John Muir Trail Resources for Resupply

[Tony Wong]

I thought that some people might benefit from this list of resources that I put together whle planning my own JMT trip this August.

This information is taken directly off their websites.

Reds Meadow Website:

http://www.redsmeadow.com/the-resort.htm

Phone: (800) 292-7758

Form for Mailing Resupply & Authorization form for them to pick up package from U.S. Post Office

http://www.redsmeadow.com/pdf/PackagePickUp.pdf

Our Policies

• We must have your signed authorization to pick-up your package.

• 35.00 charge for Red’s pick-up at the Mammoth Post Office.
(Includes delivery to Red’s Meadow General Store and 5 days storage)

• $1.00 per day for storage of hand-delivered packages.
(Begins with first day until package is picked up)

**Note: I spoke to a lady there last week and she said that they don't charge the $1 per day holding fee…just a flat $35.00

• Packages may be picked up at Red’s Meadow General Store between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. ONLY.

• We do not arrange for return of packages to you in the event you do not pick-up the package.

We are in Mammoth Lakes approximately 4 times per week.

We will pick uppackages only when we are in the Mammoth area.

(Suggestion: Mail your package so that it arrives several days before you get to Red’s Meadow. Parcel Post recently seems to be taking 30 days, so if your
arrival at Red’s is less than 30 days from mailing your package, mail it 1st class, so you will not be detained or inconvenienced)

They serve food from 7 am to 7 pm.

VVR Website.

http://www.edisonlake.com/

Link to their store.

http://www.edisonlake.com/resort/store

Open from 7 am to 8 pm.

Phone: 1-559-259-4000

Ferry Info.

http://www.edisonlake.com/hikers/ferry

Ferry Service
Our ferry boat, The Edison Queen, travels on the lake from approximately June 1st to October 1st depending on the back country snow conditions and our visitors requirements.

It runs seven days a week with special departures upon request.

The boat dock at the mouth of Mono Creek is less than a mile from the main PCT/JMT trail.

The following shuttle schedule is for the upcoming season (from approximately June through October):

Morning
9:00 am… Leave Vermilion Valley Resort™
9:45 am… Leave Mono Creek Landing

Evening
4:00 pm… Leave Vermilion Valley Resort
4:45 pm… Leave Mono Creek Landing

Fare for the shuttle is $10 per person one way, $18 round trip, and can be purchased in the general store.

No reservations are needed.

Special Ferry runs can be arranged throughout the day. The charge is $10 per person, with a $75 minimum.

Hiker Services

http://www.edisonlake.com/hikers/hikerservices
Showers and Laundry
We provide showers and laundry service to anyone at VVR. Showers are available for $6 per person, and include soap and a towel. Laundry is $6 per load, and includes the soap. Showers are included in room rentals, and in the Yurt rental.

Renting a Tent/Room.

http://www.edisonlake.com/resort/accomodations
The "basic" tent cabins feature a large tent set upon a raised wooden platform. They are fitted out with metal frame beds, mattresses, a table, chairs and a dresser. Each has an outdoor fire pit for cooking or gathering around at night. These units sleep four comfortably.

You will need to bring your own bedding and any camping gear you feel you need. The tent cabins have the best view of the lake!

The rates are $55 per night. These rates do NOT include linens or towels.
Taxes apply to both motel units and tents and are charged in addition to the quoted rates.

Resupply Info.

http://www.edisonlake.com/hikers/resupply

"We PREFER that you ship your resupplies via UPS, and if you do, you must only use the Rancheria Garage address – if you try to send via the USPS to Rancheria, it will be returned.

HOWEVER, you can send your resupply via USPS if you must… the address is at http://www.edisonlake.com/usps

You can send via USPS to the Mono Hot Springs address (they are a designated Post Office), but you CAN'T send via UPS to that address. UPS doesn't even travel there ;)"

Section Above from Email from Bill at VVR

Address for Mailing:
Vermilion Valley Resort™
c/o Rancheria Garage
62311 Huntington Lake Road
Lakeshore, Ca. 93634

Resupply Handling Fees
There is a $18.00 fee for pickup and storage of each package, collected at the end of your visit.

