JMT – Resupply logistics from overseas

[Lange Jorstad]

Another JMT question for this group:

I live in Australia, and will be walking the JMT this summer. I was planning to resupply at Tuolumne Meadows, Reds Meadow, and Muir Trail Ranch. I understand that the recommended lead times for posting resupplies to those locations are 14 days (TM, RM) and 21 days (MTR) in advance. My flights aren’t booked yet, but there is a good chance that I won’t have that much lead time available from my arrival in the US.

Someone suggested that I could hand deliver the first two before starting if I have a spare day and a car (which I might), but no such option available for MTR.

Are there any other international JMT walkers with advice on how to get resupplies there in time, especially MTR? I could post it from Australia, but that would be very pricey, slow, and importing food could run afoul of customs. It would be an unpleasant surprise to find that a resupply hadn’t arrived, especially at MTR where there is no market available to wing it.

Thanks again for any advice in this regard!

[Dave Ayers]

Have you called MTR to see if they can make an exception?

You could use a backpacker supply service such as http://backpackingresupply.wixsite.com/backpackingresupply or http://www.traillogistics.com .

If you have extra days, you could hand deliver to MTR.  Going to MTR then Sallie Keys Lakes makes a good 2 day training hike.

[john hansford]

What is the lead time for VVR, Vermillion Valley Resort? If you can use this you could miss out the Reds resupply, and carry food from Tuolumne to VVR

For Tuolume you could use the bus up and back from Yosemite to hand deliver a package to the post office.

If arriving from San Francisco you could drive up to Tuolumne by hire car. I used Hertz an was able to drop the car off at the Mariposa airstrip office, then get the Yarts bus back up again.

[Greg Mihalik]

What volume of food needs to get to MTR?

I have used United States Postal Service (USPS) “Large Flat Rate” Priority Mail boxes (one rate regardless of weight), available for free at any Post Office, and at most airport “re-shippers”. I “seal and reinforce” with a Lot of clear packing tape. It will float and is rainproof. They get a little beat up, but my food goes through worse with me.  12″ x 12″ x 5.5″ are the interior dimensions (~13 liters).  Check my math, your food, and see if it works. (Smaller boxes are available.)

MTR “prefers” buckets, but they ship stuff Out in USPS Flat Rate boxes, so go figure.

As for timing, your package will get delivered in 2 days from San Francisco, then it is transported to Florence Lake, and then hauled overland to MTR. Holidays, weekends, and fires can slow things down.  Email MTR to explain your situation to determine what is really required, versus their 2 week CYA number.

[Cameron M]

Those lead times are ridiculous. They are probably listed as this long because the people manning them don’t like getting blamed, and the summer hires are, well, not the “A” team. I would guess that MTR is the only one where you might want to add an extra week beyond the USPS Priority Rate times. One German couple arrived at MTR, their package was not there, and they had no problem finding everything they needed in the “hiker bins”, which are buckets where hikers discard all the stuff they realize they don’t want to carry anymore.

I have gone to great lengths to assure that my packages would be handled correctly; I got the name of the person who gave me the information, called three other times to get corroborating info about times and policies, and my packages still got crossed up. Do your best, but assume the worst. Learn to love Pop Tarts.

[Lange Jorstad]

Thanks everyone, and especially Greg and Cameron for your insight. Good suggestion re. contacting MTR directly. I had also forgotten about the hiker bins, the respite of the damned! Good to know there is a potential backstop.

[DancingBear]

Some suppliers in the US will ship supplies for a through hike.  I know packit gourmet does.  Here’s a link to their JMT information:

http://www.packitgourmet.com/trail-food-facts/fieldguide/trails/johnmuirtrail.html

They will ship stuff in a bucket, as required by some of the resupply points.  http://www.packitgourmet.com/5-Gallon-Bucket.html

That might be a pricy option though, since you’d have to buy everything from them.  Their food is good, but they probably don’t sell everything you’d want to include.  And they want $20 to ship via a bucket.  Still, it’s a thought.

Walt

P.S. I have no affiliation with Packit Gourmet, I’m just a customer.

[David Thomas]

Maybe someone in the US wants to be a “trail angel” and would procure and ship food you specify and pay for.  Makes no sense for me to, from Alaska, because food costs more here and the shipping options are slower and more expensive except for the US Postal Service.

Or maybe post on the Scouting page for a young person who wants to earn some money for doing your shopping and shipping in advance.  Food in California is as cheap and fresh as anywhere in the world and the shipping time would be the quickest.

It would all depend on if your shopping list is just that – a shopping list (Kraft 8-ounce package of mac&cheese, repacked into a ziplock bag”, “Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with Noodles – 2.5 servings”, etc) versus items that you’ve dehydrated yourself, etc.

Note that if you are bringing in food to the US, there are limits (often ignored for backpackers, especially if it is still in sealed containers) on the amounts, and hard limits on fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy and meats.  If the food-sniffing beagle alerts on your dehydrated carrots and beans, you might lose the argument that it can not possible harbor any pests.

Spring boarding off of DancingBear’s comment, I’ve had a variety of dehydrated beans, veggies, F-D food, regular grocery-store items, some fuel-like substances, and toiletries delivered by Amazon.  And you can have them ship to someone else.  Maybe to General Delivery (not sure about that).  Anyway, that would be the cheapest way to get things delivered and it could all be done from Oz before you depart.

[Paul McLaughlin]

I think the hand deliver option may be the best bet. Though you might find someone to buy, pack and ship your packages if you can send a complete list, (heck, I might even do it for ya) the issue is going to be getting what you want. For the freeze-dried stuff you can pick mountain house stuff and you got it. but what about trail mix, and dried fruit and stuff like that? It’s not like you can look at the stuff in the store here from Oz and pick it all out and end up with stuff you like – you probably need to see it yourself, unless you are willing to trust that someone else’s tastes will work for you.

It’s definitely possible to hand deliver to MTR – in fact, if you take the ferry you can do it in a day. The drive is pretty long to get there, but if you like road trips and are renting a car anyway, it’s doable. If you have a few days for the whole rigamarole to go to Florence lake, yosemite, and Reds.

http://www.florence-lake.com/FL-Ferry.html

 

Also, second the motion that if you are willing to take what you find, you can fill up from the hiker bins. Last time I was there (mid-july 2009) there was lots of food. Not my top choices, but edible. I understand they have to toss a lot of food because the outflow from the hiker bins is never as much as the inflow to them.

EDIT: there may be wierdness with the  Florence lake ferry this summer, I just remembered – something about lake level possibly being drawn down for work on the dam or something like that.

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