Resuppluy at MTR

[stilllife]

I see in several post that people suggest mailing your food to Muir Trail Ranch for the hike to Whitney. Can you not just resupply at the ranch and also what is the average hiking time from MTR to Whitney?
Thanks

[Maui Rhino]

It's some 110 miles from MTR to Whitney, going over the larger passes on the hike. I took 10 days for this stretch. MTR does not have road access. Their "store" really only carries stove fuel, and most items aren't for sale to people who are not staying in house. All items are brought in by horseback. There is a nice selection of hiker buckets, and when I was there in mid-Aug, they were full. Hit them on another day, and the selection may not be as good. I recall a lot of ziplock bags full of oatmeal. You're much better off sending yourself a bucket...

[stilllife]

It's some 110 miles from MTR to Whitney, going over the larger passes on the hike. I took 10 days for this stretch. MTR does not have road access. Their "store" really only carries stove fuel, and most items aren't for sale to people who are not staying in house. All items are brought in by horseback. There is a nice selection of hiker buckets, and when I was there in mid-Aug, they were full. Hit them on another day, and the selection may not be as good. I recall a lot of ziplock bags full of oatmeal. You're much better off sending yourself a bucket...

Would you mind explaining the "bucket"? You actually mail your food there in a bucket?

[Malto]

Would you mind explaining the "bucket"? You actually mail your food there in a bucket?

Go to MTRs website. They explain how the resupply should be sent.

[HooKooDooKu]

Go to MTRs website. They explain how the resupply should be sent.

Here's the Link

But in summary, you simply package your resupply in a 5 gallon bucket and lid (because they are cheap, can be shipped as-is thru the mail, and protects the contents from rain and rodents while in transit and storage).
You pay the post office to ship your bucket to a post office near the re supplier.
You pay a second fee to the re supplier to cover his cost of collecting your bucket from the post office and storing at their facility convenient for you to pick it up.

Places like Red's only charges you about $25 because all they have to do is drive to the post office and drive it back to their facility.
MTR charges about $80 because they are located in the remote back-country and it requires many steps to get your bucket from the post office to their facilities along the JMT.

Another option is a packer which costs about $600. This is basically a custom delivery service where a packer and horse meets you in the back country at a designated time and location with your resupply bucket. The cost is so high because it takes the packer two days to travel from a trail head to the designated location along the JMT and back. However, one packer can deliver supplies for about 4 to 8 people, and so some people try to go in together to share that cost.


Like me, I see the OP is located in the Deep SouthEast (shipping cost varies with distance to receiving post office).
My MTR resupply bucket was about 25lbs with 10 days of supplies. The cost for the post office to ship it to California was about $75.
My Red's resupply bucket was about 15lbs with 5 days of supplies. The cost for the post office to ship it to California was about $40.

[MuddyWaters]

I did mtr -whitney portal in 5 days. Its about 115 miles to WP. I carried 3 days extra food...didnt need, i had planned 8 days.

Theres a huge amt hiker buckets there in busy time. But what if there isnt?

I personally cant see 10 days...but i met people doing that who ran out of food...

[HooKooDooKu]

MTR is pretty located at the half-way point along the JMT.

I think the exact half way point is a few miles before MTR (if you're heading SOBO). But when you add the additional mileage required to get down form Whitney, the half way point for someone going from HI to WP is likely a few miles beyond MTR.

As for the expected hiking time, the answer is obviously going to vary widely... but a starting point would be to say that you can expect a JMT thru hike from HI to WP to take about 3 weeks. Perhaps the main reason I say that is because the JMT Map Booklet published by National Geographic includes a suggested itinerary of 21 day.

To complete the JMT (HI to WP) in 21 days requires an average of about 11 mpd with 2,200' of cumulative elevation gpd.
Seriously experienced thru hikers that are more accustom to hiking 15 mpd can complete the trip in 15 days with 3,000' of cumulative elevation gpd.
When the crew that filmed 'Mile... Mile & a Half' with all their heavy gear hiked it, they took about 4 weeks.

average hiking time... the answeexpect a full hike of the JMT (HI to WP) to take about 3 weeks.
The JMT map booklet published by National Geographic includes a suggested inter

[evyck da fleet]

Yes, buy a five gallon bucket. It's delivered by boat and horse. A cardboard box during a rainstorm is not a good combination.

MTR hiker buckets are good for supplementing snacks. I don't remember seeing anything appetizing for meals.

