BLM requires permits for this big of a group, permits cost money.
To expand this a bit:
A gathering of people must have a permit to do the gathering on BLM land if over a certain size. I can't recall what that size is but it's small, think 5 vehicles or so.
Because of size, we need a permit, NOW because we need a pemit we need insurance that protects everyone from themselves.
Now we have permit and insurance so SITLA knows about us. Well we have to cross SITLA land here and there and they like to charge us for that, so now we have to pay them something.
I think there's one more Alphabet agency that has their hands in the jar as well but I can't remember.
Also, Scott put's this whole thing together out of the goodness of his heart, Honestly he should be paid for the countless hours it takes him to arrange for the park, sponsors, permit, insurance, trail leaders, registration, setup and take-down, and herding all us cats everywhere. So far I don't think it's "profitable" $$ wise nor will it ever be however I know that Scott likes doing this event so that's why he does the work for literally nothing.
So in a nut shell, Scott does this for free(I think he should pay himself) and have told him that for several years, There are permits, fees and flaming hoops that he jumps through just for us. We never see this cause it's done behind the scenes.
This is why a "trail run" costs money. It's a justified question as it seems on the surface that we should be able to use our public land for free but that's a discussion for another thread.
