[pct-l] VVR Resupply information in PCT Handbook

[dude at fastmail.ca (dude)]

I agree with Tangent's post completely, see my comments:

1.  VVR is a fun and friendly place to stay and you really do not mind 
spending the money.  The food is pretty good, and the company is 
wonderful.  If you exercise extreme self-control, you do not HAVE to 
eat there, which can save you a lot of cash, if thats a concern.  The 
first night in the tent cabin is free too, so they really do not gouge 
you at all. The $10 fee to hold your package is very reasonable and 
much less than most places.  If you've ever made the drive to VVR, you 
will think that the $10 is a great deal to pick up the mail for you.  
The drive takes about 2.5 hrs to go something like 50 miles.

2.  The Muir Trail Ranch really does not cater to hikers that much.  
Their main source of income is catering to groups/families who rent out 
the entire ranch for weeks at a time for thousands of dollars.  Hikers 
are petty cash to them.  They do charge a large handling fee, but as I 
noted above, its not unreasonable considering how difficult it is to 
get packages to the Ranch.  Driving to the Muir Trail ranch is 
supposedly even more difficult than driving to VVR, as the road is like 
40 miles of unpaved rocky jeep trails.  Alternatively, you can arrange 
to stay at the Muir Trail ranch as a hiker if your schedule happens to 
coincide with their "short stay" cvalendar, which is only two weeks out 
of the entire year.  If your schedule coincides with theirs, you can 
pay $115 for a tent cabin or $125 for a log cabin.  Both come with 
three meals, so many would argue that its about the same as VVR.

3.  Red's Meadow is nice, but Tangent is right: the restaurant is 
somewhat disappointing.  Even the burgers are less than average.  They 
reminded me of school hamburgers.  The bus up to Mammoth is well orth 
the trip if you have the time and money, especially if you are hungry.  
Mammoth has just about every type of food you could imagine: Pizza, 
Seafood, Steak Houses, Fast Food, Thai food, or whatever you like.  
Additionally, there si a hostel in Mammoth that is very reasonably 
priced and very nice to stay in.  I forget the name, but it has group 
sleeping quarters and group showers that are separated according to 
gender.  They also have a full kitchen, cable TV, and plenty of restful 
space with couches, lounge chairs, etc.  Conversely, if you get a cabin 
a Red's, its about $100.  Apparently, Tom Hanks is a huge fan of Red's 
and makes a trip there with his family once a year, so if you stay 
there, you have at least some chance of a "brush with greatness".

peace,
dude



> At 10:55 PM 3/1/2004 -0500, ROYROBIN@aol.com wrote:
>> If you ARE going to send a resupply box anywhere along this section,
>> VVR is the place to send it.  The cost, as I recall, is in the $10-15
>> range.  DO NOT send it to either Muir Valley Ranch or Reds Meadow. 
>> They will cheerfully relieve you of $40 or thereabouts for the
>> service.
> 
> VVR is the least expensive to receive a package.
> 
> From the VVR webpage:
> http://www.edisonlake.com/default.asp?page=resupply
> 
> There is a $10.00 handling charge for each package.
> There is a $6.00 charge PLUS postage per item to mail packages.
> 
> However, I always end up spending around a $100 for services and food.
> The adage, "Spend a million at Vermillion," has some truth. But, in
> the past, the business has been so generous and friendly I always felt
> it was money well spent. I have yet to visit under the new ownership.
> 
> The Muir Ranch web page: http://www.muirtrailranch.com/resupply.html
> 
> The cost to pick up the re-supply at Muir Trail Ranch is $45, but you
> can also hike to the Florence Lake Store pay $25. I resupplied at the
> Ranch once, the first time I went through the JMT. I underestimated
> how much I would eat and asked if they had food I could buy. I was
> pointed to the hiker box, a large barrel, and told to take what I
> wanted. Another employee came by and accused me of stealing. Then, it
> was explained the food was only for emergencies. The situation was so
> awkward, I've never gone back, but some say the convenience and speed
> without all the fiscal tempting services of VVR makes Muir Ranch a
> cheaper option.
> 
> Red's Meadow: http://mammothweb.com/redsmeadow/form.html
> 
> I found the food in the Red's Meadow restaurant something below
> adequate, more like disappointing. The hamburgers are okay, but
> anything past that made me regret the purchase. I never resupplied
> there. The cost is $25 and after being 1 day late, there is a
> cumulative $1 fee for every day you are late. The bus to Mammoth Lakes
> from Red's meadow or Devil's Postpile costs $5 ($10 round trip) where
> you can get better food and pick up your resupply package for free.
> 
> Tangent
> 
> 
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