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Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR) “Free” Barrel


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Home Forums General Forums Food, Hydration, and Nutrition Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR) “Free” Barrel

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  • #1702536
    * *
    Member

    @jsj42

    Granted I'm basing this figure on the "starting rates" for meals listed on the VVR website… But a free night in their tent cabins and a free beer sounds like they are indeed interested in catering to hikers.

    #1702539
    Jack H.
    Member

    @found

    Locale: Sacramento, CA

    surely they are. go have fun.

    #1702540
    Dirk Rabdau
    Member

    @dirk9827

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    Completely doable…Here is how you do that without even thinking about it…

    One, open a tab. This is how people get themselves $150 in the hole pretty fast. You start drinking beer and eating meals, it adds up quick, especially if you favor dark, frosty microbrews.

    If you are concerned with running up a huge bill, track what you buy. It's pretty easy to spend a day there drinking beer and running up a considerable tab. It's not cheap, but they do have to haul that stuff in there and they have bills to pay, and nobody is forcing people to stay there.

    Finally if you pay with a credit card there is a charge because they need to connect via a satellite phone.

    Dirk

    #1702568
    Robert Perkins
    Spectator

    @rp3957

    Locale: The Sierras

    You will have a hard time leaving there without spending a minimum of $100. I've been there for just the day,( catching the morning boat, leaving on the afternoon boat ), and managed that pretty easy using the pay as I bought method! I can easily see how anyone staying a night or multiple days would rack-up a VERY large bill. Between the boat ride, washing clothes-charge, taking a shower-charge, restocking any food, eating meals and phone calls, you will pile up the bill very quickly! If you take the approach that it is your vacation and you just relax and don't worry about than it's not a problem.
    VVR and MTR both have pros and cons, but it comes down to what you are after. Logistics wise, you can't beat MTR. Like a previous poster mentioned, I think they are renting cabins now to JMT-ers, and I have heard they are nice.

    #1702601
    Dave T
    Member

    @davet

    On the PCT in 2004, the hiker barrel was certainly not "free" since the good stuff was taken and resold by VVR, which left us all with a very bad taste about the place. Also, I didn't mind the high cost of food and beer (it's far out in the woods!), but there was a general vibe of being nickel and dimed which was offputting.

    For example, after breakfast when paying my bill, the manager asked me if I had juice too, and I said no (since I didn't), and she said "Are you sure you didn't?" or words to that effect. Just trying to pad the bill up it seemed.

    Some of the male staff made a couple of the women in our group feel uncomfortable with inappropriate comments.

    And there were about 10 other marginal things we all discussed as we headed out on the ferry.

    I hope the place has changed for the better, and just had a down summer in 2004, but I never plan to return there.

    p.s. If you drop stuff in the hiker barrel, and happen to have a sharpie on you, write "FREE FOR PCT/JMT HIKERS" on it. That might help what was definitely (not allegedly) happening in 2004.

    #1702955
    Brad Kueneman
    Member

    @bkdart

    I stopped at VVR last year because friends resupplied there, and I stopped at MTR because I resupplied there. Both were good experiences, but different.

    VVR provides a social experience, and was very hiker friendly. I wanted to go see for myself, and since friends were stopping by to pick up food drops, I thought what the heck. I'm glad I checked it out – the boat ride was fun, the BBQ was pretty good, and the opportunity to sit around chatting, eating, and drinking with friends made for a great little break.

    I stayed one night (camped) and I believe that was free. I spent $44 and I got what I paid for – an enjoyable boat ride, a pretty good meal, and a couple of pops. I chose not to drink beer, but many others were and I can see how you could run up a big bill. That's your call, and I certainly would not say "don't stop there because you could easily run a $150 tab"… spending a lot could hold true in any trail town, as it depends what you want out of each stop.

    As others have said, if you just want the service of picking up a food drop, both cost about the same. Some PCT'ers I talked to at VVR had been there a couple of nights and had a pile of beers on their table; I'd say they likely had a very big bill, but I'm sure they got what they paid for – and that's their choice. I found the owner and staff at VVR to be very welcoming and accommodating, and I'd stop there again for sure.

    MTR was also welcoming. It was pretty basic with no services other than a water tap and a shaded place to repack. I have no complaints about MTR either. It was very convenient as it is pretty much right on the trail, and they seemed organized with finding your barrel. You give them your claim check, they give you the barrel, and they leave you alone to pack up and head on. It was nothing more or less than I expected. I got what I wanted, knew it was $50, and agreed to that when I sent my barrel to them. I'd stop there again for sure as well – it was convenient.

