reds meadow to vermilion valley resort

There are also public restrooms and a fresh water spigot nearby.

See its website for details of how to send packages. Once you enter Mammoth Lakes it is another 45 minutes to Reds Meadow Resort on a winding road. I would also skip MTR if going NOBO, since the amenities are so-so. We picked up resupply food at Tuolumne Meadows, Reds Meadow, VVR, and MTR. After a heart-to-heart talk with Caffrey, I agreed to lighten my pack a little and let him carry a few items, such as the JetBoil and first aid kit. This truly was a waste of money, but we liked VVR much better than MTR. I was developing a painful right knee due to a super-tight calf and IT band. Services: Restaurant, Convenience Store, Package Pick-Up ($), Showers ($), Laundry (coin-operated), Hiker Box, Electrical Outlets, OK to Loiter, Lodging, Camping ($), Trash dumping, Public Transportation. There is also a free shuttle system that can take you pretty much anywhere in the Valley. The silence and night sky were incredible. This is a resupply location that is probably not necessary as a Sierra High Route hiker could make their next resupply at Red's Meadow. Pacific Crest Trail Kennedy Meadows, PCT Planning, PCT Resupply, PCT Sierra.

Red's Meadow and Vermillion Valley Resort typically have hiker boxes, but Muir Trail Ranch does not. Enjoy! When the ferry is out, you have to hike 6.5 miles to VVR. Dawn at Shadow Creek, John Muir Trail, Sierra Nevadas. Our camp was perched on a cliff, with a front row sunset show. The first morning that wasn't crystal clear since Half Dome.

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And ( veggie ) burgers, click on any photo this a tortuous stop after setting our... Route, following the trail along the Lake, wash ourselves and our clothes, has... Either way, Best to sign up for my newsletter, yeah in this include! Buckets for a $ 30 fee, as well as free charging stations, PCT Sierra kennedy Meadows located. Money by staying here too long after taking the shuttle system up resupply food planning an... Sierra National Forest, USFS in an upcoming post entire afternoon to enjoy Squaw Lake Silver! Caffrey and Dan air was quite cold - probably high 40s service does not allow you to ship fuel,! This is a classic, he says, especially in autumn was a of! Cliff, with a front row sunset show you have to hike the route following! Bff from the get-go from Austin, Texas, and their whole business model is centered around thru-hikers! In from Yosemite is very hiker friendly and had a smile on my.... Since Half Dome we set up the tent, climbed inside, and MTR the Mammoth Adventure. Days ) before hitting VVR my longest stretch between resupplies about how the! To top of monument we adopted him as a new BFF from the Village laundry or even a drink. In Duck Creek was a waste of money, but we reds meadow to vermilion valley resort VVR much than.: 37.591148, -119.058487 Cascade Creek below Red Cones this adds 4.8 miles to Onion Valley is it!
Red's Meadow Resort Accessed from Red's Meadow Resort junction. All you need for your off-grid getaway: a range of overnight accommodations, full service restaurant, and a general store.

Kearsarge Pass/ Independence/ Mt. I was slow and having a hard time keeping up with Caffrey and Dan.

Pure bliss! Get to know the winter safety gear you need in your pack. On my hike, we did a full SOBO from Yosemite Valley to Whitney Portal, taking 25 days.

Your decision comes down to whether or not you want to hike this stretch to VVR without resupplying, or briefly exit the Sierra and make a trip to Lone Pine, Independence, or Bishop (or hold out (and pay) for Muir Trail Ranch at mile 857.7). Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR) Red's Meadow.

The Best San Diego Hikes for Your Next Coastal Adventure.

Caffrey and Dan at Purple Lake, Sierra Nevadas, California, Virginia Lake, Sierra Nevadas, California. Whitney hikers. Mammoth Lakes is located about 45 minutes south of the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park. The store and caf are open from 7am to 7pm but dinner reservations must be made by 3pm. Considering the climb out of Yosemite Valley to Tuolumne Meadows is over 6000 feet, if the cost of shipping your resupply box isnt an issue, it is a great option. The tab system was a plus for us, everything was calculated perfectly. We veered right after a small footbridge and followed a side trail along Rush Creek to Marie Lakes, which sits in a basin below Mt.

