Behind the Title

I realized that it would probably be a good idea to explain my blog title, "Tails of a Triple Crown Try." Obviously, I am not riding in the horse races that fall under the Triple Crown, which is the one that everyone knows. Hikers have their own Triple Crown. Three epic trails, crossing the country, that test the meddle of any person willing to take them on. These trails are the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), and the Appalachian Trail (AT).  

Applying for the PCT

Before all of this started, I didn't realize that you have to apply for your permits for the PCT. There isn't any cost associated with it, but it is definitely something that needs to be remembered. You also have to be on your game to get your application in. They only accept 50 applications total for any given day, as the association gives out fifty permits to start per day. They did one release of 35 applications per day in January, and today they released the last 15 applications at 10:30 am.

The anxiety leading up to 10:30 this morning was intense. I had to make sure I wasn't bothering anyone while I was waiting for the system to open. And once it did open, it was all I could do to get my day locked in. While the system allows for two days to be submitted, I was only able to get one. I selected April 27, while Damon, my boyfriend and hiking partner, locked in April 28. We decided that we are just going to start on one of those days and call it good.

We still have to wait for them to process the application, which could be up to three weeks, but that will hopefully be painless. First hoop jumped through, now on to the next in a long line of crazy adventure.