    Is one better than the other? It's apples to oranges… two totally different styles and services. If you want only a resupply option, then as others have said they are comparable in cost. One is on trail, one requires a bit of time off trail. If making a strict comparison for logistics of a resupply, those are the only real factors in addition to number of days to the next stop.

    VVR is set up to provide food, drink, and a social experience – and they charge for their services. That's fair. I've heard MTR offers short stays, and although I didn't partake, I'm sure you'll pay for what you get if you choose to take advantage of it.

    Every hiker has easy access to info on what each place is about and what they offer. Nobody should leave either place saying they were surprised by anything. Both were worthwhile and enjoyable experiences. Both provided exactly what they said they would, and both charged appropriately for the service they provided. Some may say they are both expensive, but remember that these aren't post offices in the middle of town; I'm sure there is considerable time and expense involved for each of them to get your packages into their locations.

    #1753130
    Bill Richardson
    Member

    @brichardson

    Sorry for not seeing this earlier.

    I think if you'll re-read my post, you'll see that I didn't "bad mouth" MTR. And "VVR" didn't start any sort of story – yellow flag for accusing us otherwise!

    I'm simply stating facts. MTR is a completely different business model from VVR. They cater to people who have made reservations – they will cheerfully deliver your resupply to you, and if that's all you need, then MTR is fine.

    What I said in the original post was that if you took a ZERO DAY, then you'd probably have more fun at VVR. And, I also said that they aren't particularly hiker friendly. That's not to say that they aren't friendly – "hiker friendly" means that they cater to hikers with multiple services – and they don't.

    The truth is that VVR and MTR are friends – we aren't competitors. We have different business models that complement each other. If all you want to do is pickup a resupply and keep moving, then MTR is probably the better choice. If you want the social experience, then VVR is the better choice.

    #1753132
    Bill Richardson
    Member

    @brichardson

    OMG… are you going to start up that ridiculous rumor again? We NEVER take things out of the hiker barrel.. in fact, in my original post, I said we actually have HIKERS clean out the barrel because we don't want to be accused of that. I GUARANTEE that you didn't see anyone from VVR take something out of the hiker barrel and sell it in the store. Rather, I'm sure you simply heard the rumor and repeated it, much like Yogi did in her book the next year.

    If you DEFINITELY know that this was happening in 2004, provide proof. Otherwise, you are now guilty of libel, and I'm really tired of hearing this ridiculous accusation.

    NOW.. we DO take things out of resupply packages IF a person is over 30 days late picking it up and has not contacted us, or has contacted us and told us we could open the package. MAYBE somebody in 2004 saw this and just assumed we took it out of the hiker barrel. We do put things that are not packaged for resale (and food) from the expired resupply packages into the hiker barrel.

    Sorry for ranting – but apparently, if I don't vigorously disavow this rumor every time it is brought up, folks begin to believe that our silence means that it's true. And oh… by the way… that was SEVEN YEARS AGO. You're going to bad mouth VVR based on something that you HEARD happened seven years ago?

    As for the thing with the "manager" – seems more like you want to find something to complain about, than an attempt to "pad the bill". Seriously? A glass of juice? More likely, the waitress probably put juice on the ticket, and scratched it off, or something else that confused the "manager", and she simply asked to clarify.

    And you're going to hold VVR accountable for male staff making women uncomfortable AFTER THE FACT? If it wasn't brought up when it happened, how can you hold that against VVR? Since you don't say you reported it, I can only assume that you didn't.

    Too bad you don't plan to return to VVR – but I'm sure we'll manage.

    #1754013
    Jim Fitzgerald
    BPL Member

    @jimfitz12000

    Locale: Southern California

    Since I have stayed overnight at both VVR and Muir Trail Ranch (MTR), I will add my admittedly subjective view. Both, in my opinion, provide a good product and I can recommend both, but they are surprisingly different.

    VVR is a U.S. National Forest permitee; they operate on government/public land, on a lake, accessible by road, offer cabin rentals, roadside campgrounds nearby, etc. Therefore, VVR appeals to a wider clientele, part of which is backpackers. VVR is a longer hike from/to the JMT, requires a boat ride or a hike around Edison Lake, but, due to roadside access is an easier beginning/ending point.

    Muir Trail Ranch is on remote private property, surrounded by National Forest and, as mentioned above, is a shorter hike to/from the JMT, but requires an almost flat, easy five mile hike from the Florence Lake east end boat dock. MTR, much to our surprise, transported our packs from the boat dock to MTR.

