[pct-l] MAIL DROPS :

[David Thibault]

Iceaxe, You forgot Etna!!!  How could you!  A great town stop if you can get
a ride down the hill.


Anyway Etna  has a No problem resupply.  Mid sized Grocery store.  I
recommend the Hiker Hostel in town.  Etna also has a great old fashioned Ice
Cream parlor.  They also have a brewery (but they were closed the day I was
in town).

Actually the only regrets I have about my thru was the the Etna Brewery was
closed and I was unable to enjoy a beer at the PCT Pub in Cascade Locks -
due to being on medication for giarda.

Oh well - if I am lucky enough I may get the chance to redo the trip again
some day.

 Day-Late

> .
>
> I decided to make a list of my experience with resupply on the PCT.
> I left Campo April 17th and finished in Cananda September 13th 2009 if that
> helps you get an idea where i was in the "pack".
> The following data assumes that you eat things like; Nutella, Peanutbutter,
> Knorr sides, Idahoans(potatoes), Fritos, totillas,
> spam and tuna packets, instant coffee, cookies, crackers, SNICKERS BARS,
> power bars, apples, banana chips,
> dried apricots, walnuts, yogurt covered pretzls,Honey(In a honey bear..
> naturally), Fig bars, Potato chips, Fruit leather..
> and similar products. The freedom of "Buy as you Go" and the effect it has
> on trail town economys are HUGE.
> I spent $400 bucks on food for maildrops and over $150 on shipping.
> Hindsight being what it is.. I should
> have saved my money for the trail. Anyhow, here is a list and my subjective
> trail resupply experiences.
> Mt Laguna at mile 43-On Trail-Great Selection, Pricey but considering
> postage you will break even so just buy food here.
> Warner Springs-down the road from the trail a bit-C'store near Golf course
> small selection but plenty if your not picky.
> Idylwild- off trail, Devil's slide trail really isn't bad at all- Plenty of
> food in this awesome trail town.
> Wrightwood- Off trail down the highway many miles-plenty of food
> Big Bear- off trail. there are two parts to the town, Big Bear(motel) and
> big Bear lake(Hostel) either way plenty of food options even if you are
> picky.
> Aqua Dulce- On Trail- Plenty of Food at supermarket, also can order a pizza
> delivered to the trail head(no joke), Saufley's House.. What can I say!!
> Casa De Luna- Off trail-Joe might be watching you with Binoculars as you
> decend the trail!
> There is a small c'store nearby but you are only 25 miles past Agua Dulce
> so you can just relax at the Andersens.
> They do make beer runs on occasion so you might get a chance to stock up.
> Hiker town-On Trail. There is a small c'store down the road that has
> icecream(youll want that)
> and home made tamales. The caretaker might give you a lift or you could
> hitch.
> Mojave/Tehachapi- offtrail- Ridiculously huge selection of food either way.
> Kennedy Meadows-On trail- Send a Box The store has ben and jerry's
> icecream, candybars, cheese,
> beer but don't count on a major resupply if there are a lot of hikers
> around.
> Kearsarge Pass- off trail- Onion Valley and the Kearsarge Pinnacles! Do It
> and thank me later!
> You can reach Independence, lone Pine or Bishop relatively easily from this
> dead end trailhead.
> Plenty of resupply at the c'store in Independence.
> Red's meadow/Mammoth- slightly off trail- the Red's meadow store has a
> small selection of foods
> but you will most likely want to head into Mammoth by this point where
> there are massive options for food..Massive.
> Tuolumne Meadows- On Trail- It is kinda a run down store, and the
> Postmaster is an interesting fellow.
> Plenty of food here though if youre not picky.
> Echo Lake-On Trail Do Not Send a Box here! Just my opinion but the
> postmaster here was not hiker friendly at all.
> There is a small c'store and they have a deli and great milkshakes.
> Expensive but decent enough for a resupply.
> Sierra City- Off trail- Awesome little grocery store. The most awesome
> front porch on the trail next to KM.
> Get the "Triple Gut Buster Burger".. trust me. You can totally resupply
> from here. They have 19 different kinds of hot sauce... enough said.
> Belden- On Trail- It has a small c'store.. and it's really funky. You might
> have to get creative but you most definitely can resupply here.