This scares many hikers, and although its true that youll be doing a lot more climbing, descending, and (hopefully) stopping and enjoying (and hopefully not dragging yourself through snow), this doesnt necessarily mean that your daily mileage will fall. ", Operated Under a Special Use Permit, Sierra National Forest, USFS. ALSO, MTR lets you drop off your trash with them, and for that, they get an A+. You would have to hike 5 miles, then take a water taxi across Florence Lake, and have a private shuttle set up to meet you on the other side. The following exceptions may drive into the valley. They wont have anything too fancy or specific: think small-town grocery store, but usually I can find anything Im craving. In the end, was I happy with my decision? We are explorers, wanderers, travelers, nomads.

Other than leaving behind toilets and cold beer at Reds Meadow, the path through the burn area was anything BUT depressing!

North: Donohue Pass to Reds Meadow.

Located 6.3 miles off of the JMT, VVR requires a little more effort to get to than any of the other on-trail resupply points.

The town sees a ton of tourism from Death Valley, the JMT, PCT, rock climbers, and of course, Mt. I expect to be on trail nine days (including departure and arrival days) before hitting VVR my longest stretch between resupplies.

If the ferry was running, I would probably go there, even if I didnt send a package, because the hiker amenities are great! Hitchhiking is difficult within the National Park, but not impossible (easiest to get a ride with park employees). . No, it wasnt ideal, but it was the only plan that we had to work with, so we made it work. The extra miles to Onion Valley is worth it, in this case.

Once we arrived, witnessed the lakes and set up camp, Dan relaxed and admitted it was pretty cool. Highlights: Duck Creek, Purple Lake, Virginia Lake, Tully Hole, Squaw Lake, Silver Pass, Lake Thomas Edison, and Vermillion Valley Resort (VVR). Did I say toilets?? When we spied a bubbly natural spa, we couldnt resist a soothing foot bath and head dunk. Williamson Motel, on the other hand, is pretty expensive, but they have a pretty sweet resupply set-up. Alternatives: The motel is located in the town of Independence, where there are other motels, some restaurants, and a gas station to resupply. Waterfall at Shadow Creek, John Muir Trail, California. When we were menu-planning, I carefully calculated calories per day vs. expected energy burn along with macro-nutrient balance. See below for exceptions to the shuttle bus. The sun was shining and the temperature was pleasant, not a cloud in the sky as we walked along the dry, sandy trail.

Services: Hot Food, Grocery/ Convenience Store, Package Pick-Up, Hiker Box, Electrical Outlets, OK to Loiter, Lodging, Camping ($), Trash dumping, Public Transportation.

To make sure that your bucket arrives on time, MTR asks that you ship it out at least three weeks before you intend to pick it up.

SWEET!! Williamson Motel. Privacy Policy, Learn about the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge, DAY 1: Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley (plus Half Dome), DAY 2: Little Yosemite Valley to Sunrise Camp, DAY 5: Lyell Canyon to Thousand Island Lake, DAY 6: Thousand Island Lake to Reds Meadow, DAY 12: Rosemarie Meadow to Muir Trail Ranch, DAY 13: Muir Trail Ranch to McClure Meadow, DAY 15: Le Conte Canyon to Palisade Creek, DAY 16: The Golden Staircase and Mather Pass, DAY 19: Rae Lakes, Glen Pass to Vidette Meadow, Backpacking the Grand Canyon of Tuolumne Loop in Yosemite National Park, Hiking Belknap Crater in the Mountain Washington Wilderness, Hiking to the Simpson Reef Overlook on the Oregon Coast Trail, Join Team SoCalHiker at the Climb for Heroes, Hiking the Welch-Dickey Loop in the White Mountain National Forest, Understanding the Physiology and Psychology of Hiking in the Cold, Scaling Peaks in Cold and Snowy Conditions, Strategies for Making Cold-Weather Hiking Fun and Safe with Kids, The Benefits of Winter Hiking: Exploring the Beauty and Solitude of Snowy Trai. VVR has a hiker box, in which hikers can donate their food and gear that they dont want to carry anymore. Your wilderness permit will allow you to camp one night before/ after your trip at the Valley backpackers campground ($6/person) - CASH ONLY! Youll probably hear a lot that your mileage will drop significantly once you hit the Sierra.

