Sierra Section Hike Resupply

imported
#1

A question for those with extensive PCT/JMT. A friend of mine is planning a 5 week section hike from Walker Pass to Sonora Pass beginning in mid-June. They will not have trail legs.

Any recommendations on resupply? Carrying food from Kennedy Meadows to Muir Ranch is a collosal pain (especially if they want to hike up Whitney). I have heard of pack companies hiking in resupplies and leaving them in bear boxes.

How about hiking up and over Kearsarge Pass and resupplying in Independence?

Bankrobber

#2

You can get resupplied by horsepacker out of Independence over Kearsarge Pass. Call Dee at Sequoia Kings Pack Trains, phone 8009620775 or 7603872797. They’re about 5 hours from the Charlotte Lake ranger station. Dr J

Tom Jacobsen

#3

The Kearsarge Pass area is at least as pretty and amazing as the JMT/PCT. For that reason alone, i would think it’d be worth the extra day to just hike over the pass himself, and then hitchhike from the trailhead. Ideally, hike over it on a Sunday when lots of people are exiting and driving off, and then have a box waiting at the post office Monday morning…or hike over on a Thursday, hit the p.o. and go back up on Friday morning when lots of people are driving back up. Hitching further up to Bishop and buying at the store isn’t as hard as it sounds either. And other than the p.o. and a Subway sandwich place, there’s nothing much in Independence.

markv

#4

Kearsarge Pass is beautiful and if you have a chance to hike it, you should. Hitching out of Onion Valley Trailhead is easy, took me about 20 minutes to get a ride. Getting back up is a little harder though unless you get back on trail on a Friday or Saturday.

Independence is an easy resupply. There’s more there than just the P.O. and Subway. It does have a market that is fine for resupply. Also there’s the Still Life Cafe, a true French bistro with excellent food. Just be prepared to wait a long time for your food. There’s also a new place called Hooligan’s which I haven’t been in but looks like mostly pizza and beer. And several motels to stay at.

Bishop is a better town for resupply though and shouldn’t be too hard to hitch a ride or check with the 395 bus. It runs between Ridegecrest and Reno and stops in all towns along thw way. In Bishop is a Von’s supermarket, K-Mart, Wilson’s Eastside Sports, Whiskey Creek (go for happy hour M-F from 5-6, half price drinks and food) as well as a variety of options for places to stay and other
restaurants.

ducky

#5

Maybe somebody who lives nearby can confirm what is currently at Independence. The market (or at least A market) closed last year. There was no market as of June 2008, unless you count the gas station. The french bistro was, i was told, good but only open occasionally, generally one or two days a week for dinner. The only Hooligans there last June were us thru-hikers. But things change fast, so maybe there is more now than a few months ago?

Several motels for sure though.

markv

#6

The market is DEFINITELY closed, as of June. There is no easy resupply in independence itself, unless you like candybars and gas station food. however, getting to bishop is easy from independence.

I experienced largely the same as markv.

Joker

#7

I was in Independence last week on my way to Death Valley. I didn’t go into the market but I definitely saw people going in and out. Further research does say that it’s closed so perhaps they were working on it or something like that. The other restaurant I think actually is called Rock n’ Rhino Pizza Garden and Pub (Not sure where I hot Hooligans from…I think I saw it somewhere else and confused the two). I ate at the Still Life Cafe and the owner told us that they’re open 5 days a week for lunch and dinner. None of this really matters all that much anyway because, and I think we all agree here, Bishop is a much better town for resupplying anyway.

ducky

#8

If you have someone leave a resupply in a bear box, this is illegal. My girlfriend is a wilderness ranger , and I asked about this last year, I thought it was a good idea too. I also saw notes in them with a message like this.

(Name of person on box),

If you would like your food drop, please come by the Ranger Station. I have it there and waiting for you.

signed the Ranger.

So your like oh that’s cool, go to the ranger station to pick it up and he gives you a ticket for illegally storing your food. Those boxes are meant for people camping there for the night, not for people to use for days and days when they’re not even there. If more then one or two people did that at a time, they would be completely full of rusupply boxes and campers wouldn’t have room. The JMT is really a heavily traveled trail tons of people would do this.

Guino

#9

You can go to Lone Pine, too. The trail to the parking lot is only 2 miles long, but the hitch is 22 miles. Lone Pine has a grocery store, motels and a new hostel, I hear, plus lots of restaurants. I went to Lone Pine and to Bishop last year, although Bishop was unplanned and I got there via Bishop Pass, which was a very long way.

Piper