Yes, indeed, the desk rangers could be doing something more useful - like patrolling backcountry trails. There was a time - sigh - when every trail on the Eastside had a wilderness ranger, and permits could be picked up at a little booth on the way into the Bishop Creek area (even though we often had to camp overnight in line outside the booth to be sure of getting a permit). And all too often the desk staff haven't a clue about actual conditions in the mountains.
But with budget cuts, none of that is possible. Perhaps all that expensive computer software and hardware has taken priority over normal human contact. Anybody know?
Then there was the time when there was no permit system, but we knew where to go, how to take care of ourselves and the environment, and what not to do in bear country.