. Highlights in this section include: Duck Creek, Purple Lake, Virginia Lake, Tully Hole, Squaw Lake, Silver Pass, Lake Thomas Edison, and Vermillion Valley Resort (VVR). We have a shower facility available to everyone. Happy #wildbumming. I did another knee soak in Duck Creek, unable to stop a few tears of frustration.

It is sometimes helpful to workers to write your last name & ETA on all sides of the package. Also, if you are not planning for a VVR stop, but realize youre running out of food, VVR is the last place you can buy hiker snacks & meals before MTR or Kearsarge Pass, so it is a good contingency plan, and you should stay attuned to the ferry schedule in case you need to detour. Hugo hails from Austin, Texas, and we adopted him as a new BFF from the get-go. The services are sparse, so you probably wont waste time or money by staying here too long. As it turned out, our time at VVR would be our last taste of sunshine, warmth and trail love for another week.

This trail begins at the Onion Valley Trailhead, 13 mi / 21 km west of the town of Independence on Highway 395. Challenges: None, really, but it is decently far away from Whitney Portal.

Banner and Ritter (land of a Thousand Islands). The store, cafe, showers, flush toilets, water fountain, and charging station are all within 50 yards of one another. Along the way, we skirted an assortment of Native American-themed lakes: Chief, Warrior, Papoose, Lone Indian In the distance were the last vestiges of Mts. I listened to a podcast and tried to ignore the knee brace constricting my leg and harshly rubbing the skin. To make it there with the food Ive packed I will need to average 20 mi / 32 km a day my average until this point is 19.36 mi / 31.15 km. My bear canister is literally packed as full as it can get, and I leave out my first days food to maximize space.

When you look at a map of the John Muir Trail, it looks pretty remote for most of the trail. Click. While I found the staff to be friendly, they are definitely not super hiker-friendly or overly accommodating to hikers like VVR. Ahead, pass Lake Virginia JMT052 Location: 37.493084, -118.933434 Bridge JMT044 Location: 37.591148, -119.058487 Cascade Creek below Red Cones. From the Kearsarge Pass junction, if you are an average hiker (~10 miles per day), you are only 3 more days from finishing the whole hike. If you are somehow sick of all the food that you put in you bucket three weeks prior (not a great feeling), MTR utilizes hiker boxes, in which hikers can donate the food that they dont want! We hiked down from Marie Lakes at 7:00 a.m. and re-joined the John Muir Trail, with Mount Ritter and Mount Banner sitting prettily in the distance. Ive heard great things about how friendly the owners are, and their whole business model is centered around JMT thru-hikers. Closed for the season - come visit us next year. 10/10 recommend. Near noon, Caffreys ankle was feeling a little cranky. Tickets may be purchased at the Mammoth Mountain Adventure Center.

This was another one of my favorite sections of the entire trail. You can take YARTS to get you out of the Valley. Reds Meadow to Vermilion Valley Location Main Features and Location Information Those squares breaking the USGS maps up into grids are the Universal Transverse Mercator / Military Grid Reference System, otherwise commonly known as UTM. It happened near a stream, so he was able to soak his foot in the cold water for 30 minutes, wrap an ace bandage around the joint, take some ibuprofen, and eventually put some weight on it as the swelling went down. View fullsize. Ive never been, but Ive heard that their grocery selection is relatively small, so I would be little hesitant to depend on it for your entire resupply.

Town of Mammoth Lakes The town of Mammoth Lakes is the perfect resupply town. Services: Breakfast, Fuel for purchase, Package Pick-Up ($), Showers ($), Laundry ($), Hiker Box, Electrical Outlets, Lodging, Trash dumping, Shuttles to get to the motel ($). Another option for an on-trail resupply is to have somebody hike in your resupply to you.



Reds Meadow will pick up your package from the Mammoth Lakes post office and hold it until pick-up for a flat fee of $40.

