JMT resupply basics

Resupply is the logistical core of a John Muir Trail hike. There are only a handful of places to restock along 211 miles, one of them needs a bucket mailed weeks in advance, and the longest gap between roads is over 100 miles. Your resupply plan determines your pack weight, and pack weight determines how the trail feels.

Start with the constraint, not the plan

Two numbers set everything else.

Food weight. Budget 1.5 to 2 pounds per person per day. Most people who hike 15 or more miles a day at altitude want 3,000 to 4,500 calories, which lands near the top of that range. Underestimating here is the single most common JMT planning mistake.

Canister volume. A bear canister is required for the whole route, and it is the binding constraint, not your pack. A BV500 holds roughly six to seven days of carefully repacked food. Larger carbon-fibre canisters buy a couple of extra days at a significant cost. Decide how many days you must carry before you decide where to resupply, not after.

The resupply points, southbound

Tuolumne Meadows — about mile 23. The store, grill and post office here have historically been the first easy resupply. A multi-year reconstruction project has affected services in recent seasons, so confirm what is actually open before planning around it. Even when running, it is too early in the trip to be very useful.

Reds Meadow and Devils Postpile — about mile 60. The first genuinely practical stop. Reds Meadow Resort has a small store and accepts mailed packages, and a shuttle runs to Mammoth Lakes, where there is a full supermarket, gear shops and a bed if you want one. Many people take their first zero here. Note that the Reds Meadow road has been closed in some seasons after fire and storm damage.

Vermilion Valley Resort — about mile 88. Reached from the trail via Lake Edison. Historically a ferry ran across the lake, but low water has cancelled it in dry years, leaving a walk of roughly five miles around the shore. VVR accepts shipped buckets and is a much-loved stop, but its operating status has varied year to year.

Muir Trail Ranch — about mile 110. The most important resupply on the trail, because after it there is no road access for roughly the next 100 miles to Whitney Portal. MTR takes five-gallon buckets shipped well in advance — deadlines are typically several weeks ahead of pickup — with a per-bucket fee and a reservation. It is not a store; you can only collect what you sent, plus whatever is in the legendary hiker buckets of surplus food that departing hikers leave behind.

Onion Valley over Kearsarge Pass — about mile 178, plus 7.5 miles. The standard way to break up the long southern stretch. You leave the JMT near Bullfrog Lake, climb over Kearsarge Pass at 11,760 feet, and drop to the Onion Valley trailhead, from where you can hitch to Independence or Bishop. Getting back costs a 2,500-foot climb. It is also the main bail-out point if something goes wrong in the second half.

Two common plans

Three resupplies. Reds Meadow, Muir Trail Ranch and Onion Valley. No carry exceeds about six days, a BV500 is sufficient, and your pack rarely feels brutal. The cost is roughly a day and a half of walking and hitching for the Kearsarge trip.

Two resupplies. Reds Meadow and Muir Trail Ranch, then straight through to Whitney Portal. This is a carry of eight to ten days depending on your pace, which needs a larger canister and a genuine tolerance for a heavy pack for the first few days out of MTR. It is the cleaner, more committing version of the hike.

Practical notes

• Repack everything out of retail packaging before you ship it. Volume, not weight, is what fills a canister.
• Label buckets and boxes with your name, your permit start date and your expected pickup date, exactly as each business asks.
• Include the small things you will run out of: sunscreen, lip balm, ibuprofen, batteries, spare socks, a fresh lighter.
• Ship early enough that a delayed package cannot end your trip, and keep the tracking numbers with you.
• Confirm addresses, deadlines and fees for the current season directly with each business. These change, and a bucket sent to last year’s address is a very bad day.