November 14 – Permit application day!

The big day finally arrived and it was time to apply for the PCT permit so I could get my start date. The application Website were to open at 10:30 AM Pacific time. This ment 7:30 PM Swedish time 

New for this year was the introduction of a waiting room. I entered the waiting room about an hour before. I was feeling more nervous and exited as the time was running down to the opening of the application. When the clock hit  10:30/7:30 I was a bit disappointed as I got the number 2731 in line. I had previously been thinking about starting more computers and browsers, but when it actually was time for my application, I did not do this. Probably when now looking back this was a mistake. I could read on the PCT class of 2019 Facebook page that people where doing exactly this. Opening more browsers etc to get a better chance to get a lower number in line, when entering from the waiting room. I think I was to stressed and I had also read that this might make you get thrown out of the line if you would have more then one browser open.

Finally in! – Enter the Application

I was closely following the PCT class of 2019 Facebook page and I could understand hat it would be though to get a start date in mid/early April as I wanted to. After about waiting 1:40 minutes I was finally in!. I went to April and cold see there was only one slot still free (34 and yellow). I selected it but when I pressed continue, I got the message that it was not available. April was now full!

May 3 -My start date!

After realizing that April was full i switched to March and selected a late March date, but the same thing happened now when I pressed continue. That the date was no longer available. I started to get a panic feeling. Available dates were disappearing fast every second. Was I not going to get a good start date. I then switched to May and could see that the first May date available was May 3. I selected it and hit continue fast. I was very happy when I was let through to the next page and I had May 3 in my hand. I filled out all details and I was happy. Although. I had to start rethinking. Was this even possible to do a thru hike in less time and starting in the desert when it is hotter? There is also a possibility to change the date. 15 more slots per day will be released on January 15 and cancellations will occur so that if I want to change I should go into the PCT Permit site regularly.  But the more I now think of it I think that May 3 is a good start date for me. Chances are good that I will keep it. Now I need to start looking into the gear I need 🙂