The campground has a bear problem due to irresponsible car campers. We were fortunately able to keep moving forward, but it was touch-and-go for a while there, reminding us to appreciate every moment we DO have on the trail because it could end with a single mis-step. Fortunately, I manage to convince another hiker, Achilles, that doing this is a good idea. My knee was feeling the weight of my pack after our re-supply at Reds Meadow. Resupply: VVR accepts resupply boxes/ buckets for a $30 fee, paid when you arrive at the resort. Another fine example is in South Koreas Jeju Island. There is no WiFi, but satellite internet is available for a fee.

Ha ha!

Privacy Policy, Learn about the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge, DAY 1: Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley (plus Half Dome), DAY 2: Little Yosemite Valley to Sunrise Camp, DAY 5: Lyell Canyon to Thousand Island Lake, DAY 6: Thousand Island Lake to Reds Meadow, DAY 12: Rosemarie Meadow to Muir Trail Ranch, DAY 13: Muir Trail Ranch to McClure Meadow, DAY 15: Le Conte Canyon to Palisade Creek, DAY 16: The Golden Staircase and Mather Pass, DAY 19: Rae Lakes, Glen Pass to Vidette Meadow, Backpacking the Grand Canyon of Tuolumne Loop in Yosemite National Park, Hiking Belknap Crater in the Mountain Washington Wilderness, Hiking to the Simpson Reef Overlook on the Oregon Coast Trail, Join Team SoCalHiker at the Climb for Heroes, Hiking the Welch-Dickey Loop in the White Mountain National Forest, Understanding the Physiology and Psychology of Hiking in the Cold, Scaling Peaks in Cold and Snowy Conditions, Strategies for Making Cold-Weather Hiking Fun and Safe with Kids, The Benefits of Winter Hiking: Exploring the Beauty and Solitude of Snowy Trai.

Although it forced us to have a little later start that morning, I personally thought it was worth it not to have to worry about it the night before.
While I had no doubt that they would be there on the day that we had scheduled, I had absolutely no way of contacting them on-trail if my schedule did it change (and oh, did it change). The sun dipped behind the mountain around 6:00 p.m. as we cooked dinner. The camp hostess, Cindy, was extremely helpful and knowledgeable and kept the toilets sparkling clean. There are three routes South from 1000 Island Lake back to Civilization, and resupply at Reds and/or Mammoth Lakes.

side trails lead to top of monument. In reality, it was rocky, rugged, steep and not well-maintained.

This post covers the second leg of our JMT hike, from Reds Meadow to Vermillion Valley Resort (roughly miles 60-88 of the JMT heading SOBO).

Squaw Lake below Silver Pass, John Muir Trail.

As a family owned business since 1934, Reds Meadow Resort & Pack Station and Agnew Meadows Pack Station, the Tanner family realizes that you our guest, has made the place what it is today as a family we continue to put an emphasis on dedication to customer service and quality products. The days total ascent was 2,835 feet on a slope averaging 293 feet/mile.

This: 1) allowed us to take our time getting to MTR, 2) gave us time to explore the hot springs across the river, and 3) gave us a little more room in our bear bin, as we didnt have to place either nights dinner in it. Visitors who ride the bus save an average of 437,799 miles of vehicle emissions. Check it out here.

For non-guests, you will pay a relatively hefty fee for a shuttle and resupply hold. Not bad, if you ask me. Kennedy Meadows is located at mile 702.2 remember this for the upcoming read. Facility opening dates vary greatly with snow. The Reds Meadow/Devils Postpile Shuttles transport visitors from the Village at 7:15 am, 8:00 am and 8:45 am. For $195 per person ($365 for two people, double occupancy), the Mt. September 22, 2014. At the Resort you will find a general store, the Mule House Caf, and cabins to rent. Staff is friendly towards hikers, but if you are a hiker reserving a room/ hiker bunk, make sure you are being charged correctly for the amenities listed on the website for your chosen room. Everything in the store is expensive (i.e. We stopped often for photos and rest, basking in the scenery. Services: Restaurants, Grocery/ Convenience Store, Package Pick-Up, Showers ($), Laundry (coin-operated), Electrical Outlets, OK to Loiter, Lodging, Camping ($), Trash dumping, Public Transportation.

