[pct-l] MAIL DROPS

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

I'll try to answer to the best of MY ability.

Rule #1 to making this work: Never ship yourself anything you can buy  
in a gas station. That means cookies, candy, granola bars, crackers etc.

Rule #2 of maximizing mail drops: Don't be picky. Eat peanut butter  
and jelly sandwiches for breakfast and lunch. Eat pop-tarts and  
Liptons even if you are tired of them. And you don't care if it's  
expensive.

Towns where you probably can't even make do from what's available in  
the store (See Rule #2):

1. Warner Springs. The pack is large and might eat the convenience  
store out. Plus it's nice to see that the whole mail drop system works.

2. Hikertown. The store there is just too barren. I have been there  
three or four times now and still struggle to even find a decent  
snack. But you don't need to ship there at all, really.

3. Kennedy Meadows. The pack is big and voracious. The store tries to  
stay stocked but it can be very barren.

4. Elk Lake. There just isn't enough food. But there are granola bars  
and chips. You don't need to ship to Elk Lake at all if you stop  
before or after there or get a ride to Bend.

5. Timberline Lodge. Hitch a ride to Government Camp. No mail drop  
needed. Otherwise, mail drop needed because the only food-like  
substances were inside vending machines. Unless you think you can  
hide enough groceries from the ayce buffet (I'm KIDDING!)

6. Stehekin. There's food there, but not quite enough.

I skipped the Eastern Sierra. There are too many ways you can deal  
with that.

Every other town that I stopped in I thought I could resupply. That  
goes for Old Station, Burney Falls State Park, Seiad Valley, Mazama  
Village, Shelter Cove, Kracker Barrel at White Pass, Snoqualmie Pass.  
But I am not picky. I can make it work. In fact, I did resupply at  
some of these places.

>> I have asked several folks how many Mail Drops are Really and Truly
>> needed and the answers vary from 4 to 20. So I am going with appx. 8.
>> That having been said, which ones. What EIGHT places should one For
>> Sure have resupplies shipped from home to or ship to themselves from
>> another town. EIGHT MAX....Ok. :-)