I resupplied as I went; never sending myself any food. I did, however, have a bounce boxed filled with guide-book sections and nutritional supplements that I mailed along about every 500 miles.
I liked the challenge of putting together a resupply from what I could find in the little stores and the freedom from trying to make post office deadlines.
Having to get to the next post office before it closes for the weekend, can be a good motivator for getting a lot of miles in, but it would get old if I had to do it too often. I really hate having to get anything in the mail; it always thwarts my freedom.
Resupply at the big stores was a real treat and I would walk out of town with multi-grain tortillas, deli cheese and meat, fresh fruit and veggies, dark chocolate, Crystal Light energy drink, and my water bottles filled with Odowalla juices.
20.6 Lake Morena— resupplied at small store. Short distance from trail
43.0 Mt. Laguna— resupplied at small store .04 mile of trail
77.6 Julian–Ate at the restaurants, resupplied, and used the Internet at the library. Hitched in, in the morning and took the afternoon bus back the same day. 13 mile hitch or bus ride.
109.6 Warner Springs — Ate at the restaurant. Between the hiker box and the store there was enough food to resupply with. You don’t have to backtrack to the trail.
151.3 Paradise Cafe— Ate at the restaurant there. The restaurant also sold cookies and snacks. Next time I will resupply there. They are closed one day a week… I think it is Tuesday. 1 mile hitch or walk–trail to restaurant if you don’t want to walk on the road
178.6 Idyllwild— Stayed at the Idyllwild Inn in one of their theme rooms. Bathtub, coffee pot, fridge, fireplace. Laundry. Very good value. Resupplied and ate a couple of meals in restaurants. There is a way back to the trail that won’t require backtracking: take the deer springs trail back up.
265.3 Big Bear– Quick in and out stop to get more food. 5 mile hitch on Highway 18
342.1 Cajon Pass –Resupplied at the Chevron station. Ate at McDonald’s. Stayed a night at the Best Western. Got laundry done and used their Internet. Very good value.
Robins Nest RV park— Ordered a pizza, did laundry and showered while I waited for the pizza to arrive. Ate ½ of the pizza there and hiked out with the other half. They also have salads. About 10-15 miles from Agua Dulce. It’s about 1/3 mile off trail but you can get back to the trail by walking the rail road tracks for a bit so you won’t have to back track.
454.4 Agua Dulce— Good store for resupply. Right on the trail. Received and mailed on, my bounce box at Donna’s and used the Internet there.
566.6 Tehachapi– A trail angel gave me a ride here and took me to the Albertson’s and then dropped me off at the Best Western. There was a K-mart close to the motels with lots of food. Spent the night and took an expensive taxi back to the trail.. The Taxi driver won’t pick up before 6am. 9 mile hitch on Highway 58
702.8 Kennedy Meadows– Resupplied there for the next 200 miles. Showers and camping. Small grill. The laundry didn’t work while I was there. I received my bear canister, ice ax, and received and sent my bounce box there. .07 miles off trail
906.6 Reds Meadow/Mammoth Lakes— Free hot spring shower, restaurant and small store. Stayed 2 nights in Mammoth Lakes and resupplied there. The bus down to Mammoth Lakes is free but you have to purchase a wilderness permit to ride it. Tell them when you will be coming back and the ride back is free. It was early in the season and the bus didn’t go all the way down to Mammoth Lakes so I had to hitch some of the way.
942.7 Tuolumne Meadows— Resupplied at the very nice camp store, ate at the grill and camped at the campground. The store was closing at 4pm when I went through. Fresh fruit and vegetables available. .02 off trail.
1018.3 Kennedy Meadows Resort(northern)— Had a shower here, resupplied, and ate 2 breakfasts at the café. If their washing machines weren’t busy they said I could use them. They were, so I washed out my stuff in the shower and let it dry while I shopped. ( Recently burned down but may be rebuilt) 10 mile hitch
1094.5 Echo Lake— Resupplied at the store, ate lots of fresh fruit and had a sandwich. Sent my ice axe and bear canister back there. Received and sent on my bounce box. Worst PO ever. They will tell you they don’t have your package but if you keep bugging them they might find it. On trail.
1155.8 Truckee— Ate at a restaurant, resupplied at the Safeway and got jazzed at Starbucks. 10 mile hitch.
1197.6 Sierra City– The store used to hate hikers and the RV park used to love them. Now, the store people are nice and the RV park hates hikers. Despite the big “Welcome” sign, the guy at the RV park said he wouldn’t let a hiker take a shower or stay there for any price. Resupplied at the store, did laundry, ate at two restaurants, slept in the store owner’s utility trailer for the night. The store owner said he might put in a shower in the laundry mat. There is a short cut into this town.
1289.3 Beldon/ Caribou — You can not lower you expectations enough to not be disappointed by Beldon. Pretend it doesn’t exist and just keep on hiking down the road a mile to Caribou. There you will find a small store, restaurant, showers and laundry. The store is very small.
1377.7 Old station– Took a shower, did laundry, ate at the deli and resupplied at the store. Down the trail a ways is a truck stop with another store, restaurant, showers and laundry that I think I will try next time. Received and sent on my bounce box from the post office. .03 mile of trail.
1423.6 Burney Falls camp store– Resupplied, had root beer floats, and hiked on. There are showers but I passed. The store wasn’t great for resupply but I made it. There is a short cut into the camp store.
1506.5 Castella– Small well stocked store. If you want to buy some tortillas, ask the guy behind the burrito counter. Resupplied at the store, ate lots of fresh fruit, had a burrito, took a shower and camped at the campground. There is a short cut, back up to the trail so you won’t need to backtrack.
