[pct-l] resupply at Muir vs. VVR

[Freiman, Paul]

VVR is NOT expensive.  The ferry cost and the box PER COUPLE is a lot of money, but the beer and food costs are very normal.  I ate four meals with pie at every meal with lots of drinks, plus the ferry cost, for $100.  I didn't have a box.  I was able to relax for 1.5 days on a free soft mattress and recoup from my altitude sickness.  Even tho it only took me 1.2 days more to reach Red's Meadow (where the prices were higher at the diner) I would want to experience VVR.  At Mammoth Village I stayed at the Motel 6 and ate pizza. I had a burger at Red's Meadow.  And THAT, my friend, was more than the total at VVR!  The payment went to several owners, unlike VVR, and you had to pay at different times (at VVR you put it on a tab), but I had one heck of a time at VVR for a longer time period.

I also went to Muir on the mistaken belief that I could get a burger to eat.  You do not mess with the guests at the ranch.  The hiker boxes were JAM PACKED.  I resupplied myself a little.  The climb out is  STEEP.  It wouldn't have been worth it normally, but I switched a lot of my food from things I wasn't eating to things I liked.




From: "Brian Lewis" <brianle at nwlink.com>
Subject: [pct-l] Shuttle to Mammoth Lakes, resupply at Muir vs. VVR

Oh wait, here's a catch: Muir Trail Ranch charges a whopping $50 to pick up
a package from the post office and hold it for you, per
http://www.muirtrailranch.com/resupply.html

VVR charges $15 per box.    OTOH, VVR's ferry shuttle is $9 each way
(http://www.edisonlake.com/shuttle.htm), so to pick up a box at VVR you're
likely already out $15 + $18 = $33 before you spend a dime on anything else

at what's reported to be one of the most expensive places on the PCT.   And

there are only two ferry departure times per day (or walk another 4.5 miles
each way).     Muir Trail Ranch is just 1.5 miles off the PCT, so their $50
charge isn't looking quite so bad after all . !!