[pct-l] best places to buy your own food:

[Donna Saufley]

Food and services at VVR are worth every dime and then some, IMHO.  I've
driven the road in a few times, and it is truly death-defying. I had white
knuckles and sweaty palms in many spots, especially when nose-to-nose with
another vehicle on the narrow single-lane road with hundreds of feet of
vertical exposure and nowhere to pull over ("You back up." "No, you back
up!"  Given the look of frozen terror on my face and the fact they were much
closer to a pullout, they finally backed up, realizing nobody was moving
until they did.) The potholes are cavernous. You encounter idiots with boats
and campers barreling around blind turns that make you feel you're stuck on
a train track with a train approaching. Call me a wimp but I'd much rather
walk to VVR (or MTR) than drive there. Most hikers have no idea what it
takes to haul that beer, food, or mail into the place.  

L-Rod

-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
On Behalf Of Vermilion Valley Resort
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2011 8:48 AM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] best places to buy your own food:

I can't really give you an estimate for the first - it depends on what 
we have at the time, and your shopping skills ;)  However, I can tell 
you that the resupply fee is $18.

I can also attempt to break down yogi's 2007 costs:

$15 resupply
$8 ferry
$4 laundry
$5 shower
$20 dinner (estimate - could be a bit less depending on what she had)
$8 breakfast (an average)
=========
$60

which leaves $6 for her snacks and beverages and associated taxes (gotta 
pay the government).

Like some have said - you can spend a lot at VVR if you don't watch what 
you're spending.  This is simply because you're having fun, hanging out, 
recharging, carb-ing up, and not thinking about money.  Beers add up, 
candy bars add up, etc.

I've seen some hikers come in, pickup their resupply, eat lunch, get a 
bunch of snacks, do their laundry, take a shower, eat dinner, hang out 
at the campfire and drink beers, get up the next morning and eat a 
couple of breakfasts, and then get the bill and be shocked.

Heck, I saw one hiker a couple of years ago eat THREE breakfasts, and 4 
snickers bars before he got on the ferry.

Like others have said - you go to VVR for the atmosphere as well as the 
resupply.  I don't think it's necessarily "expensive", but I do agree it 
can be an expensive stop to the hiker if they don't manage their money 
well.

But just think about doing the same thing at home at your local pub and 
see what it costs.  It's all relative.

Bill
Webmaster, VVR

Jackie McDonnell wrote:
> In 2007, I made a conscious effort to spend as little as possible at VVR.
I
> had planned to go in on the afternoon boat, but while I was waiting I met
> some fishermen who took me across the lake in their boat.  So, the boat
ride
> in was free.  Left the next morning.  I got away with a $66 tab, which
> included:
>
> Picked up one maildrop (I *think* that cost $15 in 2007)
> Laundry
> Shower
> Dinner
> Breakfast
> one-way ride back to the PCT
> probably some miscellaneous snacks and tasty beverages.
>
> yogi
> www.pcthandbook.com
>
> On Mon, Jan 17, 2011 at 12:43 AM, Kevin Cook<hikelite at gmail.com>  wrote:
>
>> I'm really having a hard time deciding whether or not to stop at VVR. My
>> concern is based on expense. I'm trying to avoid towns as much as
possible
>> because town is so damn expensive. How much should I expect to spend at
>> VVR?
>> If possible, can you give 2 estimates. One for buying enough food to
reach
>> Mammoth and another assuming am ail drop (and associated expense).
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> On Sun, Jan 16, 2011 at 11:00 PM, Scott Williams<baidarker at gmail.com
>>> wrote:
>>> Part of the reason for stopping at VVR is simply the experience of VVR.
>>   We
>>> had a ball there and after the deep snows of the weeks prior, it was a
>>> welcome zero in a gorgeous setting with good food, beer and great folks
>>> working there.  It gets pricey only because there is a tendency to eat
>> and
>>> drink more than you realize.  Several of the thrus ended up staying to
>> work
>>> there when we passed through.  But all of us felt very good about the
>>> place.
>>>
>>> Shroomer
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