SN: Where do you get the $20,000 figure? That would be the equivalent of over 1300 PCT hikers resupplying through the WZ. I don't know the actual numbers, but I would be amazed if a tenth that many PCT hikers actually resup through the zone every year.
That was the assumption that I made - that the $15 fee was mandatory for the PCT Long Distance Permit (PCT-LDP), whether they resupplied or not. There were 1,400 permits issued in 2014. That's $21K based on those assumptions. But are those assumptions valid? I don't know, but I could've stated my assumptions better.
If the Whitney Zone access were an option on the PCT-LDP, then the permit would have to identify who paid the $15 and who didn't. Kind of like getting special tags on your fishing or hunting license, or motorcycle cert on your drivers license. That's why I assumed it was just a fee all PCT hikers paid with the Long Distance permit.
Maybe someone who actually went through the old PCT-LDP process could clarify this. Its a bit of a moot point now with the new rules, but I'm curious.
