Another swing and a miss 😔
And you know what? I'm actually annoyed now.
Recreation.gov is happy to take your $10 every time you want to spin the wheel for a chance to step foot on a certain trailhead. It will never roll over to the next try. It will never be refunded. You could apply 20 times in a row, get denied 20 times in a row, and you'll give them $10 every time.
I really wanted JMT to be my first thru-hike, but I think it's shaping up to be Oregon Coast Trail now.