Where to Re-supply

Permits

Since the JMT traverses National Parks and wilderness areas, you will need a permit. Fortunately, only one is needed. You can apply for a permit online and then pick it up at your point of entry. Depending upon your starting point, reserve your permit at one of these links: Forest Service Permits; Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park Service Permits; Yosemite National Park Permits. It’s generally easier to get a permit at the northern end in Yosemite, since if you’re starting from the south at Whitney Portal, you’ll have to enter a lottery with others who are just climbing Mt. Whitney. Wherever you start, make sure to get your permit stamped for the Whitney Zone. There a few other permit tips at backpack45.

In any case, apply early because there are quotas. We applied in January, and some August dates were already filled.

The northern half of the JMT has several re-supply options. If you start from Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley, you could go light, take just enough food for a day or two and re-supply at Tuolumne Meadows. There is a Post Office at the trail-head, so simply send a parcel post package to yourself.

The next possibility is Red’s Meadow. This is a resort and pack-station near Devil’s Postpile, in the Mammoth area. They have a café and a shuttle bus for trips into Mammoth, and you could go there to pick up a package or visit a grocery store. According to their web-site, Red's Meadow will also accept packages via mail. We didn’t use this strategy, but another hiker I know re-supplied there, and said it worked well. Since Red’s Meadow is only two days from Tuolumne Meadows, you could carry a very light pack during the early stage of your hike. You will almost certainly stop at those two places anyway, and they are essentially “on trail,” so you aren’t going out of your way.

Vermilion Valley Resort:

A few days later, you'll reach Vermilion Valley Resort, and could pick up more supplies there. This is a great place to re-supply, and most hikers make this stop. V.V.R. is backpacker-friendly, and they have facilities where you can wash your clothes and take a shower. They have a good restaurant, but frankly after several days on the trail, we weren’t very fussy. Still a good steak and a beer will restore your cheer. They currently charge $15 per package to pick up your re-supply They have a public phone, and a small store. Most hikers get their package and immediately spend some time sorting through it. Inevitably everyone packs extra things they don’t really need, and some food that they no longer have an appetite for. Of course, you can arrange to ship this excess stuff back home, but usually it’s not worth the extra $10. Vermilion Valley Resort has a bear-proof barrel where you can “donate” your unwanted stuff to other hikers who might need it. After sorting through our packages, we dropped some items into the barrel. It was completely full! Some items in the barrel were very useful: full gas canisters, good food items and some gear. We joked that late in the season, you wouldn’t even need a re-supply package; just get all you need from the “barrel.”

There are a few things to remember about V.V.R. You get there via a boat shuttle which does the trip twice a day, so you have to time your arrival at the dock or you might end up with a long wait. They take your credit card and let you run a tab while you’re there, and while their prices are reasonable, it’s easy to run this up. V.V.R., by tradition, offers every hiker the first beverage and one night’s stay in a communal tent free. All in all, V.V.R. is a recommended stop!

Muir Trail Ranch:

The Muir Trail Ranch is the last near-trail re-supply point on the northern JMT. They currently charge $45 to get your package and hold it for you. The Muir Trail Ranch is a dude ranch, and that is their focus. They are not backpacker-centric. Study their site so you will understand what they will and will not do.

Our experience was that they were curt and wanted us to pick up our package, sort it quickly and be on our way. Despite this, and the high price to hold your package, we would probably use them again. You will not find another near-trail re-supply point for the rest of your hike. Some hikers try to carry a 10-12 day food supply from the Muir Trail Ranch and make it last for the rest of their hike. Others send about a week’s supply of food to the Muir Trail Ranch, and later hike out to a town to pick up their last re-supply

Southern JMT Re-supply Tactics:

re-supply package contents Sorting a re-supply package

All of the JMT is in remote high-country, but once you get past the Muir Ranch, it gets really remote. If you are a fast hiker, you might be able to go from the Muir Ranch to Whitney Portal without an additional re-supply Some people do. However, if you’re an average hiker, it will probably take you about ten days of strong hiking. This is the highest, most rugged part of the JMT. In fact, it is the highest stretch of the whole Pacific Crest Trail. You will cross some very formidable passes and you will see fewer people. Carrying a ten day food supply might even slow you down and stretch your hike another day or two. Now you might need a 12 day food supply. One woman and her daughter used this tactic and made the distance in 11 days. She said they had little left to eat for the last two days.

Some hikers rendezvous with friends or arrange for a packer to meet them somewhere in the middle of the stretch. Arranging a rendezvous in the wilderness is tricky at best. Any number of things can delay you. Your packer could be thrown off schedule too. Some packers may make “drops,” but if you decide to go that route, make sure everyone understands exactly how it will be done.

Trail Town Re-supply:

The most common way to re-supply is to hike to a nearby trail-head, and then hitch-hike into town. This isn’t as dangerous as it sounds. After you get to the trail-head, you can spot people going to their cars and pick the ones you feel safe about asking for a ride. Frankly, after several days on the trail, you’re the one who probably looks scary—so try to clean up a bit first. Town re-supply options include Independence over Kearsarge Pass, and Bishop, over Bishop Pass.

Doing a re-supply in Independence or Bishop is a good option, but you should allow 2 or 3 days to do it. In theory, you could start very early in the day, go out over the pass, hitchhike into town, re-supply and get a room in town for the night. The next morning, return over the pass and get back on trail by noon. Most will not be very happy with a schedule this hectic. Realistically, you might want to stay in town a second night, and use the extra time to wash, sort gear, relax a bit and best of all, eat well for the day. Staying in town longer can get counter-productive though, as we quickly get out of trail mode. 

Trail Conditioning