Resupply info

[attroll]

I am still in the research mode here but I for those of you who have done the JMT, I have some resupply questions. I have hiked the Appalachian Trail and the guidebooks are pretty in depth about resupplying along the AT. The JMT guidebooks that I looked at do not seem to be as in depth as the AT guidebooks. I never had to carry more than five days worth of food with me on the AT. How many days of food resupply do you normally carry on the JMT?

[perrito]

Of course, it depends on your mileage per day. Resupply points are limited. You may end up carrying 8-10 days worth of food during the second half after MTR.

Elizabeth Wenk's book is a great resource. It made planning easy.

[schnikel]

Hey attroll,
I just got back from thru hiking the JMT with my wife. This is what we did for resupplys:
2-3 days from yosemite to tuolumne send resupply to P.O. there
2-3 days to reds meadow 35$ fee
2-3 days to MTR 50$ fee and they don't seem to like hikers
we sent 8 days worth of food to MTR
another option is a VVR resupply but you would have a very full pack and the moutain out of VVR going SOBO is not nice. But I would almost rather the hell climb than deal with people at MTR that are just plain unfriendly. We stayed at VVR overnight and it was an awesome time, good food and beer. We did the resupplys a lot in the beginning of the hike to keep all our food in one canister and mailed another bear canister to MTR in our 5 gal. bucket with the food. If you are going solo you may be able to skip one of these, or just have a lighter pack!
Schnikel

[BrianLe]

My wife and I are thinking of hiking the JMT in September, SOBO. Last time I was through there I had sent a box to Tuolumne Meadows, and don't recall much in the way of a store there, but the Wenk book and other places says that there is. Can someone (who's not too picky) resupply at Tuolumne Meadows? I'm most interested in hearing from someone who's personally been in that store in the relatively recent past. I had too many experiences this year of things listed as being open having closed since the most recent report ...
TIA !

Interesting comment by schnikel about MTR. When I was there (June 2008) they hadn't opened the resort part yet; I found the person I dealt with to be quite nice, FWIW. The tiny store there had quite high prices, but that should be no surprise I guess!

[Marta]

I used Yogi's PCT guide for planning my JMT hike. I did a leisurely 20-day hike.
1) three days to Tuolumne; mailed food to PO
2) three days to Mammoth Lakes; overnighted in town
3) unplanned VVR visit without resupply but did eat at the restaurant
4) MTR, mailed a week's worth of food there, intending to make that my last resupply. Definitely recommend camping there and soaking in the hot spring!!!
5) unplanned stop at Charlotte Lakes. Several people I started the hike with dropped out. They had paid big bucks to have a resupply packed in by mule. When they unit the trail they said we could take what we wanted of their food. Very nice!
6) unplanned meeting with chance hiking partner whose husband joined her at Charlotte Lakes, having hauled in on his back from the Mount Whitney end of the trail avocados, summer sausage, tangerines, Starbucks coffee, and an espresso pot, among other goodies.

Resupply along the JMT is rather different from resupply along the AT, for sure.

[Malto]

The north half has many options which have already been laid out. I would DEFINITELY use MTR, it is just off the trail, they were plenty friendly, have a GREAT hiker box with lots of yummy food and then there's the hot springs across the river. I would only do VVR if you want to take a day off. So the key is how many days to get from MTR to Whitney portal, that will be the longest (and nicest) stretch. You will need to carry a bear canister BUT you are only required to have the food in the canister after going over Pinchot. For the food prior to that point you can easily hang, do yourself a favor and learn the PCT method. You might also see references to hikers using bear boxes instead of canisters in the area after Pinchot but I was tld by the Rangers that the policy only applies to PCT thru hikers.

If it were me I would resupply at TM in order to keep back weight low on the climb out of the valley. I would resupply out of the store, not a package unless you have special requirements. I would do the same at Reds as well. One hidden advantage of this strategy is that you will likely not want to eat and all those pounds of trail mix will be sitting in your pack like an anchor. This is common with JMT hikers (not PCT hiker because they are acclimated.)

