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  1. #1
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    Default AZT resupply north of Grand Canyon

    Jacob Lake Inn, which has been the primary AZT resupply point north of the Grand Canyon, is no longer accepting mail drops - I called and was politely told they won't even hold packages for a fee. Apparently the AZT has become so popular they were flooded with mail drops last year.

    Does anyone know of any other places in the area that will accept packages or that have decent resupply? Every place other than JLI doesn't seem to open until mid-May, and I was hoping to start at the Mexican border in early or mid-March.

    I was told that in addition to the restaurant and bakery, JLI has a small selection of groceries such as bread, peanut butter, chips, granola, canned Vienna sausages (don't read the list of ingredients), tuna salad kits etc. I was told the hours in early May will be 8 to 8 daily, with longer hours starting in late May.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by LuckyMan View Post
    Jacob Lake Inn, which has been the primary AZT resupply point north of the Grand Canyon, is no longer accepting mail drops - I called and was politely told they won't even hold packages for a fee. Apparently the AZT has become so popular they were flooded with mail drops last year.

    Does anyone know of any other places in the area that will accept packages or that have decent resupply? Every place other than JLI doesn't seem to open until mid-May, and I was hoping to start at the Mexican border in early or mid-March.

    I was told that in addition to the restaurant and bakery, JLI has a small selection of groceries such as bread, peanut butter, chips, granola, canned Vienna sausages (don't read the list of ingredients), tuna salad kits etc. I was told the hours in early May will be 8 to 8 daily, with longer hours starting in late May.
    Lucky

    The short answer is that there is no grocery resupply going north from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. But it is only 100 miles to Utah from the South Rim..

    Now for the good news. You can (depending on what the date is and whether the North Rim facilities are open) get meals there, pizza and more. Some snacks too. There is also a restaurant and convenience store at Jacob Lake. So north of the south rim you might easily be able to sit down to eat twice and find some resupply via the snack stuff (which there is a fair amount of). What I often do in this situation is get at least a meal to go as well. Examples are a large pizza cut up and wrapped and into the pack. Or a couple of burritos wrapped up and packaged. Or two orders of a hamburger and fries. Between the two places this might easily equal 2 days of food and mean one would only need to leave the south rim with 3 to 3-1/2 days of food (which you will appreciate hiking up from the river as it is 5500 ft.). Once you are on the North Rim the rest of the hike is very easy and overall downhill. By the time you get to the north rim you are going to be in shape and that last 80 miles will not take you long. It will be easy.

    By the way in terms of planning to the south. Many folks don't know that LF Ranch in the Mazatzal Wilderness has for years been accepting mail drops and will also cook you meals if you make reservations ahead of time (3-4 weeks) so that they can buy the food when in town. They have a bunkhouse too. I had both dinner and breakfast there and they fed me like a working cowboy so it was perfect for a hiker. Don't know for sure if they still do the meal thing but all the rest is still available. Here is there website to check. http://www.lfranch.com/

    Wyoming

  3. #3
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    Forgot something.

    The marina at Roosevelt Lake is also a place to resupply that many don't know about. They think you have to go to the town 9 miles away. But if you walk down the really long ramp to where the boats are docked there is a restaurant which is only open on weekends out side of regular summer. So if you hit it on a weekend that is a great break for a meal. They also have a convenience store with the restaurant which seems to be open everyday (they have to be able to pump gas for the boats) and I supplemented my supplies quite well there. They had lots of different frozen burritos (yes I have a weakness for them) and various other energy bars and convenience store stuff.

    Fyi really hydrate well here going north as if it has been dry you might not have water for about 25 miles with a strenuous hike and big climb to get to it. When I hiked it all of the intermediate sources were dry. I took 6 liters (it was really hot) and was out for the last two hours. It took 4 liters after the section to rehydrate enough I needed to take a leak.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by LuckyMan View Post
    Jacob Lake Inn, which has been the primary AZT resupply point north of the Grand Canyon, is no longer accepting mail drops - I called and was politely told they won't even hold packages for a fee. Apparently the AZT has become so popular they were flooded with mail drops last year.

    Does anyone know of any other places in the area that will accept packages or that have decent resupply? Every place other than JLI doesn't seem to open until mid-May, and I was hoping to start at the Mexican border in early or mid-March.

    I was told that in addition to the restaurant and bakery, JLI has a small selection of groceries such as bread, peanut butter, chips, granola, canned Vienna sausages (don't read the list of ingredients), tuna salad kits etc. I was told the hours in early May will be 8 to 8 daily, with longer hours starting in late May.
    I actually found that I didn't need a re-supply north of the Grand Canyon. Once you hit the south rim, there's only about 100 miles left. I just grabbed 5 days of food at the south rim, and that did the job. I stopped at Jacob Lake for supper and to get water, but other than a few snacks, I didn't buy any trail food there. They make nice cookies and I bought some potato chips.

    But really, once you hit the Grand Canyon, you've already hiked 700 miles, so you easily have trail legs to bang off 20 miles per day, which means that there's only like 5-ish days of hiking left, which in Arizona is a modest amount of food.

