[pct-l] Muir Trail Ranch -- not a good resupply point for this year

[Robert Bedichek <robertb@transmeta.com>]

in response to my post about randy's hiker haven and the muir trail ranch,
i got private email saying several things:

1. the muir trail ranch is a pretty rustic place which doesn't seem to add
   much environment impact.

2. the people who run it are really nice people, but they cater to the
   horse folks (naturally enough).

i called their number and spoke with adeline smith.  i gather she is one
of the owners.  i also got the impression she is a really nice, warm
person.

she said:

1. they don't know when they are going to open this year, probably around
   mid june.  this means that they will be closed when those of us go
   through who are leaving campo in mid april.

2. the package fee is $45 for up to 25 pounds.  it is supposed to be
   packed into a bucket.  she is sending me information (which i'll post,
   but as i say, i don't think i can resupply here).  the fee seems quite
   reasonable to me given that they have to transport the packages
   (buckets?) on horseback and by water.

3. the address given by craig's pct planner is not the one to send
   packages to.  instead, it should be:

            <your name>, pct hiker
            c/o muir trail ranch
            box 176
            lakeshore, ca 93634

4. they are booked through 2003, except they have a cancellation for the
   week of july 10-17th.

5. she didn't seem hostile at all towards hikers, in fact told me stories
   of hikers who wound up staying there and coming back in later years.
   (however, in private email i heard from another pct hiker how the
   ranch has had bad experience with hikers washing clothes in their hot
   springs, begging from ranch guests, and other annoying things.)

6. they own the land, 200 acres, they don't lease it from the government. 

so now i'm thinking of having an 11 day segment, from kennedy meadows to
tuolumne meadows.  i don't like to hitchhike.

	www.bedichek.org/robert


p.s the private email i got also thanked me for explaining why some people
    are not helping to defend the hiker's haven. 

* From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List |  http://www.backcountry.net   *

==============================================================================