    MTR prefers to sell their cabins to groups on an exclusive basis; however, if not sold out, they are more than willing (at least it seemed to me) to accept backpacker reservations. MTR is more expensive than VVR, but MTR ambiance is interesting, especially the hot spring bathing pavilions.

    MTR meals are communal and a good way to interact with other hikers/guests. On departure morning, hikers prepare a brown bag lunch with MTR provided ingredients.
    MTR hiker barrels, especially later in the season, are extensive. Only guests and hikers that sent a resupply bucket are entitled to use their hiker barrels. In addition, as mentioned above, every kind of fuel is sold.

    Last September we spent one night at MTR before heading south on the JMT. We met several three other JMT SOBO hikers at MTR; we hiked together for about a week.

    A MTR owner family member went out of her way to tell us they welcome backpackers. Of course, they prefer complete buyouts, but based on our experience, I can state MTR is hiker friendly as long as one is a MTR overnight guest or is picking up a resupply package.

    #1754021
    Tony Wong
    BPL Member

    @valshar

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    Sorry that this is off topic a bit, but it does concern VVR and/or Muir Trail Ranch.

    I am hiking the JMT this August and plan on stopped by one or both of these places.

    To save weight on rechargeable camera batteries, I am thinking of mailing my recharger to me at a resupply.

    Depending on the plan I know we have a zero day at one of these locations.

    Do either of these places have electrical outlets that can be used by the public for recharging? (I am happy to pay a few bucks for the electricity)

    Thank you for the feed back.

    -Tony

    #1754069
    Jim Fitzgerald
    BPL Member

    @jimfitz12000

    Locale: Southern California

    Tony,

    Both VVR and MTR have electrical outlets.

    MTR runs an electrical generator with power outlets in office and maybe in units; power goes off at approximately 10:00 PM. If resupply only at MTR, need to check with MTR prior. MTR reservation person's (not on property) answer and what actually takes place on site re power access might be different.

    I recall VVR is on the So Cal Edison power system.

    VVR, in my opinion, would be a better choice for a zero day.

    Unless one is an overnight MTR guest, picking up resupply and going through the hiker barrel(s) are the only avaliable activities. At VVR, can kick back for the day at the hikers tent cabin with other hikers, purchase meals and/or beer, etc., while charging batteries.

    #1754076
    Tony Wong
    BPL Member

    @valshar

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    Jim,

    Hey, thanks for taking the time to respond to my posting here.

    Really appreciate it.

    Sounds like VVR is going to be the way to go for the Zero day and to litterally recharge the batteries.

    Very much looking forward to this trip…tons of photos to take, which I will eventually get posted up for all to see.

    Funny….my biggest concern on the trip is if I have enough batteries for all the photos I want to take.

    Hell, I called home to have my wife weigh the charger and the weight of the camera battery to see if I should carry more batteries vs. carrying the charger…lol!

    Something is seriously wrong with me. *sigh*

    -Tony

    #1754121
    Bob Bankhead
    BPL Member

    @wandering_bob

    Locale: Oregon, USA

    VVR is more expensive than MTR because in general, there are more things to buy at VVR than at MTR.

    But that's not the point.

    It's your money; spend it when and on what you want, but……

    DON'T BLAME THE PROPRIETOR FOR YOUR LACK OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILTY AND/OR INABILITY TO CONTROL YOUR OWN IMPULSE TO BUY.

    #1754133
    Ken Helwig
    BPL Member

    @kennyhel77

    Locale: Scotts Valley CA via San Jose, CA

    Yes Tony, there is something seriously wrong with you :)

    #1754528
    Jeremy Pendrey
    BPL Member

    @pendrey

    Locale: California

    Right now my current plan for a SoBo JMT hike this August is to take the best of both. Use VVR for a social zero day and then hike out very light and pick up my resupply at MTR. Assuming I have the time and the money is not an issue, any reason not to do it this way?

    Thanks.

    #1757352
    Scott Truong
    Spectator

    @elf773

    Locale: Vancouver, BC

    Sorry, just to get it straight. MRT is one day south of VVR.

    How much further away far is Onion Valley, how much of detour is it off the JMT (will one have to hitchhike to access re-supply) and is it really expensive for a solo hiker (a lot less than 25 lbs) to have food waiting in Onion Valley's metal lockers?

    Thanks. Might see some of you out there in August-Sept.

    #1757364
    Bob Gross
    BPL Member

    @b-g-2-2

    Locale: Silicon Valley

    There is no such place as Onion Ranch. Perhaps you meant Onion Valley, which is east of Kearsarge Pass.