  5. #5
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    er talking with employees at three outfitters in Flagstaff and with a ranger at the Backcountry Information Center in GCNP about likely snow conditions in late April and May in northern Arizona, I am planning to start March 8 and if all goes well will be north of the Colorado River before other resupply points will be open. I'll count on consuming mass quantities at Jacob Lake Inn and piecing together a resupply from the bakery, restaurant and little store.

    I hope I can get enough food for an optional hike I read about on one trail journal; after finishing the AZT that hiker did a 23-mile day hike through a beautiful canyon - I think it was Paria Canyon maybe to Buckskin Gulch? He said that this was a great way to finish the AZT and that advance hard-to-get permits were required to backpack this canyon but that for a day hike you merely had to fill out a form at the trailhead. Does anyone know details about this? (Of course if I make it that far I might be ready to end the hike at the state line and explore those Utah canyons another time.

    Roosevelt marina and LF Ranch have been on my list of places to send a resupply box. To avoid any more surprises, I plan to call all of them to make sure they are still accepting packages.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by LuckyMan View Post
    er talking with employees at three outfitters in Flagstaff and with a ranger at the Backcountry Information Center in GCNP about likely snow conditions in late April and May in northern Arizona, I am planning to start March 8 and if all goes well will be north of the Colorado River before other resupply points will be open. I'll count on consuming mass quantities at Jacob Lake Inn and piecing together a resupply from the bakery, restaurant and little store.

    I hope I can get enough food for an optional hike I read about on one trail journal; after finishing the AZT that hiker did a 23-mile day hike through a beautiful canyon - I think it was Paria Canyon maybe to Buckskin Gulch? He said that this was a great way to finish the AZT and that advance hard-to-get permits were required to backpack this canyon but that for a day hike you merely had to fill out a form at the trailhead. Does anyone know details about this? (Of course if I make it that far I might be ready to end the hike at the state line and explore those Utah canyons another time.

    Roosevelt marina and LF Ranch have been on my list of places to send a resupply box. To avoid any more surprises, I plan to call all of them to make sure they are still accepting packages.

    Yep, Paria Canyon was on my list, but they only issue something like 50-ish permits per day. I seriously doubt that there is a possibility of a self-issuing permit at the trailhead (but if it's possible, do it!).

    Food is not an issue for the northern section. If you leave the GC with 6 days of food you'd have plenty of food for the final 100-ish miles plus hiking the Wave (and 6 days isn't that much for Arizona). The issue in the last couple of days is that there is almost no water. You get to stateline campground and there's no faucet. You'd probably want 3-4 litres to continue to the Wave (if you could get a permit).

  7. #7

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    You may be able to have Paria Outpost & Outfitters based out of Kanab to drop off a resupply to you. http://www.paria.com They have always offered my party and me quality shuttles in the Buckskin Gulch/House Rock Rd area.

    As Stubble Jumper said the AZT mileage from the N Rim to Stateline is easy particularly at the end of your thru hike when you're likely in max LD form. One thing I wouldn't do that Stubble Jumper said, if I was thru-hiking with the N Rim facilities available, is grab 5 days at the S Rim. I'd go real light at the S Rim with only a day's, maybe 2 day's, chow to go cross canyon(to allow for side trip on Clear Creek Tr to Cheyvara Falls and UPPER Ribbon Falls both of which should be pumping for your timeframe), supplement at Phantom Ranch, and then mail to N Rim PO and/or buy at the N Rim General Store. I'd then supplement at Jacob Lake You'd fly through this last 100 miles with lower food wt! As you said, use Jacob Lake Resort that has a restaurant and Roosevelt Lake to supplement your food reducing a heavier food haul.

    As said BOTH The Wave and Buckskin Gulch are near Stateline. So are several other spots I'd say are as interesting as The Wave I will not mention on line. Apply for permits to BOTH. See what Happens. You don't need a permit to hike Some of Buckskin Gulch following it out NOT to the Paria River confluence, although that is a righteous spot, but out to HWY 89 NOBO through the wash that eventually becomes Buckskin Gulch to the south. Depends on how fast you wish to get back to the human rat race of civilization. Sometimes water is left over from caches at Stateline but absolutely is a hit or mostly miss. If you do The Wave as Stubble Jumper said I too contend you'll want 3 L of H2O in May but there is an outside chance of a drummed up ride mostly there.

    Since you seem solid one more note about the resupply in a confidential eMail I'll send you.

  8. #8
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    Didn't need to buy any groceries at Jacob Lake, took less than 4 days to get from South Rim to Utah, had enough food to hike Buckskin Gulch this morning. Loved the AZT.

  9. #9

    Default Delayed opening of North Rim facilities

    Nothing is open on the North Rim until May 15. This year there was a major break in the waterline to the North Rim developed area. The road will open on May 15, but there will be no lodging or restaurants until the waterline is fixed. The press release did not mention whether the North Rim post office will open. They will truck in water for the campground. Check with Grand Canyon National Park for details.

  10. #10
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    Half a mile south on the paved road at the North Rim was a ranger station with drinking water, power outlets, trash cans, flush toilets.

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