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Thread: Independence

  1. #1
    Registered User Peanut's Avatar
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    Default Independence

    My friends and I are planning on hiking out Kearsage Pass to Independence for a package at the PO, and I was wondering if there was a small store at the campground at the trailhead or near the PO to supplement my meals that I'm sending myself. Thanks for any info...and for all info you guys have been giving me. You have made my planning a lot easier! Thanks!

  2. #2

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    There's a good convenience store in Independence itself.
    Some knew me as Piper, others as just Diane.
    I hiked the PCT: Mexico to Mt. Shasta, 2008. Santa Barbara to Canada, 2009.

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Peanut View Post
    My friends and I are planning on hiking out Kearsage Pass to Independence for a package at the PO, and I was wondering if there was a small store at the campground at the trailhead or near the PO to supplement my meals that I'm sending myself. Thanks for any info...and for all info you guys have been giving me. You have made my planning a lot easier! Thanks!

    I suggest to mail yourself a resupply via the Berner Pack station at the trailhead. No store up there, and Independence is about 10 miles down the road, desert road. Not a lot of traffic there so hitching a ride is more difficult than at Whitney Portal. And Independence is worse than Lone Pine when it comes to finding suitable food to take back on the trail.

    To get in touch with the pack station, call toll free 1 800 962 0775. Another possible phone # in Bishop is 760 387 2627. You will be in contact with Dee or Brian Berner. Ask them about the resupply package pickup at the pack station on Kearsarge Pass Trailhead (they operate two pack stations, make sure they know which one you are talking about). They are mostly in the business to pack these thigns into the wilderness for prices few are able to justify, but they have offered to hold supply packages at the trialhead for many years (they don't operate every summer up there, so double check everything) Their package holding fees are along the usual Sierra rates (~$50 I think), and since you're already hiking down there, this saves you the hassle to find something to eat on the trail at the Chevron gas station mini mart in Independence. Note that just about anything you buy in these Owens Valley towns is 3x more expensive than in your regular urban shopping center, if you can find it.

    There is a campground in Onion Valley (another word for the road end at Kearsarge Pass where the pack station is located)

  4. #4

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    No store at the Kearsarge Pass TH. This TH does experience less traffic than the Whitney Portal TH. But, if hitting KP TH during typical hiking season, as I always have, roughly between late June and mid Oct I have never waited longer than 30 mins to get a ride into Indy. Just as at the WP TH, nearly everyone is heading back out to the main road on the eastern Sierras, Hwy 395 from these THs. Getting back to either TH can be a bit more difficult though as the roads to these THs end at the THs! DOES NOT HAVE TO BE HARD HITCH BACK TO THE KP TH THOUGH!


    AS HF has said, you could have a resupply package waiting for you at the KP TH if, for whatever reasons, you don't want to head into Indy. Sometimes resupply packages are left for hikers in the bear boxes located at the KP TH. This service obviously costs money. I have personally inquired of the services provided by Brian and Danica Berner. However, I'm usually hiking on a tight budget and don't mind going/hitching into town to pick up resupplies, so I have not personally utilized their services. Other hikers can take different resupply approaches. The Berners are reliable from all the sources I have known who have used their services. Checking my rather dated Sierra contacts I have Brian's and Danicas Ph # as 760-387-2797 and the same 800 number as provided by HF. The name of their biz is Sequoia Kings Pack Train.


    As HF said, if you thought Lone Pine was small and had limited services, Indy is even smaller. Both towns are HOT and DRY in the summer and possibly DUSTY(if the wind kicks up). When resupplying out of Indy I have always mailed myself a package via PRIORITY FLAT RATE BOXES to the PO or taken the bus about 40 miles north to Bishop where you can get anything. It all depends on how eager you are to get back to the trail. BTW, I suggest you use PRIORITY mail if sending resupply boxes to the eastern Sierras! I would confirm this, but at last notice I think the Indy PO WAS NOT open on Sat-Sun and they close for a hr or so for lunch. This is a smaller town! I think one person operates the PO. You could possibly get a sandwich, shower, do laundry, a room, camp, and/or buy some LIMITED resuppply in Indy though. There is a decent small convenient store in Indy where IF you are not overly picky you could get enough trailfood for say about 3-5 days! I will also make note, as HF has accurately mentioned, resupplying at some of the smaller eastern Sierra towns can get a bit pricey, at least according to my typical frugal trail budgets! Bishop is not particularly pricey though!

    Locals wil give rides back to KP TH. There is also a taxi service that will take you back to the KP TH. Don't recall their name though. Might work nicely if you split the cost with other hikers? Could get you back to the trail faster?


    It's a nice(scenic) hike out over KP. It's a little slippery on scree eroded trail coming back over KP to the JMT.

  5. #5
    Registered User Razor's Avatar
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    Peanut,we plan on doing the resupply there also. I think we are a little spoiled from the AT. It is a pain to develop a strategy for the JMT but you have to do it. I prefer to think of the extra side trips as part of the journey to enjoy.

  6. #6

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    The side trips are beautiful. A little-used side trip is to hike out over Bishop Pass through Dusy Basin. There's a resort one mile down the road from the TH called Parcher's Resort. They'll hold hiker packages and they have a store and restaurant (unsure what's available, though, and probably pretty limited selection.) You can purchase a shower. Dusy Basin is gorgeous and the whole trail up and over the pass is full of amazing spires and lovely lakes.
    Some knew me as Piper, others as just Diane.
    I hiked the PCT: Mexico to Mt. Shasta, 2008. Santa Barbara to Canada, 2009.

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    Registered User Peanut's Avatar
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    Does anyone have an address for the pack station?

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    Registered User Razor's Avatar
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    This is an expensive option. It was $125.00 last year and needs exact timing. We are considering the Parchers idea or HH into town .Here is the info for the pack stations: http://bit.ly/lxRED8.

  9. #9

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    Razor and Sbhikes have the right frame of mind!

    I prefer to think of the extra side trips as part of the journey to enjoy. - Razor

    The side trips are beautiful. - Sbhikes

    I don't want to overwhelm you with resupply options Peanut but I totally agree with everything Sbhikes said about resupplying via Bishop Pass through Dusy Basin. Dusy Basin and the hike over Bishop Pass and out to South Lake is probably my favorite resupply hike out option along the entire JMT when I'm not in that hurried gotta go gotta go thru-hiker mentality. It is scenic. It does however require a climb on switchbacked trail out of LeConte Canyon(one of my favorite canyons in all of the Sierras) up to Dusy Basin. There is water along the way though at a nice natural water slide and at a small wooden bridge that crosses just below a waterfall. The view coming back to the JMT is majestic and far reaching though. You'll pass some incredibly huge ANCIENT juniper trees along the way up to DB. There are a few decent campsites near water about 1/2 the way up to DB/down to the JMT along the switchbacks. There are also MANY campsites between Bishop Pass and the South Lake/Bishop Pass TH at several lakes. This TH does experience traffic and it's not far from South Lake where people go to fish and boat out of the small marina. Parchers Resort is another mailed resupply box option that more hikers should take advantage of! I believe they have a bunk house but also nice private rooms, a ding room, showers, etc As Sbhikes said it's a short walk from the TH to the resort.

    The convenience store in Indy is right across the street from the PO.

    Google High Sierra Pack Stations or Sequoia Kings Pack train.

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