Timing your Resupply Package
VVR at Edison Lake is approximately two hours from the nearest U.S. Post Office or the U.P.S. drop point. Because of this we only pickup packages once or twice a week. Keep this in mind when planning your package arrival date.
Please be sure that you send your package to arrive 10-14 days before YOU arrive!

If you must send it within 2 weeks of you arrival, be sure to send it via UPS to ensure that it will arrive in time.

Please note: Packages are limited to 25 pounds each. Any packages left or not picked up by the specified date, will be held 30 days unless special arrangements are made. After that time period, at our discretion, we will place the food in a hikers box for other hikers in need of extra supplies at no charge.

From Bill at VVR via Email, "P.S. You can definitely recharge things at VVR. We have a diesel generator running from 7am to approximately 10pm every day."

Muir Trail Ranch Website

http://www.muirtrailranch.com/backpacker.html

Phone: 209-966-3195 (209)

Resupply information

http://www.muirtrailranch.com/resupply.html

What is the cost? We will pick up your resupply bucket at the Lakeshore (Huntington Lake) post office and deliver it to the Muir Trail Ranch and hold it for you for $55 per bucket. It should weigh at most 25 pounds (11.3 kg). For additional weight, we charge $2.00 per pound ($4.40 per kg), which you can pay for at the ranch.

The best way is by US Mail.

We have found them to be extremely reliable in getting hikers’ buckets to us.

We strongly recommend that you use Priority Mail with delivery confirmation.

That way you can call a toll-free number or use the Internet to see if your package has arrived at the post office. (You may receive a message saying that delivery was attempted but not successful. Don’t worry. Until we pick up your package, that qualifies as an unsuccessful delivery attempt. If it is at the post office, we’ll pick it up within a week.)

Hours for Pickup

We are open seven days a week from 8 AM to 5 PM, holidays included. In fact, even non-holidays and all other days included. We never get a break!

How Long with they hold a bucket.

Two weeks (14 days).

Unlike some other resupply providers, we do not charge by the day past your estimated date.

At the end of our season, we will have your buckets available at the ranch until our closing date in September, after which they will be shipped out for disposal. We can’t keep your bucket over the winter. We will try to contact you to determine your plans, so please make sure you let us know how to contact you (email is best).

Recharging Batteries, iPods, Phones

No problem. Most of the season we have 24-hour power, 120 volts AC, just like your house has. Bring your charger for your camera, phone, iPod, whatever.

No charge for a charge.

(This is good for me if VVR does not give me an option for recharging, but this could delay us hitting the trail after the resupply, but I have a feeling that I should be able to recharge at VVR)

You can send all the info regarding your resupply bucket for entry in our database ahead of time. It will make picking up your resupply quick and easy, and make our job easier too. Everybody wins! Email us your name, street address, city, state/province and Zip/postal code. Include your expected pickup date and the Email address we can use to contact you. We will return a PDF file of labels that you can print and use on your bucket (just attach them with clear packaging tape), along with a claim check. You will be pre-entered in our database so when you arrive you can get your stuff pronto!

Hope this is of value.

-Tony

[Bill Richardson]

Tony,

Thanks for posting all of this information in one place. One slight correction to the VVR info (by pasting the information here out of context, you've inadvertently allowed some mis-information to slip in).

We PREFER that you ship your resupplies via UPS, and if you do, you must only use the Rancheria Garage address – if you try to send via the USPS to Rancheria, it will be returned.

HOWEVER, you can send your resupply via USPS if you must… the address is at http://www.edisonlake.com/usps

You can send via USPS to the Mono Hot Springs address (they are a designated Post Office), but you CAN'T send via UPS to that address. UPS doesn't even travel there ;)

I hope that clears up some confusion.

Thanks,

Bill Richardson
Webmaster, VVR

P.S. You can definitely recharge things at VVR. We have a diesel generator running from 7am to approximately 10pm every day.

[Tony Wong]

Bill,

Thank you for the correction and sorry about that!

I guess I do need constant adult supervision like my wife says. :)

Looking forward to visiting you on the 10th of August and hope you have well stocked store or kitchen with take out because all three of us ditched our food to get us from VVR to MTR to save weight.

Sooo glad that you are letting people have the ability to charge up there, much appreciated.

P.S. I have cut and pasted your statements into the original posting for clarity.

-Tony

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