1606.3 Etna– very desolate road to hitch in on. There is a motel that looked great for 45 dollars but I had to stay in Alderbrook’s barn for 25 dollars, because I had my new shoes shipped there. Ate at a diner a couple of times, resupplied at the grocery store, did internet at the library. Alderbrook’s fee included a ride back to the trail. 15 mile hitch.
1662.1 Seiad Valley– Stayed at the trailer park for two nights waiting on a package. The trailer park excepts packages if you spend the night, or if you don’t they charge you 7.50. The guy has fixed up a little straw lined, fenced in, hiker spot with a covered area, TV, VCR, refrigerator, microwave, and light. There are movies to watch in the office. There is a laundry mat and coin operated showers. The store has fresh stuff and enough food to get you to the next resupply. There is a small restaurant that closes really early. I noticed a rural bus stopping here. It must go to a bigger town.. Received and sent bounce box on to Portland. On trail.
1750.2 Hyatt Lake– Took a shower, did laundry, ordered a large pizza wrapped up ½ to take with me, ate at the salad bar, bought some candy bars and nuts at the bait shop to augment my pizza resupply and hiked on. .5 mile hitch or walk. I think you could walk down the road and then hit the trail through the campground so you wouldn’t have to backtrack.
1830.4 Crater Lake– Stayed at the campground, took a shower, did laundry, resupplied at the camp store, and ate at the all you can eat buffet across the parking lot. Fresh fruit. After walking up to the Rim Village–1834.9, I ate again.
approx. 1915 Willamette Pass– Wrapped up a large pizza, ate some biscuits and gravy and bought some candy bars and chips at the little store. This ski resort is only open on weekends, now, but you can always resupply at Shelter Cove Resort–1912.2. There is a short cut way to Shelter Cove Resort. The ski resort is about 1/4 mile down the road.
1958.3 Elk Lake Resort– Ate lunch, had some ice cream, resupplied, and hiked out. Not much, but I made it okay. I think they have a shower but I passed. It’s one mile off trail but, I think there is a short cut you could take so that you don’t have to backtrack here but I didn’t realize it until it was too late.
1989.5 Sisters– Stayed in a motel, did laundry, ate profusely from the grocery store that had a good deli selection and salads. Resupplied and got back on the trail. There is free camping in town.
2053.1 Ollalie Lake– Small camp store. Resupplied here, ate a frozen burrito and hiked out. I think they have a shower but I passed on it. Estacada ranger station no longer takes packages so if you want to send a package here you need to send it to their office in Bend and then once a week they go get them.
2107.3 Timberline Lodge– Restaurant with great all you can eat breakfast buffet. Resupplied out of vending machines ( the ones in the main lodge are cheaper then the ones down below), the store had some things like gourmet candy bars and gourmet jerky and the cafeteria had packables like bagels, cream cheese in little packages, and apples.
2155.0 Cascade Locks– Resupplied out of store and ate at the Charburger. Next time I’m going to try the road walk through Stevenson.
2189.1 Stablers store– This is where I was picked up and taken to Portland. There is enough here to resupply with.
Portland– Resupplied and rested at my son’s place.
2302.8 White Pass– Resupplied, did laundry, ate a turkey wrap, drank a cup of good coffee, and hit the trail. In past hikes, I have wanted to stay at the condos there; the man there has always been so mean that I just walked away. Didn’t even try this time.
2401.7 Snoqualmie Pass– Stayed at the motel, did laundry, ate several meals at the restaurant, resupplied between the two convenience stores. Fresh fruit.
In what will be named the biggest mistake of my trip I opted for the 50 mile road walk around Glacier Peak, since the PCT had it’s bridges out and wasn’t being maintained and the reroute was closed due to fires.
Coles Corner– Resupplied at the gas station and ate at the restaurant. Ate again on down the road.
2574.1 Stehekin— The few shelves dedicated to food in the store were mostly empty. I asked for cheese and they brought some out from the back room. Bought candy bars, cheese, and chips at the store. At the bakery, I resupplied with bagels, pizza and cinnamon rolls. Ate at the restaurant, took a shower ,and camped in the campground. The washer was broken. You have to go up to the visitor center and get your free permit to camp.
2655. Manning Park– Stayed at the lodge, ate in the restaurant, did laundry, and took the Greyhound bus, that stops right in front of the lodge, out of there.
I have a fair amount of gear and some of it, is at my son’s. I tell him when he looks at the gear he should get all tingly, thinking about the independence and adventure that it will bring, but he doesn’t feel it. He is moving to a place with less storage, so, he is sending the gear back to me.
What would you say about a laptop that:
Somewhere in the Sierras, I got tired. It got hard to go uphill. I was slow and out of breath with any uphill. I suspected I was anemic. One afternoon I sat down to take a break and I couldn’t get myself to get up again. I thought I should put up my tent to avoid the mosquitoes, but I was too tired. Finally, I just pulled out my sleeping bag and slept next to the trail. In the morning, it was hard to roust myself and I got a late start.
I got a 
snow comes, I can carry my chainsaw out into the woods, cut some wood and haul the wood back to my cabin.
I learned this from a guy I hiked with for awhile, named Just Dave. Get an extra cap that fits on one of your “disposable” water bottles. Hold your needle in a cloth and heat up the tip of it with your lighter. When it is very hot, poke a hole in the cap.
bends after hiking 2700 miles–no problem.