    –B.G.–

    #1757393
    Bob Bankhead
    BPL Member

    @wandering_bob

    Locale: Oregon, USA

    Scott:

    From your inquiry, it sounds like you don't have much in the way of documentation on the JMT. I'd suggest you get some FAST and study it or you could be in for a rough trip. You really need to know what the next trail feature is and how far ahead it is.

    To answer your question…..

    Red's Meadow Resort to the Edison Lake trail jct (to VVR) is 29 miles (+ 1 to the boat dock)

    Edison Lake TJ to MTR is 20 miles + 3/4 mile down the side trail

    MTR to the Bullfrog Lake/Kearsarge Pass trail jct with the JMT is 73 miles

    BL/KP jct (over Kearsarge Pass) to Onion Valley CG is 7 miles

    Repeat those 7 miles to return to the JMT.

    See my earlier post regarding the bear lockers by the OV parking lot. Also see my post regarding the OV Pack Station, which will hold a resupply box for you (more expensive than MTR). A hitch down to Independence is easy; every car leaving OV is going through there. Getting back to OV is not so easy.

    #1757420
    Scott Truong
    Spectator

    @elf773

    Locale: Vancouver, BC

    Thanks Bob for the mileage info. it's what I needed to know.

    I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth it for me to re-supply twice, or just get a bigger food canister. I need to order one soon if I decide to do the JMT.

    #1772249
    Tony Wong
    BPL Member

    @valshar

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    I just returned from the JMT and wanted to comment back on this thread.

    I resupplied at Reds Meadow and MTR and stayed 1 full day at VVR for a day of rest.

    Reds Meadow and VVR were the best places to stay and hang out at.

    Jim at VVR was just a pleasure to be around- warm, welcoming, and casual.

    I would HIGHLY recommend that you make a point of staying the day at VVR for a day of rest and for the unique social enviroment there.

    Their store is decently stocked, but we did find out that they were out of Esbit fuel.

    Jim explained that this year there has been a sudden run on esbit vs. years past….no doubt, due to the popularity of the Caldera Cone.

    Upon hearing that we had called before hand to see if they had esbit and that it was our only source of fuel for our stoves (Caldera Cone- we did not bring the alcohol stoves), he immediately called to a friend/employee and asked him to stop a local REI and to bring up the esbit to VVR the next day in the afternoon.

    Talk about going the extra mile vs. telling us, "Oh well!"

    As promised, the 1st beer was free….I walked up to the cold storage section, pulled the door open, grabbed a beer and then walked up to the counter.

    Jim was on the phone and I simply pointed to the bottle and said in a low tone of voice, "1st beer." and he simply gave me the thumbs ups and let me go on my way.

    Much about VVR was like that….trusting that we would do the right thing by him.

    We setup a tab with just our word.

    Jim wrote down our names on a slip of paper….no credit card or cash upfront asked for.

    When we received our bills for our meals, we just walked over to the counter and Jim or his employees pulled our tab and wrote down the cost and we told them how much extra to add for a tip.

    Hot shower with a towel was $6 and laundry was $6.

    Showers are not coin op or on a timer…just a simply bathroom with lovely hot water.

    Soap dispenser on the wall for body and hair. Clean setup.

    It was soooo nice to get cleaned up and to wash the dust off the trail.

    Yeah, you can blow $100 if you spend the whole day there and more if you drink beer like a fish.

    But take this into consideration.

    We met a guy on the trail who started his trip there and paid $180 for a shuttle to take him from Fresno (???) to VVR. ($180 was the cost for two people and $25 per additional head, but he was solo).

    VVR is out there and getting food and supplies to VVR can not be easy or cheap.

    Prices seemed fair and reasonable considering the remote location.

    Cliff bar was $1.87.

    My breakfast, heavenly chicken fried steak to die for after days on the trail, with orange juice ran me about $13.50-$15.

    My tab was about $90 for four square meals with juice type drink, 2 cliff bars for the trail, and that also covered the $20 for the two ferry rides.

    More than the cost of what I spent there, I just have to say that Reds Meadow and VVR offered a great place to stop and recharge the batteries….a very trusting and casual atmosphere that were definitely highlights on my JMT journey.

    I was able to charge my camera batteries and my friend, Jeremy, was able to charge his cell phone and even get wi-fi access for email on his iPhone for something like $20 for the whole day, which allowed us to send emails to family.

    The collection of various and interesting JMT backpackers was great…talked and made friend on the outdoor bar attached to the main building.

    Fire pit close by at night was fun to sit around and socialize further.

    As for the rumors of VVR selling things from the hiker barrels….crap!

