Resupply (Food Cache) Information

Note: New rates for 2008 season; new pick-up times. See below.

Before you call us, we DO have propane canisters IN STOCK AT ALL TIMES. You do not need to reserve one. We also keep ample white gas and alcohol.
(We get literally hundreds of phone calls about propane canisters.)

If you are unable to pick up your package, send an email to the ranch.
There is no phone at the ranch. Our phone number is for reservations and information only and is located over 100 miles away, down in the foothills.

Does the Ranch accept resupply packages?
Yes. During our operating season (June through September) we can receive and hold packages (food caches) for hikers.

How far from the Muir Trail / Pacific Crest Trail is the ranch?
From the north, it’s about three-quarters of a mile (0.75 mi, 1.2 km). From the south, it’s one and a half miles (1.5 mi, 2.4 km). In either instance, turn off where the sign directs you to Florence Lake, then to Private Ranches or Muir Trail Ranch.

What are the earliest and latest dates that I can pick up my package?
Our opening and closing dates depend on snow conditions. We will usually be open by mid-June, and usually close the last week of September. Don't send your package too early in the season. The post office may return your package if it sits there too long before it is picked up. The first week of June is about right, not earlier. The last day we will pick up a package from the post office is September 15.

What time of day can I pick up my package?
Between the hours of 8AM and 5PM, seven days a week.

How do I get my package to the ranch?
The best way is by US Mail. We strongly recommend that you send it by Priority Mail with delivery confirmation. That way you can call a toll-free number or use the Internet to see if your package has arrived at the post office. (If you receive a message saying that delivery was attempted but not successful, or something to that effect, don’t worry. Since our address is a post office box, and your food cache won’t fit in that little box, that constitutes an “unsuccessful delivery attempt.” When your package is picked up by us, the delivery confirmation label is scanned and the delivery is logged as completed.)
We usually pick up packages twice a week at the Lakeshore post office at Huntington Lake. Since we are located in the wilderness, UPS and FedEx don’t deliver to us.
You can also bring the package to the Florence Lake Store for shipment to the ranch.
Finally, you can deliver it to the ranch directly by hiking in with your package.

When should I ship my package to you?
Please send your package so it will arrive at the post office two or three weeks ahead of your pick-up date. When you mail your package the post office clerk can give you an estimate of the delivery date.

How do I address the package?
Address the package to:

[Your name]
Muir Trail Ranch
PO Box 176
Lakeshore CA 93634.

Be sure to include your return address. In the 2007 season, over 1 in 8 packages had to be returned to the sender, and 25% of those packages had no return address. This necessitated a lot of email and postal mail contact, which was just a nuisance and delayed the return of packages.

On the mailing label, put your expected pick-up date. Also, put your email address on the label so we can contact you if there are any questions. Stick the label on the lid of the package. For additional security, put a copy of your label inside the package. We sort packages at the Florence Lake Store and send them to the ranch according to your expected pick-up date on the package.

What is the cost?
We will pick your package up at the post office and deliver it to the Muir Trail Ranch and hold it until you arrive for $50. Your package should weigh at most 25 pounds [11.3kg]. For additional weight, we charge $2.00 per pound [$4.40 per kg]. For options other than mailing the package to us, contact us in advance for rates.
We do not have a discount for multiple packages.

How do I let the ranch know if I will be late or can’t pick up my package?
We can be contacted by email any time of the year. Address:

resupply@muirtrailranch.com

Our postal address is

MTR Resupply
PO Box 176
Lakeshore CA 93634

Or you can leave a phone message at (209) 966-3195. The phone is located over 100 miles from the ranch, and is for use only for reservations and information.

Will you return my package if I don’t show up?
If we have received payment for our service, and your package was sent via Priority Mail, we will send the package to your United States return address at no charge.
If your package was not sent by Priority Mail or we have not received payment for our service, we will dispose of the package unless you contact us to make arrangements to do otherwise.
If you are unable to pick up your cache, contact the ranch by email. Don’t phone because the phone is located over 100 miles from the ranch and is for reservations and information only.

Will you hold my package till next season if I can’t make it this season?
No. Our ability to store over the winter is compromised by enterprising bears who break through the roof of the storage building and eat everything in sight. (Bears won’t bother the building while we’re at the ranch.)

How should I pack my cache?
Use a 5-gallon (or 20 liter) plastic bucket with a tight-fitting lid. These buckets can be purchased for about $5 at paint stores or home improvement centers, or you can often find them for free at restaurants (they’re used to package pickles, pie filling and such). Snap the lid on securely and tape it with packaging tape. We have the means to get the lid off, don't worry. DO NOT use duct tape, or the post office may not accept the package. Duct tape adhesive gums up their mail-handling machinery.

Why should I use a plastic bucket?
We can protect your cache from bears, but keeping our meadow mice out of the storage building is nearly impossible. Mice love the easy access of a cardboard box, but won’t get into your food if it’s in a plastic bucket. The buckets are also easy to pack on a horse, and are reusable and recyclable.
Sometimes a postal worker will ask you to remove the bucket’s handle before mailing. Just tape it down instead; it’s useful later for handling. If they insist, comply. We’ll cope.
Please do not use a cardboard box. It won't survive a trip on a pack horse well, and if it has to be returned due to your being unable to pick it up, it will be tattered by the time we get it back to the post office. We are in the wild and woolly wilderness, and things are not as nice and tidy as they are down there in civilization.