Highly reco August or September, less snow and skeeters. Have fun.

[BrianLe]

I think I didn't make my question clear, assuming either of the last two entries were responding that and not something prior ...
When I thru-hiked the PCT, I sent a box to Tuolumne Meadows, and thus didn't pay much attention to what resupply might (or might) not have been there. Plus things change year to year.

My question, to folks who have been into the store at Tuolumne Meadows recently:

Can a person reasonably resupply out of food available in the store at Tuolumne Meadows, or is a box really needed to be mailed there?

TIA!

[MEB]

I just did the JMT this past summer. I had a box sent to Tuolumne Meadows for resupply. I am glad I did as the store was very low on all hiker food the day I arrived. So to answer your question it would depend on how many hikers have been in before you buying food and when they plan on restocking their shelves.

Hope this helps.

-MEB

[schnikel]

My question, to folks who have been into the store at Tuolumne Meadows recently:

Can a person reasonably resupply out of food available in the store at Tuolumne Meadows, or is a box really needed to be mailed there?

TIA!

When I was there in mid-August '11 the store had the basics like lipton packets, PB, tortillas, etc. I would say that you could resupply there, especially if you are also resuppling at Red's or going into Mammoth. The mileage between to two is only about 37 miles. You don't need much to do that. I used the P.O. because I dehydrated my food. Also beer singles to buy!
On the MTR friendliness debate: I head their guests are treated very well, perhaps not the hikers just using them for a resupply.
Schnikel

[royalusa]

My question, to folks who have been into the store at Tuolumne Meadows recently:

Can a person reasonably resupply out of food available in the store at Tuolumne Meadows, or is a box really needed to be mailed there?

TIA!

We hit TM grocery store on August 18th of this year and had no problem doing a 3+ resupply for 2 people. Our journal reflects the following, "There was a surprising variety of hiker food at the store. Burrito shells, buns, bread, peanut butter, couscous, pasta, pop tarts, specialized bars and flavored nuts. Plenty for us to chose from for a 3+ day haul. But it would be challenging for us to do a long resupply there IF we needed to fit it in our BearVault, as there was only a little couscous, the staple of our diet on long hauls requiring a bear canister. Shockingly there were also no Snicker bars. Perhaps they were out? Perhaps hikers don’t carry Snicker bars due to the melting factor on these warm exposed days?"

See http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=363317 for more info.

P.S. When we noted that we'd have a problem doing a "long resupply" from there, that means 6-7 days for 2 people fitting it all in ONE bear vault. In order to do that we have a heavy diet of couscous, which means a lot of couscous for us.

Hope that helps.

[Miner]

Another resupply point south of VVR and MTR is going over Kearsarge Pass and hitching down into Independence. The store in the gas station could resupply a nonpicky eater, but I'd mail a box to the PO. Some people don't like this option since you have to hike several miles over a pass that isn't part of the JMT. But I'd rather do that then carry all that food from MTR to Mt.Whitney. Besides, the trail there is very scenic. The hitch isnt too hard unless you are trying to get back in the same day. Most traffic is going up to the Onion Valley TH in the morning and leaving in the afternoon (fishermen and day hikers).

Also, rather then mailing a box to Red's Meadow, you could use the shuttle bus from there to go to the town of Mammoth and buy/eat whatever you want. VVR offers a free beer and a 1 nights stay in their tent cabins (subject to availability) to any JMT or PCT thru-hiker. Be aware that even with the free lodging, its a pricey place (but the pie is good). I spent $114 for my free 1 night stay there.
The for any JMT or PCT thru-hiker. to

[Helmuth.Fishmonger]

2-3 days to MTR 50$ fee and they don't seem to like hikers

I am gonna go out on a limb and assume you expected more from them than to get your resupply bucket delivered to where you can pick it up? That's all they offer, and that's what you get. Anything else isn't part of the business arrangement. A table to sit on and repack your goodies is quite nice from them, and then they sell fuel you aren't allowed to priority mail to them - they didn't do that many years ago. Clean water out of a faucet? check. What else did you expect? They can't be another restaurant operation like VVR, simply because they don't have the same logistics the resort has (a road to the front door).

