Hi! I am hiking the JMT this summer. I wondered if anyone has any info/experience with resupplying out of Cedar Grove (Roads End) on the West side. I see most people choose Kearsarge Pass on the East side, but I’d rather hike to a town than hitchhike 13 miles to independence or whatever. Also, I have heard varying reviews about the free hiker barrel swap at Muir Ranch. I heard also they are rude to thru-hikers. Thoughts?
Spencer
When we did JMT in 2007 we were astounded at how much food was in the hiker box there (more like a room full of stuff). Had we known we could have resupplied for the rest of our hike to Whitney. I don’t remember any bad vibes there.
swamp fox
We’re looking hard at Kearsarge/Independence options to stay on the trail. Can you give some more info on your alternative, Spencer?
David5
heading south there is a trail at mile marker 166.6 (woods creek trail) to roads end, cedar grove. the trail is 51.9 miles from whitney portal. it goes approx 13.5 miles to roads end which claims to have a little sotre and a ranger station and a campground. another 6 miles into cedar grove, but trails and nice roads for hiking… not really a need for hitching. just wondered about the store or sending a resupply
spencer
There is a post office at Mono Hot Springs. Not sure of the mileage but it would be after Lake Edison? You’d lose a day of hiking to it and back but it is not as bad a haul as you are describing with the Cedar Grove one.
thehiker
It’s been 4-5 years since I’ve been through there (Cedar Grove) but this is what I recall. There’s three campgrounds on the road and the river. The place for resupply would be the lodge. They sold hot deli food, had a cooler section with drinks and cheese, beer, and resupply products that any medium-large gas station might carry. I can’t remember if the camp grounds have showers but the lodge does. sorry, don’t know about mail-drops.
hellkat
Cedar Grove is a long downhill hike from the JMT. That’s ok - but the hike back will mean constant uphill until over Forester. Much better to go into Independence. Hitching a ride from/to Onion Valley Trailhead is quick and easy.
Booger
It may be a bit of a hike but I like it. Here’s what I’ve done a couple of times. I resupply here. I hike down to Roads End. Then I hitch all the way to Grants Grove of Giant Sequoias. Its run by the NPS so it has that Nat park campground feel. Campground, showers, post office, restaurant, pizza bar, camp store/resupply, beer & ice cream, internet, laundry, and Giant Sequoias!
Anyway, it’s a bit of a haul but of the three times I’ve been through that section of trail, I’ve got off on the west side and went down Woods creek twice. I like resupplying without having to go into town.
hellkat
I’ve done Kearsarge, Mono Hot Springs, MTR, VVR, Road’s End, and my wife has done Bishop Pass.
First of all, they’re all such great trails. Better even than your average mile of the JMT or PCT. So don’t worry about “wasting time” going off trail.
Kearsarge is beautiful. The hitch sucks, but oh well.
Bishop Pass Trail is beautiful. She just carried resupply over and met me, so i don’t know much about what you can buy there.
Mono Hot springs is a really good option. Besides the springs and spring-fed showers/tubs, there’s a restaurant with a salad bar, and a little store. Between that and the P.O., why not? Oh, and the trail (Bear Creek) there is really nice.
Here’s a good way to do it if you’re going Nobo: send yourself a few basics to the Mono Hot Springs p.o. in advance. Stop by MTR and pick up whatever food you want from the hiker barrels. (They’ve always been nice to me, but if you’re rude to them, they probably reciprocate. Treat them like they’re doing you a favor though, and they’ll be nice.) Then proceed on Bear Creek to Mono H.S. If between MTR and the p.o. you still don’t have enough food, you can go to the store, or you can hike directly 6 miles to VVR. Not my favorite place, but some people love it, and they have more food there. You will have hiked west of the JMT and missed some miles, but it’s a continuous route and it’s at least as beautiful as that (uninspired, relatively) part of the JMT.
If you do Road’s End, that works too, but i wasn’t as impressed with that trail.
markv
If going sobo, you can do the same in reverse almost as well, but you have to guess on MTR’s food. Hike to VVR, pick up a thing or 2 and TALK with any nobo hiker you can find. They will probably know what the food barrel situation is like that week at MTR. Then you can hike the alternate to Mono, eat there, pick up a package at the p.o. and/or buy things at the store if the intel on the MTR situation doesn’t leave you confident.
markv
Thiers a local shuttle drive that will drive up to OV with your stuff. You would have to give it to him prior via mail and make a date and time for the pickup. What you do is put a daypack in the box to use to carry it back up. The only issue you have to time it to the hour. But they can’t leave the stuff there any more. So you have to be there on time, which could be difficult over a few weeks period of time. But you will have cell coverage at MTR and that’s about 50 miles from the Kearsarge spur trail. What you could do is stop at Bullfrog Lake and drop most of your gear to make it easier up the pass. Or arrange to have him met you and drive into Lone Pine and back. Maybe cost you $100.00 RT.
pcieluch