> Up the Road past the Breattons there is a small malt
> shop/tackleshop/bar/??? Hard to describe but it's worth a trip. The
> Breattons are awesome!
> Castella- Off trail- C-store has plenty of food. Kinda limited but totally
> do-able. 50 different kinds of Beer. mmmm.. Beeer.
> Old Station- smaller c'store, limited selection but do-able. The Heitmans
> are awesome!
> (Note about Hat Creek Rim: Don't miss the Subway Cave. Also there is a
> little gas station/c'store listed in yogi's guide.
> Perfect place to get a cold drink and go hang out in subway cave like a
> homeless person and scare all the tourists.
> Then tackle the Hat Creek Rim. Perpare but don't believe the hype! You can
> totally do it.. you will NOT die on the rim.)
> Burney Falls State Park- Off Trail a little- They have totally redone the
> store here.
> It's hella expensive but a resupply is easy. the icecream and beer is
> awesome.
> Seiad Valley- On trail- Small grocery store and restaurant. Stay at the RV
> park.. they keep a hay filled pig pen for us hikers.
> Limited selection but resupply is easy if your not picky.
> Ashland- Off Trail- hitch is easy from Callahans. Ashland has anything you
> could want in the universe as far as food..
> even if you are a lactating free anti-gluten vegemite from Vegas. Callahans
> love us.. and we love them.
> (note: you can actually buy Aqua Mira off the shelf at the outfitter in
> Ashland)
> Crater Lake/ Mazama Villiage- Eat at Annie Creek.. It's All You Can Eat. We
> scared the locals.
> Anyhow the c'store at Mazama has a limited but plentiful selection of food.
> Easy to resupply here.
> Sisters Oregon- Off trail- Huge Grocery stores. Sisters Inn and suites has
> a PCT hiker discount
> $50 for a room with two beds and a futon, a fridge, TV, microwave, small
> coffee pot, and free continental breakfast.
> there was also biscuits and gravy being sold in the adjacent gas station..
> mmm biscuits and gravy.
> Big Lake Youth Camp-(Sisters)On Trail- hikers that stayed at Big lake got
> rides into Sisters to resupply so that is a great on-trail option.
> Timberline Lodge- Ontrail- DO NOT MISS THE BUFFET- don't believe anyone
> that says it is cancelled even if they are an employee.
> There is precious little to buy here food wise besides the buffet. The soda
> machine outside sells pop for 6 bucks a bottle.
> This might be a place to have sent yourslef a box from Ashland or you could
> just bust a move and go to Cascade Locks.
> Cascade Locks- On Trail(close) I loved everything about this town. I also
> visited Hood River and the Full Sail Brewery.
> resupply is easy at the market in Cascade locks.
> White Pass WA- Off trail(walk a mile and a half)- small C'store but plenty
> for a resupply if you are not picky about brands.
> Also fried food, and a table area to relax and chow down inside. Packwod WA
> is down the road 15 miles or so.
> The Packwood Hotel(not the Inn) has a $25 hiker special.  it's a 100 year
> old building by the library Super Hiker Friendly owners.
> Grocery store in Packwood.
> Snoqualmie- On Trail- The largest C'store on the trail. They keep hiker
> packages in the coolers in back.
> You will feel foolish when you get your box and walk back through the
> c'store and see all the food here.
> Skykomish- Offtrail- C'store has plenty of food, baring store has somwwhat
> limited selection but they stock up for hiker season.
> i counted 15 bottles of yellow HEET on the shelves of the Baring store.
> Anyhow between Skykomish and Baring you can easily resupply.
> Stehekin- Off Trail- There is a daily bus that goes from the trail head to
> the ranch, the bakery, and the resort. Relax. this place is perfect
> for kicking back. The microscopic C'store has candybars and crackers. The
> restaurant here is awesome! Instead of sending a box you could
> resupply from the bakery on your way back to the trail. They have pies,
> cinamin rolls(to die for!), loaves of bread, elcaires, fruit and nut rolls..
> what else do you need for the final 88 miles?! I was eating stinking ramen
> noodles at the border while my compadres were chowing down pie and cinamon
> rolls!
> Anyways.. i think that covers it. I might have screwed up the town order
> there in N. Cal but the details are correct.
> All info was gleaned firsthand from my thru hike in 2009.
> Cheers-Iceaxe
> .