Picking up mail when the PO is closed

imported
#1

I got the following private email from a future hiker. I thought it was a good question which others might also be confused about. With permission from Steve, here it is:

Steve Peterson wrote:

First, LOVE the handbook. Great job and many thanks!

My question: Several places you mention Saturday pick up of mail. Your statement is often something like “Saturday from approximately 1pm-3pm you may pick up mail ONLY.”

I find this ambiguous in that it could mean I can pick up mail (but not packages) or I can only pick up, but not mail anything out.

Can you clarify this for me please? (I’m particularly interested in the case with Idyllwild, and I’m hoping to pick up a resupply parcel).

Thanks very much!

My response:

That means that the PO is closed. Post offices that are closed on Saturdays usually have someone there sorting the mail that arrived that day. If the sorter is there, they will give you your mail (letters and packages). But you cannot mail anything out. Correction – you could drop letters in the outgoing mail slot, or if you have a box which has prepaid postage, you could put it in the box drop. But there will not be a counter person there who can weigh your package and take money from you.

You usually have to knock on doors to get the Saturday mail sorter’s attention. If you’re going to use this system to pick up mail, I suggest calling the PO from the previous town, just to check if someone will be there on Saturday.

If you’re going to Idyllwild via Pines-to-Palms Highway (mile 153.7), you could call the PO from Warner Springs (mile 110.6). If you’re going to Idyllwild via Devil’s Slide (mile 180.2), you could call the Idyllwild PO from the phone at the Paradise Cafe (mile 153.7).

There is a new Post Office service called “Click and Ship”. If you know the weight of your package, AND if it fits into their lobby drop box, you can go online and print a mailing label with postage (which you pay online via credit card). So if a PO is closed, AND if it has a package drop box, AND if you can find internet service open, you could send packages that way.

Glad you like the book!

yogi

www.pcthandbook.com

yogi

#2

Sometimes they’ll be there in those little towns outside of the hours, willing to help if you knock on the door. Sometimes, they’ll even let you send something on a Saturday even if they’re closed. But DON’T Count on it. And if they do, thank them profusely like the unworthy hiking scum you really are.

Tha Wookie

#3

Not related to the PCT but POs in general; we share our mail drop goodies with the workers when we have a large load. They love the unexpected treats are are most happy to extend services. When was the last time a postal worker got home made brownies from hikers?:wink:

Bushwhack & Bramble

#4

Island Mama and I gave the postmaster at Santa Monica some of the homemade cookies we received from our friends in Georgia on our West Coast hike. He was “stoked”!

Tha Wookie

#5

I know, I’m on the PCT forum, but this discussion just reminded me of when I got all my boxes @ Fontana in that teeny tiny PO where the lady was SO friendly. I had some “pretzel treats” from a friend that I shared with her and she did seem pleased. That was one of the friendliest POs on the whole AT.

Bluebearee

#6

here is a thing we started doing on the CDT. If you know you might miss the P.O. hours, call the postmaster ahead of time and have him or her forward the package to the motel you are going to stay at. Make sure the motel is okay with holding your package though. Worked great for us.

Apple Pie

#7

When we were in Cascade Locks, after we picked up our mail on Friday afternoon we called family. Jim’s daughter said she had mailed some cookies to us that should arrive the next day. So Saturday morning we called the post office and reached the postmaster who was sorting that day’s delivery. He agreed to open up for us since we were planning to leave town that day. In gratitude, we gave him some brownies. It seemed like the right thing to do, and made everyone happy.

On the PCT the limited weekend hours caught us often. We would really push to make the PO on Friday afternoon before 4:00 - and then usually discovered that they were open for an hour or two on Saturday. Sometimes we just skipped the PO, putting in a change of address card so anything sent to us would be forwarded. I was really glad we didn’t do weekly maildrops, but even the bounce box sometimes seemed more trouble than it was worth.

Ginny