Plan for three weeks for the JMT. It took me 5 1/2 days - I had lunch at the portal - from MTR. Full disclosure: I thru'd the AT in a little over four months the previous year.

[gwschenk]

And if you can afford to spend a night there, it's highly recommended. Shower, laundry and great food.

[colorado_rob]

Just another data point on JMT resupply.... I've hiked the corridor now three times, one NOBO and one SOBO on the JMT, and most recently, a NOBO on the SHR (parallel and sometimes on the JMT)....

I've only ever resupplied at Tuolumne, VVR and Red's Meadow, and none of these places use buckets (just simple mailed boxes) and these places apparently a bit less expensive (Red's $40, VVR $25 IIRC and Tuolumne is a PO, so "free"). I realize it's slightly further from VVR to Whitney than from MTR, but we did it in 8 fairly easy days, no biggie, though our bear canisters were quite full starting out of VVR. And all three of these places are essentially right on the trail (boat ride for VVR).

Just a couple alternatives to consider for the OP. I'm not bad-mouthing MTR, we just never needed it.

[MuddyWaters]

I've only ever resupplied at Tuolumne, VVR and Red's Meadow, and none of these places use buckets (just simple mailed boxes) and these places apparently a bit less expensive (Red's $40, VVR $25 IIRC and Tuolumne is a PO, so "free"). I realize it's slightly further from VVR to Whitney than from MTR, but we did it in 8 fairly easy days, no biggie, though our bear canisters were quite full starting out of VVR. And all three of these places are essentially right on the trail (boat ride for VVR).

Just a couple alternatives to consider for the OP. I'm not bad-mouthing MTR, we just never needed it.

I wouldnt do mtr again.
Its a necessity.for 10 mpd hikers though
Not for 15+ mpd

[HooKooDooKu]

...I'm not bad-mouthing MTR, we just never needed it.

They were getting bad-mouthed on the trail... according to some, they have a reputation for not caring for JMT through hikers if they are not staying at the ranch.

The only thing I experienced that might justify such a reputation is that they want JMT thru hiker off the premises by 5 o'clock (the employee still have to take care of the over night guests).

Unfortunately I arrived at 4:30. By the time I got my resupply bucket to the sorting tables, I barely had enough time to make one pass thru the stuff in my bucket to determine what to take, what to leave, and what to throw away. I then had to quickly gather up everything I was keeping and toss it into the stuff sack I used for washing cloths as they shooed me away. I then setup a camp spot in the woods near by where I could take the time to figure out how to get all that stuff into my bear canister.

[MuddyWaters]

They were getting bad-mouthed on the trail... according to some, they have a reputation for not caring for JMT through hikers if they are not staying at the ranch.

The only thing I experienced that might justify such a reputation is that they want JMT thru hiker off the premises by 5 o'clock (the employee still have to take care of the over night guests).

Well, yes.
They are holding resupply for you....only
Its not a rest area..this is where problem arises
Some hikers expect to hang out all day under tent, they have to give them.the bums rush to make room for others

They have small area set aside. Get your bucket, take your resupply, leave.

Its not a rest area to loiter.

The old woman running the bucket process was nice to me, but ran others that had been there too long off to make room for me to sit with my bucket.

[HooKooDooKu]

I've only ever resupplied at Tuolumne, VVR and Red's Meadow, and none of these places use buckets...

Instructions for Both Red's and VVR say that a box or bucket is appropriate.
Here's their instructions:
Red's Meadows
Vermilion Valley Resort

BTW: Did some quick calculations. For those doing HI to WP and don't want to take a major detour off the JMT for resupply, here's your options and what percentage along the way they are located:
Tuolumne Post Office: 10%
Red's Meadows: 25%
Vermilion Valley Resort: 40% (largest detour in this group as you must cross the lake or hike the length of the lake)
Muir Trail Ranch: 50%
Rainbow Packers in LeConte Canyon: 62%
Sequoia Kings Packers at Charlotte Lake: 77%

I personally nixed the notion of a Charlotte Lake resupply. On a three week itinerary, you only have about 3 more nights to spend in the back country. I find it hard to justify spending $$$ for such supplies for just a couple of days.

[stilllife]

How far is VVR from MTR?

[MuddyWaters]

How far is VVR from MTR?

20ish miles.

I left VVR at 130 pm, camped at bear creek, was at MTR at lunchtime next day. Requires about 1/2 day food since your lunch is MTR, and you just left a big lunch at VVR.

[HooKooDooKu]

20ish miles.