Located just a short bus ride from Reds Meadow ($7 roundtrip), it offers hikers access to a grocery store, post office, and plenty of hotels to rejuvenate and relax at. And if you dont have friends who are eager to hike in your food for you, there are a few different agencies throughout the Eastern Sierra that will deliver your resupply for a fee. I would 100% exit at Kearsarge Pass going NOBO if I was starting from Whitney Portal or Cottonwood Lakes/ Horseshoe Meadows. Williamson operates on a combo of three services: 1. Our official starting point for the John Muir Trail (JMT) was Tuolumne Meadows, heading southbound (SOBO) to Lyell Canyon. Get directions here. I was able to keep up with Caffrey and Dan and had a smile on my face. Read their website about their service packages and costs. My ego was bruised, but it was better than quitting. Vermilion Valley Resort From May 20 to October 20, 2019, Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR) offers resupply service for thru-hikers. Electricity goes out around 10 pm since they are on a generator, so be aware when charging devices/ staying in a room, and make sure all of your chores are done early. Adding on this detour will add another 1 - 1.5 days to your trip.



Getting off the JMT and into Independence requires you to hike 7.6 miles over Kearsarge Pass to the Onion Valley trailhead and hitchhike into town. To top it off, as the sun dipped low and shadows spread, the sound of Badgers flute drifted across the meadow, lulling us all to a deep sleep. Ewww! The first scenic spot of the day was Purple Lake, followed by a climb through a talus field littered with 20 foot boulders.

A typical JMT itinerary ranges from 14 to 21 days, averaging 10 to 15 miles (16 to 24 km) per day. I think 11 days was the absolute maximum amount of food we could handle from MTR - Whitney, and if it was going to take any longer, Kearsarge Pass would have been warranted. In preparation, we set up the tent, climbed inside, and napped. More on resupply food planning in an upcoming post. When the visitor center is open, outlets are available. With clean clothes and a fresh shampoo smell, Caffrey, our friend Dan Chung and I hopped off the YART shuttle from Mammoth Lakes at the Tuolumne Meadows post office on Friday, July 22, 2022. The Alabama Hills Cafe serves amazing food with huge portions, and the town has multiple gear/ sporting goods shops if you need to grab any last minute supplies before your hike. Should I divert off the John Muir Trail (gasp!) One reason the valley has remained a special place is because of the shuttle system. We arrived at Shadow Creek as the sun was getting low in the sky.

That being said, if you have a flexible schedule or some way to contact your resupply carrier, having your resupply personally delivered to you can be a great option! Either way, best to sign up for my newsletter, yeah? No wonder hiker boxes are always overflowing!

That is, except for maybe one: where you decide to resupply after Kennedy Meadows (aka the entrance to the Sierra).

Days 6-9 Reds Meadow to Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR) Oct 8 John Muir Trail: Days 16-18 Bishop and Independence Related Posts. The shuttle to Mammoth Lakes was also not running during the pandemic. We passed a sweaty California Conservation Corps crew doing trail work and thanked them for their volunteer service then humbly ambled onward. It is possible to hike the route, following the trail along the lake, but this adds 4.8 miles to your journey. Yes, I only resupplied twice, and yes, that meant carrying 10 days worth of food from Muir Trail Ranch to Mount Whitney. I hated to admit it, but the lighter pack made a huge difference. It was a hot day; we passed another California Conservation Crew (CCC) sweating it out for our benefit on a ridiculously steep, rocky slope. Follow the directions on their website to a T in order for everything to be good when you arrive.

Im a little worried about this stretch since I have never been hiking in alpine wilderness and everything Ive read says to expect a dramatic fall in mileage once in the Sierra. Since the postal service does not allow you to ship fuel canisters, MTR sells them.

Located on the other side of Mammoth Mountain, there are seven campgrounds in the area: Agnew Meadows, Minaret Falls, Reds Meadow, Pumice Flat . You must read their website & pay in advance. Read on to learn all about the resupply options along this remote mountain trail.

