PCT Paperwork

“I have so much paperwork.

I'm afraid my paperwork has paperwork.”

Gabrielle Zevin

Who knew there was so much paperwork just to hike a few miles-ok a lot of miles!

• Campfire Permit--Required for campfires and/or backpacking stoves 
• Pacific Crest Trail Permit--One permit covering the entire trail 
• Mt. Whitney Zone Permit--Required for an exit/resupply at Whitney Portal 
• Canadian Border Crossing Permit--Permission to enter Canada at a "non official border crossing" 
• Current passport--Can't get home without it 
• Current driver's license-Can't pickup a resupply package at the post office without it 
• Copy of medical insurance card--Just in case... 
• Trail Maps--Hundreds of pages of maps divided up and delivered to me in each resupply box 
• Guidebook--Trail, water, campsite, and town/resupply notes 
• Hiking itinerary--Where to find me and when to mail resupply boxes 
• List of resupply locations and addresses--Where to mail resupply boxes 
• Shipping labels for resupply boxes--All 26 of them 
• Menus and shopping lists--Eva's guide for packing resupply boxes 
• A letter of authorization for Eva--Financial and legal authority while I am hiking 
• PCT Cell Phone Coverage Report--for Eva to use to predict when/where I'll have a cell signal to make calls or post to my blog and media accounts. 

I had to laugh when submitting my application to the Canadian government requesting permission to enter Canada at a "non official border crossing." Along with copies of my driver's license and passport, they wanted a residential, medical, and criminal history. There were the normal physical description questions: height, weight, hair color, and eye color. But there was one more question I hadn't seen before on any application: appearance. Appearance - I wasn't sure how to answer that one. It was a box barely big enough for a phone number, so they were looking for a one word answer. Handsome, distinguished, athletic, nerdy, casual, skinny, balding? - Any suggestions?  Update: My application has been approved...apparently handsome was the correct answer, ha ha!