[pct-l] paying for food drops

[kpherzog at sdesign.com (Kurt P. Herzog)]

Dave said:
>>I skip all places that charge for mail drops. and even if 
>>running low if they sell supplies i won't do business with 
>>them I will find another place. It don't cost them money 
>>to take a package that come sin the mail ands et it on a shelf. 

Actually it DOES cost them money.  In the cases of Muir Trail
Ranch and Red's Meadow stores, they have to pickup the package
at the post office in town and transport it to their store.
They also provide bear and rodent-proof storage, a far cry from
"sitting it on a shelf".  When I did my JMT trip some years
back, both Red's and Muir Trail Ranch each had a separate, (and
substantial) building with dozens of parcels.  These folks
also dispose of the packaging material and whatever other trash
you leave behind with them.  Then at the end of the season there
are always packages "left over" for whatever reason, that must
be disposed of.  

They provide a real service where they probably break even at best.
If you don't want to spend the money on a drop, fine.  As far as
I was concerned I was happy to pay the fees for what has (so far)
turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Kurt P. Herzog  
Grants Pass, OR 97526 

kpherzog@sdesign.com