I left VVR at 130 pm, camped at bear creek, was at MTR at lunchtime next day. Requires about 1/2 day food since your lunch is MTR, and you just left a big lunch at VVR.

This gets back to the OP's original question on average time, and that's going to be something that varies wildly.

As you can see from the numbers, to hike from VVR to MTR in a 24 hour period requires the ability to hike more than 20 miles in a single day.

While I planned for a 3 week thru, I didn't know how well I was going to do until I got out there. In the end, I made it from HI to WP in 17 days (16 nights). I averaged about 13mpd and so the trip from VVR to MTR would have taken me more than a day and a half.

And from what I saw, my slower hiking speed was still above average.

In my case, I was planning on 10 days of food from MTR to WP, and I would not have been able to stuff even one more days supplies in my bear canister (and I was going on only 3,000 calories per day using the largest off-the-shelf bear canister available).

[MuddyWaters]

This gets back to the OP's original question on average time, and that's going to be something that varies wildly.

As you can see from the numbers, to hike from VVR to MTR in a 24 hour period requires the ability to hike more than 20 miles in a single day.

While I planned for a 3 week thru, I didn't know how well I was going to do until I got out there. In the end, I made it from HI to WP in 17 days (16 nights). I averaged about 13mpd and so the trip from VVR to MTR would have taken me more than a day and a half.

And from what I saw, my slower hiking speed was still above average.

In my case, I was planning on 10 days of food from MTR to WP, and I would not have been able to stuff even one more days supplies in my bear canister (and I was going on only 3,000 calories per day using the largest off-the-shelf bear canister available).

For most part jmt is easy walking, compared to AT.

I passed a lot that stopped at 2-4 pm. When it doesnt get dark until almost 9 pm in summer.


Theres nothing wrong with that, but most peoples mileage limitation is self inflicted somehow. There were downhills after passes that were easy 8-10 mile downhill walks...but someone cant do 10 mpd? Hiking.....is about....hiking. you walk. Thats what you do. Thats all you do. Walk. This point always escapes a few people that find their way onto trails.

I had several 23-25 mile days without trying, and i didnt get up till sun was bright, and never hiked till dark. 730 am-630 pm . I had days cut short due to rain. One 10 mile day where i pitched to get out rain near another hiker at 1 pm, and stayed due to interesting company even though rain quit by 230 or so.

In spite, john ladds survey had reported most that quit... (25%!)..Couldnt do the required miles....
Poor shape, too much weight. Youd think people would be smarter. But average jmt hiker is very inexperienced.

I had lunch with a father and daughter at VVR getting off after 2-3 days...they had 65 lb packs. Both Dr.s. but apparently never heard of internet as information source..It wasnt hard to figure out the father was an overbearing know-it-all that probably ignored any advice. When i asked simply " what do do you do for a living?", By the time he was naming the 3 rd university committee....it registered...ahhh ..youre an a$$hole...

[HooKooDooKu]

For most part jmt is easy walking, compared to AT.

My experience is pretty much limited to GSMNP, but I would agree... the JMT has lots of switch backs that for the most part keeps the trail from getting as steep as I'm used to experiencing.

I passed a lot that stopped at 2-4 pm. When it doesnt get dark until almost 9 pm in summer.

That's on of the complaints I've been hearing over the years in the Yahoo and Facebook JMT groups. Many people are stopping for the day around 3pm at the popular campsites.

but most peoples mileage limitation is self inflicted somehow. There were downhills after passes that were easy 8-10 mile downhill walks...but someone cant do 10 mpd? Hiking.....is about....hiking. you walk. Thats what you do. Thats all you do. Walk. This point always escapes a few people that find their way onto trails.
I had several 23-25 mile days without trying, and i didnt get up till sun was bright, and never hiked till dark. 730 am-630 pm

And that's where we get back into different abilities by different individuals. I pretty much woke with the sun, rested an hour for lunch, and hiked until 5-6pm just about every day. But there was only 1 day that I managed to get anywhere close to 20mpd... and that was the day after I stopped early at 2pm after climbing the Golden Staircase.

By the time he was naming the 3 rd university committee....it registered...ahhh ..youre an a$$hole...

LOL

[JPritch]

For most part jmt is easy walking, compared to AT.

I have to disagree with that point. I had heard it alot leading up to my hike and was banking on it to make some big mile days. But for me anyway, the JMT was probably a little tougher mile for mile compared to the AT (I've done GA, some NC, and lots of VA). Yes, the JMT overall had more groomed trail. But it was also super steep in many parts, rocky as hell in many parts, and those damn stairs.