Another JMT+HST resupply question [Onion Valley]

Hey guys,

I'm new to this board, and am looking for some help with a problem involving a JMT hike this summer. I'm planning on hiking the JMT from Tuolumne Meadows and then connecting to the HST to finish at Crescent Meadow. Starting on July 11th and hopefully finishing on August 4th. I've read Bryan's (Bugsdad) thread regarding a similar hike that he is doing later in the Summer.

Like Bryan, I'm going to bypass Whitney, but I'm hoping to do a resupply at Onion Valley. I would greatly prefer to avoid to the time and trouble of hitchhiking into town and back, and I've heard that it costs around 500 bucks or more to have a packer meet you at Charlotte Lake. I've heard rumors, however, that you can have them meet you (or leave your resupply) at the Onion Valley trail head for a much smaller fee. This would be ideal for me, because I think I could hike over Kearsarge Pass and back and have my resupply only add one day to my trip. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience trying something like this, or knows of a Pack Company (or a generous individual) that would be willing to do this for around 50 dollars. I'm flying in from Texas so I won't be able to cache a resupply myself.

Thanks,
Joel

PS. Any other tips or insights related to this hike are welcome as well. I enjoyed reading Billy's advice about the Lake South America area on the other thread.

Joel,

You might also want to try posting these questions over at the Whitney Portal Store Message Board:
http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/cfrm

Bill-e-g and I resupplied at Vermillion Resort on Edison Lake. I don't know if this will get you to your destination but look into it. The cost was about $60 or so and I think that included sending back a box of used stuff.
Lookie here:
http://www.edisonlake.com/hikers/resupply

---

Old Dude

Planning on a resupply at Muir Trail Ranch, but I've got about 14 days left after that so I was hoping to squeeze one more in somewhere.

Found this link on another board. I don't know anything about them
http://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4858

A friend and I hiked the JMT last year, and resupplied at the Onion Valley Trailhead. We found a packer that has "bear boxes" and a building at the trailhead, so you don't have to go into Independance to get your resupply. I forget how much it was...maybe $125? But this amount was per group, not per person. Here is the contact information:

Berner's Pack Outfit
Pine Creek Pack Station
P.O. Box 968
Bishop, CA 93515

760/387-2797
800/962-0775

bernerspack@yahoo.com <[email protected]>

Hope this helps. If you want to contact me with questions, feel free.

Hey, Thanks for the info! I emailed the Berner's, and they said they could hold a package for me at the Onion Valley Trailhead for me for $125. Seems a little pricey for just dropping a package off at the trailhead, but there aren't a lot of options in that area. I think this is the best option I have found so far.
- Joel

Yeah, I know. We did it so that we wouldn't have to get a ride into Independence. As it turns out, we saw someone heading out and, being that we were desperately hungry for a subway sandwich (anything other than what we'd been eating for 2 1/2 weeks), we decided to head into town. It would have been no problem to go to the post office, but then, we had no way of knowing when planning our trip.

I was also being plagued by blisters (something I almost never get) and needed more bandaids.

We easily got a ride back to the trailhead by waiting for a truck that had backpacks in it and putting up our thumbs. It took maybe an hour. But then again, who knows how it would be on another day. If you're like me at all, I just didn't want the uncertainty of rides, time of arrival, etc.