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[pct-l] Re-supply on the PCT



>>Reading through the last thread on resupply, it
>>sounds like a lot of
>>through hikers didn't mail themselves food from
>>home.  Did you just  shop along the way?  


I noticed you have a colorado.edu address. Mailing
packages from Colorado to CA,OR,WA would be very
expensive over the course of a 4 mo or so hike.
Coincidentally, I also live in CO and decided not to
send myself maildrops for that reason (As well as the
fact that I did not want to take over a friend's
basement for a few months or subject them to having to
be my "quarter master general".)


I did what I call a hybrid stategy. Supplied as I
went, bought in some towns and made a maildrop and
mailed it ahead.

Here is my re-supply list from 2002, and some notes on
what I would do differently as appropriate.

Start at Campo with food

WARNER SPRINGS: Mail drop from home (only one I mailed
myself from Boulder, CO). Also picked up my bounce box
(BB) here. 

IDYLLWILD: Bought groceries here

BIG BEAR CITY: Bought groceries and picked up BB

WRIGHTWOOD: Bought Groceries

AGUA DULCE: The Saufley's (you will meet these awesome
people) now have *TWO* cars for hikers that can be
used. I bought groceries in a nearby town. Also picked
up my BB here, too. Donna will let you mail out
packages here, and even has a postal scale so you know
how much it will cost. 

MOJAVE: Bought Groceries here, also made up  mail
drops for Kennedy Meadows, VVR and Tuolumone Meadows.
If I had to do it again, I would *NOT* have sent mail
drops to Tuolumone Meadows and VVR. TM had a fairly
good selction of groceries. VVR had a decent selection
in 2002, apparently it is better now. 

KENNEDY MEADOWS: Picked up my mail drop from Mojave.
Also picked up my ice axe. This was the only other
package had mail from home. I chose to carry 10 days
of good throught the High Sierras. Did not want to
drop into town between KM and VVR (w/ a side trip to
Whitney). For me, it was an incredible experience not
seeing a road for those 9.5 days. To me, it was worth
carrying the extra 2-3 days of food and not going into
Lone Pine.  One of the best highlights of my hike.

VVR: As mentined, I got a mail drop here. I personally
would have bought the 3.5 days of food here if I did
it again.

TUOLOMNE MEADOWS: Picked up mail drop and BB, mailed
back ice axe.  Would have bought food here if I did it
again. The store had a good selection, even some basic
hiker essentials like socks, gloves, long underwear..

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE: A great hiker town, honest! :D Can
hitch in/out easily enough. Bought groceries here at
one of a few large grocery stores. Has a few basic
outfitters. Cheap motels, Nevada side has the casinos
with the $10 AYCE buffetts! Mmmmm. If you do not want
to go into town (felt in the mood to treat myself)
hike a mile up from RT50 to ECHO LAKE RESORT and you
can get probably get by with buying the 2-3 days of
food you need. (Had ramen, mac n' cheese, etc.)

TRUCKEE: I stayed at Pooh's Corner.  Picked up BB, and
mailed it from Truckee. Pooh was nice enough to take
us into town where I went grocery shopping. As with
other hostels along trails, check to see if Pooh will
still be taking in hikers in '04 before making this
part of your re-supply plans.

SIERRA CITY: I did not have a re-supply here. Should
have, if only to lighten my food bag 2-3 days. Had a
small general store where I could have eeked out 2-3
days food easily enough. It is very close to the
trail. Ended up spending 4th of July here (hiked out
later that day) and saw a great small-town parade in
nearby Downieville.

BELDEN TOWN: It ain't pretty, but I managed to get 2.5
days of food here. Cookies, ramen, mac n' cheese,
pastry. Good enough for me. Any more than that and you
are pushing it!

CHESTER: Bought groceries here

OLD STATION: Picked up BB. Quick and easy place to do
this. Owner of the little store was VERY hiker
friendly

BURNEY FALLS STATE PARK: Bought groceries here. Not a
big selection, but it worked. Somewhat expensive.

CASTELLA: Bought groceries here

ETNA: Bought groceries here. Great hiker town! The B&B
has a kick-ass hiker hostel (apparentley complete w/
breakfast and shuttle now). Can be a fairly long wait
for a hitch, but worth it.  It took me 45 minutes.

SEIAD VALLEY: Bought groceries here. Not a big
selection, but Rick appears to stock it w/ hikers in
mind.

ASHLAND: Bought groceries and picked up BB here.
College town. Has good size grocery stores and just
about anything you need. Also bought grociers to mail
ahead to: Crater Laker, Shelter Cove, Ollalie Lake.
Has a nice little public transit system for getting
around to get your groceries and mailing out packages.

CRATER LAKE: Mail drop. DO NOT MAIL TO THE LODGE (like
I did!). The Lodge brings all packages down to the
general store. Mail it to the general store. Otherwise
you have to hitch back to the store anyway. You can by
groceries here, but it will be very expensive.
Ceartinly more expensive than mailing from Ashland to
Crater Lake. (The UPS place in ashland UPS'd two boxes
to Shelter Cove..so I has to supply out of the Gen.
store!)

SHELTER COVE: Mail drop. UPS only. Can UPS out of
Ashland.

OLLALIE LAKE: Mail drop

CASCADE LOCKS: Picked up groceries and BB. Mailed
supplies to White Pass (Kracker Barrel), Time Wise
Grocery (Snoqualamie Pass), Skykomish, Stehekin
Probably would have supplied out of Snoqualamie Pass
if I did it again.

WHITE PASS (Kracker Barrel): Mail drop. It is a gas
station that takes the packages. No need to worry
about PO hours.

SNOQUALAMIE PASS (Time Wise Grocery). Mail drop.
Despite the name, not the best selection. If you mail
it to the store, don't have to worry about the PO
hours (also in the store). As mentioned, looking back,
I probably could have bought 3.5 days of food between
the gas station and Time Wise Grocery store.

SKYKOMISH: Picked up my BB for the last time. Mail
drop. Very limited supplies in this town.

STEHEKIN: Mail drop. VERY LIMITED SUPPLIES HERE

CANADA!!!!!!!!

This is what worked for me, and what I would have done
differently. I do not like hitching more than I have
to, so these on trail re-supply areas, esp. in Oregon
worked well for me. Additionally, I am not very picky.
Mac n' cheese, Ramen, snickers, m&ms, etc. was the
bulk of my diet. :-) A good size mini-mart type of
place will often have enough of these supplies for 2-3
days of food. 

If you are pickier, you may want to hitch to larger
towns away from the trail. Conversley, if you are even
less picky than me (and my PCT buddies would be
surprised! :D), you may be able to supply out of the
places I did mail drops to. 


YMMV, do what works for you, etc...

Hope this helps.

Mags

ps. If you do live in Boulder, and need a person's
brain to pick, well, in person, shoot me an off list
e-mail. Former thru-hikers love to talk shop. :D



 






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The true harvest of my life is intangible.... a little stardust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched
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