Offline
Had a heck of a time getting an interior permit from east gate this last weekend. Got there at 9 on Saturday morning, without a reservation but looking to head to Pardee Lake from Cache Lake, knowing it wasn't booked.
The young woman first told me that I would need to go to Canoe Lake to get my interior permit. I informed her that East Gate issues permits for access points without an office, like Cache Lake, and that going to Canoe Lake would mean unnecessarily driving beyond my destination, which I didn't want to do. So she called Canoe Lake and asked whether she could issue an interior permit. They told her she could. Except she didn't really know how. First she couldn't find the lake. I helped her find it in her system. Then the system warned her that it was a significant distance from the access point, but she was unable to override it. From there things really bogged down. I told her it wasn't really that far and that I was an experienced tripper. But she simply couldn't figure out how to bypass the warning, and then asked me if I couldn't simply go somewhere else. I said that no, I was keen to head to Pardee. I asked whether there was a supervisor there who could provide assistance (I could hear people in the back). She said no (though later someone in a uniform walked out and ignored us). So she called West Gate. They told her she could override. After a few more tries, she managed to do it. After nearly 30 minutes at East Gate, I finally had my permit. She asked me if I would be fishing: trout, pike or bass. I said trout. She didn't offer me the survey, nor did she seem to have any idea that there are no bass where I am going, and that bass are out of season anyway.
In any event, I got my permit and had a great trip, but I was really flabbergasted at the lack of training the park provides to front line staff at a major office like East Gate. Honestly it kind of blew my mind; I'm used to going to sand lake gate or brent, and those offices have a number of experienced staff, who know the lakes, know the area, know how the system works, etc. I will get in touch with park officials, as I found this really quite unacceptable. Anyway, just thought I would share.
Offline
That sucks man - not necessarily the confusion part (though that sucks in it's own way), but the resulted 30 minute delay in your canoe trip.
I had a similar-ish experience with the East Gate earlier this year. I used an access point that no longer has a permit office, so the protocol in this case is to call the East Gate and obtain your permit over the phone.
Simple enough, right?
Except: what do you do when they just don't answer the phone? Really though? How many calls would you make? I can post a screenshot of the 14 calls I made between 9am and 9:20am. I wondered, at what point do I just go anyway, maybe pay on the way out? I'm all about following the rules and paying my dues - but if the process is to call-in your permit, and nobody answers during normal business hours.. how many calls is one expected to make before it's unreasonable? 15? 30? C'mon.
Luckily, on what felt like the last ring of the 15th call, someone answered and gave me a permit.
But geez man.
Last edited by Peek (6/13/2017 12:01 pm)
Offline
...or (NOT WISE TO DO) but just go ahead in and suffer the consequences if caught. Then you can tell your story about why you DO NOT have a permit even though you TRIED to purchase one. Might change the system!
My pet peeve (AND I CAN'T WAIT TO GET CAUGHT AND GET A TICKET IN ORDER TO PRESENT MY REASON TO THE JUDGE). is my small radio when I am in the interior. Rules state (AND THEY INCLUDE MY SMALL RADIO WITH BOOM BOXES) that I need ear plugs to use it. I only use this radio for weather forecasts usually. To me when in the interior, especially with others on the lake that you have no idea who they are and what they are like if they drink, etc., when I am listening to my small radio with ear plugs, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND ME AND TO ME THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS. Maybe a bear or just some stupid camper having too much alcohol. This is my pet peeve while solo camping in the interior. And to be totally honest, I break this rule continually; however, my radio is never loud for anyone else to here itl
Last year we were doing a loop out of Source Lake and when we went to get our permit at the East Gate they said that we would have to go get our permit at Canoe. She let slip that they could only issue permits from that office up to Cache but west of that was the Canoe Lake office.
"Oh did we say Source, we meant we were leaving from Cache..."
Permits issued, we proceeded to park and leave from Source.
Offline
RCSpartan wrote:
Last year we were doing a loop out of Source Lake and when we went to get our permit at the East Gate they said that we would have to go get our permit at Canoe. She let slip that they could only issue permits from that office up to Cache but west of that was the Canoe Lake office.
"Oh did we say Source, we meant we were leaving from Cache..."
Permits issued, we proceeded to park and leave from Source.
On the opening Friday this Spring I did something similar. I wanted to just do an overnighter on Magnetewan Lake but they refused to give me a permit saying the road is snowed in and because I don't rive a truck I won't make it. So I ended up getting a permit for Tim Lake, but curiosity got the best of me so I headed for Magnetewan instead, and sure enough, the road was completely bare so I camped there instead of Tim.
1 of 1