Despite my bad experience, I’m still a huge supporter of packers and all the good things they do in the Sierra Nevada.
I’ve deliberately waited to write this blog post because I wanted my perspective of the events I am about to relate to mellow over a couple of months. I can tell you that my reaction at the time was anything but “mellow.”
I planned three resupplies during my thru-hike: one at Red’s Meadow, one at Muir Trail Ranch, and one at Woods Creek. I mailed a box or bucket ahead for all three. The box for Woods Creek was to be brought in by a packer.
I actually had decided, twice, not to use a packer. About a month before my trip I was still the only person looking for supplies to be delivered on the day I wanted, which meant that I would have to shoulder the entire $600 fee. When I called to cancel the request I was told that another hiker had “just signed up” for the same day. With two hikers the fee was now $300; that is still steep, but a little more manageable.
A couple of days later, when I called to make final coordination, I was told that I could not get the package at Rae Lakes, where I wanted it, but instead I would have to meet the packer at Woods Creek. That was fine with me, but if we were going to meet at Woods Creek there would be one stipulation: it would have to be at midday—not late afternoon.
He told me that noon would be hard to do. I was having second thoughts about the whole idea, again, for a second time, and I told him that my preference would be to cancel the delivery.
He reconsidered, and he said he would be willing to “leave early” in order to meet my schedule. It seemed he really needed the work, so I agreed.
The next day I sent my resupply box and my check for $300. You have probably figured out the rest of the story. Continue reading