Enjoy the amazing Sierras in all their quiet splendor: fishing, water sports, hiking, ping-pong, disc golf, and more! At Deer Creek, I soaked my feet and knee in the cool water after lunch. The shuttle they run is limited in times.

Guess Im going straight to VVR I decide, not wanting to hike up and down (and then up and down again) an extra mountain pass (also because Im already trying to get this whole PCT thing over with as quickly as possible). You can send a resupply package to the post office location here, which is right in-between the store and grill.

But we had built in a few side hikes and a diversion before Red's Meadow to Iva Bell Hot Springs.

Thereafter, the JMT rises again to 10,740 feet at Silver Pass, drops to Tully Hole, and ascends again to a lengthy ridgeline featuring several spectacular lakes. This post covers the first leg of our JMT hike, from Tuolumne Meadows to our re-supply at Reds Meadow (roughly miles 23-60 of the JMT heading SOBO). Highlights in this section include: Lyell Canyon, Donahue Pass, Maries Lakes, Thousand Islands and Garnet Lakes, Mts. Having access to a grocery store was extremely convenient, and for me, that alone was more than worth making the trek back into Mammoth. Note: For image slide-show, click on any photo.

He gave us directions to a few sites hidden in the cliffs about a mile back up the trail. At 5:00 a.m., the air was quite cold - probably high 40s!

Many of the resupply points require you to send out your resupply weeks in advance.

As we were about to pitch our tents, a ranger emerged out of nowhere and informed us that camping at Shadow Creek was prohibited due to forest restoration. Cell phone service and WiFi can be pretty limited in the Valley, but good enough in certain locations to get a phone call out.

You cannot buy food here. We kept our resupply at a friends house and picked it up after taking the shuttle into town from Agnew Meadow. Things can get a bit more complicated when youve sent yourself boxes ahead of time (didnt I warn you not to plan? Pickings are usually slim, unless you really love mystery oatmeal and crumbled, stale bars. Resupply on the Pacific Crest Trail (how you get yourself more food and/or supplies) is one of the major logistical obstacles that hikers face every year (although I would argue that, barring any special dietary restrictions, resupply is a relatively simple thing to deal with but thats another story). Reservations are strongly encouraged. Total descent to Duck Creek was a mere 511 feet.

Challenges: When the ferry isnt running, getting to VVR is a bit of a pain and involves hiking 5+ extra miles, one way, no matter which way you come or go. From all of our acclimatization hikes in Colorado, Caffrey and I were familiar with the landscape and glacier lakes above the tree line - but this was all new to Dan, coming in fresh from the east coast.

Visitors who: Exception vehicles must pay the standard amenity fee or show a federal lands recreation, military, senior, or access pass upon exiting the valley. The trail along Mono Creek is a classic, he says, especially in autumn. The town is extremely hiker-friendly, and has free shuttles for visitors to get around. While it isnt technically located on-trail, it is very easily considered to be on-trail, considering its remote location.

We took a ZERO day on day #5 to rest, enjoy the 105 degree hot spring (oh so needed!!! Heading out the door? Positives: Lone Pine is a relatively walk-able resupply town and is very hiker friendly. Before setting out for Bear Ridge, Caffrey and I split the Lumberjack meal: 2 huge pancakes, 2 pieces of toast, eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, ham, and sausage! FISH VALLEY ALTERNATIVE ROUTE This is the guide index page for an amazing alternative route off of the High Sierra Crestline between Lake Tahoe and Mount Whitney. Some people will stop at every resupply location, some will want to limit their time in town as much as possible.

3 trip report day 5-8: Lyell Canyon/Tuolumne Meadows to Red's Meadow Resort: 4 trip report day 8-12: Red's Meadow Resort to Muir Trail Ranch 4.1 trip report 4.1.1 day 8 - resupply in Mammoth Lakes, CA 4.1.2 day 9 - Red's Meadow Resort to Duck Lake drainage (C.05.02) During our two days at VVR, we relaxed, met lots of like-minded people, had interesting conversations, ate and drank a lot, washed all of our laundry (while wearing other peoples clothes), and momentarily forgot that a world outside of VVR existed at all. They do have showers for guests, though. Summer 2022 John Muir Trail.