    I pulled a perfectly good bottle of camp suds from the barrel to reload my BPL dropper bottle and used some of the extra in the shower as extra soap (they did not run out, but since I had the bottle I used some of the soap). If the rumors where true, they could have easily put that bottle on their shelf and sold it. Frankly, it looked like it has been purchased from their store.

    As for resupply at VVR or MTR, well, I have to say, I would resupply at MTR ONLY because of their location.

    The experience at MTR was the complete opposite of VVR….I won't go into detail other than to say that MTR offers you your bucket, a shaded place to pack your food, and some water….no restroom. Their store is very limited. Best to buy your supplies at VVR.

    MTR: Please take your resupply and move on. They were not rude, but the experience was cold.

    Reds Meadows was great….big store but they were out of stock of canister fuel (the smaller 8 oz and 4 oz canisters). Friendly people at the store and restuarant. Good food for a reasonable price, but slow service. Only one server there.

    Anyway, I wanted to put up my experience to share with everyone.

    If you doing the JMT, you owe it to yourself to experience this special place- VVR.

    -Tony

    #1841132
    Marcus Dyson
    Member

    @doctordee

    Locale: Yorkshire, UK

    Tony,

    Thanks for taking the time to post that comprehensive, concise and detailed report of your experience at VVR. I've seen lot of negative comments about the place, but it still appeals. After reading yours, and Bill's comments about VVR, I feel somewhat reassured. Cost is not my main concern, having a good experience is. I appreciate that food and drink the boonies is not going to be as cheap as at my local store.

    I'm hoping to SoBo the JMT in late August/Early September, and was unsure of my resupply strategy. I think I will stop by Reds for a meal and to use the store, Zero Day at VVR and collect a bucket at MTR for the final push. This way, I avoid carrying too heavy a pack up Bear Ridge, and I minimise the amount I need to carry on the last push to Whitney.

    Having gotten this decided is a relief to me. I've sorted my gear list, and begun buying the stuff I need. Just permits and transport to/from the endpoints to sort out now. I have a buddy who will drop me at Yosemite, but getting back from Whitney Portal is going to be the challenge.


    DoctorDee
    http://ma.rcusdyson.com

    #1841176
    ed hyatt
    BPL Member

    @edhyatt

    Locale: The North, Scotland

    Marcus – thumbs out and we got a lift down to Lone Pine very easily (probably even easier if solo) from WP….lot's of Whitney hikers with only one way to go…

    Stayed at Lone Pine and got the bus to Car Hire at Ridgecrest (dropped the car in LA).

    #1841283
    David K
    Member

    @aviddk

    Locale: SW Oregon

    >I have a buddy who will drop me at Yosemite, but getting back from Whitney Portal is going to be the challenge

    Bro,

    It's the time or money issue here like it is everywhere. If you are short of time time but have money, hire a shuttle. I was quoted $350 from the Portal to Mammoth Lakes where one can catch Yarts to the valley and points west.
    If you have some time take Eastern Sierra transit authority bus from lone pine to Mammoth after sharing a ride or hiring a shuttle off the mountain. The bus runs M-W-F and leaves at 5PM.
    http://estransit.com/ They also have multiple daily runs from Lone Pine to Bishop and between Bishop and Mammoth.

    If you have unlimited time hope you find a ride while enjoying your burger and fries at the portal store or hitchhike back to the valley. With all the BPL members doing the JMT in August you could get really lucky and have a ride wired before leaving home.

    #1841412
    Paul McLaughlin
    BPL Member

    @paul-1

    From the Portal to Yosemite is not too hard to do but it does take some time. It's easy to hitch a ride down to Lone Pine since thre are so many hikers coming and going. Once in Lone pine yu can catch a CREST bus to Mammoth and get the YARTS bus there to Yosemite. The thing is that it taeks a couple days to do it since the CRESt buses basically go once a day and connecting with the YARTS schedule is hard, so you're likely to spend a night in Lone Pine (Mt. Whitney Hostel is the place to be) and maybe another in Mammoth in order to make it work. Or, as has been mentioned you pay more and make it simpler. Various ways to do it.

    #1841416
    Bob Gross
    BPL Member

    @b-g-2-2

    Locale: Silicon Valley

    In Lone Pine, there is one bus that you DO NOT want to board. During the summer, one bus makes regular runs heading north or south along Highway 395. Headed south, it says "Camp Pendleton" and headed north, it says "MWTC." That is the U.S. Marine Mountain Warfare Training Center near Sonora Pass. If you go there, everything is the opposite of ultralightweight.

    –B.G.–

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