@rickb,
I agree that using the same registration system will not work for thru's, but not for the reasons you list. There is no way a thru will be able to predict when they will be at the Hunt 4 or 5 months in advance. That is what they would need to do in order to use the system that everyone else uses. Even the most disorganized thru will grasp that fact. They will not waste their money. Even if they did try to guess on a date, they would only be reserving at the bottom of the Hunt. There are many other places to sleep in the park that is nowhere near the Hunt. If thru's ever had to reserve the same way as everyone else did, that process might be enough to get through even the thickest skull the fact that BSP has been catering to thru's. But to the larger point, I agree that it will not work. It might be thrust upon them because of this present conflict. If it is, the end of Katahdin as the terminus will soon follow, because very few thru's will meet their schedule. That will make the "I hate BSP" crowd happy, but no one else. Again, I agree that using the normal permit system will not work. A permit system might work. However, it would have to be a special one just for thru's. I can see that happening. BSP already has special allowances for thru's. It is logical they would continue to be generous in spite of the "I hate BSP" group.