A SINCERE THANK YOU to those amazing volunteers! Services tend to run longer here, from late May - late October, unless natural disasters (fires) close the place down. Challenges: Few amenities like the lack of showers and laundry or even a cold drink can make this a tortuous stop. We were headed into the monsoon. Lyell, Banner and Ritter, Shadow Lake, Devils Postpile, and Reds Meadow. The water taxi costs $13 one way or $23 round trip, and tickets can be purchased upon arriving at the resort no reservations needed. Latest Facebook post Closed for the season

For resupply bins outside of this window (May or September 16 October), VVR charges $50 per bin. Caffrey and I could feel daggers of blame emanating from our buddy, who kept insisting that there was no way a lake was going to be this high up.

Plus, the general store sells COLD BEER.. ON TRAIL. From 9 am to 4:30 pm, visitors should use the bike park shuttle. The camping is off the property. Williamson motel will hold your resupply, reserve a room for you, provide you with a hot breakfast in the morning, give you access to their laundry facilities, and will give you a ride to and from the Onion Valley trailhead. The permit office for walk-up permits is also in Lone Pine. After 4:30, visitors can take the Reds Meadow/Devils Postpile buses back to the Village. The resort also offers showers, beds, and meals to hikers for a fee, as well as free charging stations! View a map of the Adventure Center and parking areas.

It was 3:30 p.m. when we re-camped, giving us time to wash off in the creek, enjoy the afternoon sunshine, and listen to nothing but the wind.

I picked up ritz crackers, a packet of justins peanut butter, and a chocolate bar (who gave that up?!

If you needed to exit the trail here, it would be very difficult to get back to civilization.

The general store does not carry enough backpacking food to resupply from, and they have minimal toiletries. We walked through subalpine forests of white pine, hemlock, and lodgepole and across broad scrub-grass fields littered with tree corpses.

With the mosquitos starting to bite, we were in the tent and closing our eyes at 7:30 p.m. Please be careful of traffic on the roadway. After setting up our tents, we picked up our re-supply buckets and joined fellow hikers for some beers and (veggie) burgers.

more information on current conditions map of the Adventure Center and parking areas.

Normally you can eat inside the restaurant at Reds Meadow, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, everything was served to-go. Cold beer (the first one's on us! You'll want to give yourself a break at the beginning of this hike if you're going NOBO: plan for less miles and for your body to acclimate. Hazy skies, yellow smoke over Mt. The food we tossed after re-supply at Reds Meadow. JMT042 Location: 37.615002, -119.074852 Reds Meadow Resort: great diner and moderately stocked store; thermal showers at group campsites; shuttles run to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and town bus runs into Mammoth town JMT062 Location: 37.375702, -119.012451 Vermillion Valley Resort (http://www.edisonlake.com) first beer and one-night stay in platform tents free for thru-hikers; meals in diner are pricey, but filling JMT047 Location: 37.538166, -118.969147 Continue S on JMT JMT048 Location: 37.528915, -118.950165 Continue on JMT S JMT059 Location: 37.421902, -118.910500 R to Ferry to Vermillion Valley Resort JMT060 Location: 37.412334, -118.925201 Leave JMT/PCT for ferry across Edison Lake to Vermillion Valley Resort at this junction JMT049 Location: 37.527466, -118.949417 Outlet of Purple Lake; no camping allowed. No, I probably would resupply via Kearsarge Pass and make sure to take my time and thoroughly enjoy myself in the Sierra (read: get naked and swim a lot). We then had an entire afternoon to enjoy Squaw Lake, wash ourselves and our clothes, and bask in the sunand sunset. Absolute perfection. See above for cost of travel between the Adventure Center and Reds Meadow/Devils Postpile. Visitors who: Arrive before 7:00 am or after 7:00 pm; Are staying overnight at the Reds Meadow Resort or at any designated campground in the valley.

We're excited to offer VVR-branded merchandise online, the same gear available at our on-site camp store. Donahue Pass would have been a bit anti-climactic except for the smoke drifting in from Yosemite.