VVR is THE party place along the trail, complete with brainless non-stop TV and pickup trucks driving by - especially noisy during early PCT season.

[schnikel]

[QUOTE=Helmuth.Fishmonger;1225782]I am gonna go out on a limb and assume you expected more from them than to get your resupply bucket delivered to where you can pick it up? That's all they offer, and that's what you get. Anything else isn't part of the business arrangement. A table to sit on and repack your goodies is quite nice from them, and then they sell fuel you aren't allowed to priority mail to them - they didn't do that many years ago. Clean water out of a faucet? check. What else did you expect? They can't be another restaurant operation like VVR, simply because they don't have the same logistics the resort has (a road to the front door).
/QUOTE]


Thought about it some and you are right in a lot of ways. It was a hot day and long miles getting there. The descent into MTR is long and hot. We got turned around heading out and that was frustrating. But for 50 bucks a smile and friendly demeanor as they retrieve your bucket is part of a good business in my book. My wife asked to use the toliet and they said, "No, it is only for paying customers." I thought my $50 made us a paying customer of their business of holding resuppy buckets for hikers. That was also frustrating.
Schnikel

[Helmuth.Fishmonger]

Thought about it some and you are right in a lot of ways. It was a hot day and long miles getting there. The descent into MTR is long and hot. We got turned around heading out and that was frustrating. But for 50 bucks a smile and friendly demeanor as they retrieve your bucket is part of a good business in my book. My wife asked to use the toliet and they said, "No, it is only for paying customers." I thought my $50 made us a paying customer of their business of holding resuppy buckets for hikers. That was also frustrating.
Schnikel

I know what you mean and I talked to many who feel the same way. However, the place is mostly a rather expensive horse vacation operation and the sweaty hikers don't quite fit in. They want the dollars for the buckets, but they also don't want all those hikers to impact their other operation (people who pay thousands of dollars to be there). Maybe in their view, $50 from a hiker compared to $11k from a corporate group staying there for a week is not the same thing.

[stranger]

There is alot of jargon on here like VVR and MTR blah, blah...what do those abbreviations stand for?

Also, does anyone know the approximate distances between these resupply places? Is Mammoth the only realistic town option in terms of getting a motel room?

Thanks!

[attroll]

Here are some resupply articles that were put together.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/content.php?116

[BrianLe]

"Also, does anyone know the approximate distances between these resupply places? Is Mammoth the only realistic town option in terms of getting a motel room?"

Postholer gives away for free a JMT "databook", here: http://postholer.com/databook/index.php?trail_id=4
Easy to find trail distance between any two points from that.

[ndwoods]

I too have always found plenty of food at Tuolumne for resupplies. I have been there probably 30-40 times as Tuolumne is very close to my house (3.5 hrs) And I did not have any issues the John Muir Trail ranch....but all I wanted was to pick up my resupply bucket. The gal there was nice and pointed out where we could sit awhile and sort thru everything...no issues for just picking up your own bucket....
Your options aren't many in answer to your question...Tuolumne, Reds Meadow, Muir Trail Ranch, and Vermillion...and unless you hike light and fast, ditto...expect to carry 8-10 days worth at least once.

[FreddyC]

Can I get white gas at Red's Meadow and MTR or will I have to mail these to myself with my food drop?

[ndwoods]

To answer your questions about the jargon: VVR is Vermillion Valley Resort. A rustic inn with a little cafe and you can send packages there....but you hike 6 miles to it, or wait and take a boat shuttle from the JMT to the resort cuz it only travels twice a day. MTR is Muir Trail Ranch. No resupply there, but for a fee you can send a bucket of supplies to yourself. You can google both and find them on the web for details....