[pct-l] muir trail ranch resupply

[brick at fastpack.com (Brick Robbins)]

At 11:49 AM 5/20/03, johnsode@onid.orst.edu wrote:
>does anyone know the mailing instructions for Muir Trail Ranch.  Do you pay
>when you get there or does the money have to be on the box?


 From their website http://www.muirtrailranch.com/Food_cache.html

==  When you mail your package, also send a letter with your payment 
enclosed. Your letter will arrive first (actually, Priority Mail is getting 
so fast, we often get the letters AFTER the package!), and alert us to 
expect your package soon. Make checks payable to either Muir Trail Ranch or 
Florence Lake Store. Sorry, no credit cards.
==

The text of the whole page:
=======================

How to pack your food cache and ship it to us

How to pack your cache After receiving and storing food caches for 
backpackers for 50 years, we have found that the ideal package is a 
5-gallon plastic bucket with a snap lid. They are readily available all 
over the United States, provide airtight (and mouse-tight) storage, are 
practically indestructible, pack well on a horse or mule, and are reusable 
and recyclable to boot. You can buy them at any large building supply or 
paint store for about $5, or you can get them for free at most restaurants 
after they've used the mayonnaise, pickles, or pie filling that came in the 
bucket.

   Your cache bucket should weigh no more than 25 pounds (give or take a 
bit). Postal regulations don't allow the mailing of flammable liquids, so 
we have white gas for sale at reasonable prices.

   Some postal workers may ask that you remove the bucket's handle. Just 
tape it down instead; it's useful for later handling. Use Mylar packaging 
tape or fiber-reinforced tape across the lid as shown at the bottom of this 
page. Don't use duct tape; its adhesive is gooey and gums up the Post 
Office's mail-handling machinery. Wouldn't want that, huh?

Addressing your package Address your package to yourself in care of either 
Muir Trail Ranch or Florence Lake Store as shown below:


From

Your Name

Address
City, State, Postal Code
Pick-up date


To
Your Name

Muir Trail Ranch*
P.O. Box 176
Lakeshore, CA 93634


*Or Florence Lake Store, depending on where you want to pick up your cache. 
The ranch is closest to the Muir Trail.

Stick the label to the lid of the bucket so it can be read from the top. 
Put the date you expect to pick up your package on the label to help us in 
scheduling. For only a few cents extra, you can ask for Delivery 
Confirmation at the post office. They'll put a tracking sticker on the 
package and you can find out when it arrives at the post office from any 
telephone using a special 800 number. (Note: When your package arrives at 
the post office, they will indicate that delivery was attempted, but not 
successful. That's because our address is a post office box, and a 5-gallon 
bucket won't fit. We pick up mail twice a week, so wait for a Tuesday or 
Friday afternoon before checking.)

Mailing your package Mail early! Our supply truck is at the Lakeshore Post 
Office only twice a week. We should receive your cache two to three weeks 
before you expect to pick it up in order to allow for any transportation 
difficulties.

   Ship by post (mail) only. US customers use Priority Mail for best 
results at a reasonable cost. Carriers such as UPS and FedEx will not 
deliver to our location.

Charges If you mail your cache, we will pick it up at the Post Office and 
deliver it to the Muir Trail Ranch for $45 each or to the Florence Lake 
Store for $25 each.

   If you bring your package directly to the Florence Lake Store, we will 
either hold it for pick-up at the store for $20, or we will ship it to the 
ranch for $40.

   If you personally deliver your cache to the Muir Trail Ranch for later 
pickup there, the charge is $25. (These charges are based on current 
packers' rates and freight delivery charges.)

   When you mail your package, also send a letter with your payment 
enclosed. Your letter will arrive first (actually, Priority Mail is getting 
so fast, we often get the letters AFTER the package!), and alert us to 
expect your package soon. Make checks payable to either Muir Trail Ranch or 
Florence Lake Store. Sorry, no credit cards.

Services available We have white gas for sale at the ranch and store. We 
can mail letters for you. If you have trash accumulated from your hike, you 
can put it in your empty food cache bucket and we'll ship it out with our 
trash. We will also dispose of the bucket for you. No additional charge.
   Other ranch services (meals, baths, etc.) may be available to you 
depending on how many guests are at the ranch. In September of 1998 we 
started offering overnight stays with meals to anyone who could get to the 
ranch. This is the first time this has been done in over 40 years. 
Currently the overnights are available only in the spring and again in 
autumn, since the summer is filled with people who rent the ranch for a 
week at a time. Check our Short Stay page for the latest details on single 
or two-night stay information.

Our season duration Our opening and closing dates are always uncertain due 
to snow conditions. Therefore, caches to be picked up before June 15 and 
after September 15 must be by special arrangement to assure delivery. Write 
to us or call before shipping for either of these dates.

NOTE: We will make our last pickup of caches on September 15 (or the 
nearest business day to that date). Your package MUST be at the post office 
on that date or it will not be picked up.

Returning unclaimed caches If you cannot pick up your food cache, we can 
send it back to you. There is no extra charge for this service if your 
cache is already paid for. Be sure to inform us of your needs before we 
close for the season in late September.

Storage for next season At the end of our season we ship all unclaimed food 
caches out for disposal; storage space is in short supply. If your trip is 
interrupted, we can keep your cache over the winter for pickup the 
following season. Call us or send a letter by regular mail, since Express 
Mail actually takes longer for us to receive.

Liability limits We handle all packages with care, and in a timely manner. 
However, neither the Ranch nor the Store will accept any liability for the 
condition of packages upon delivery or while in storage, nor can we be held 
accountable for packages sent too late for our pick-up. We are also not 
responsible for fire, theft, or animal damage.


Put address label on lid. Include expected pick- up date.

Press lid on firmly, fasten with fiber- reinforced or packaging tape, NOT 
duct tape.

Finally, send the package by Priority Mail, not UPS or FedEx, since they 
won't deliver to our address.