and I happily claimed one of them!
This wasn't the end of it. After sending in the permit application, I had to wait another two weeks that felt like an eternity for the application review and approval. On November 22 I finally received the confirmation.


I really felt what the permit was saying, my thru-hike finally started to get real, along with all its implications for my job, my home, my life. There were still a myriad of things that could go wrong. But still, this was a big step.

Sheep Lake, PCT Section H

I didn't sleep much that night.


Comments

  1. SusanApril 23, 2022 at 9:32 AM

    Hmmmm. I love this! You are embarking on a physical adventure. I am embarking on a spiritual adventure that I've dreamed of for ten years - going back to school for my MDiv (part-time, distance learning). When I got my acceptance to the program, I felt it beginning to get real! Now that I'm starting my first class in three weeks, it's getting very real.

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