I'm at the Palm Springs Library. (Former plans doing some car-shuttling/hiking starting tomorrow with Terry&Steve fell through - her mom's seriously ill.)
I've verified that I could leave my car at the parking lot at the bottom of the tram, and also found out info on the following "trail house" just on the north side of hwy 10:
This may be where I keep my bicycle
At the moment I don't think I will need supplies sent there due to my having my car. (But that could be the place to send my CF cards.)
But here are the addressing options:
They prefer to receive UPS/FEDEX which gets delivered to their door:
Gary Hundt c/o Paul Miller
55230 Rockville Drive
Whitewater, CA 92282
Alternatively the USPS address which they pick up "less frequently" would be:
Gary Hundt c/o Paul Miller
PO Box 826
Cabazon, CA 92230
So my plans go like this: (thinking this thru as I write - this would be the "soonest" I could do it, but later alternative would require delay of a day or two to avoid the short Monday hrs and closed Tuesday at Paradise Cafe.)
Today/Saturday: Call, email or visit the whitewater place to discuss/verify feasibility of bicycling to Palm Springs from there or other options. (Also, while in Palm Springs, shop for replacement for blown fuse... and check the amt of uphill to tram parkinglot for bicycling feasibility.),Then circle back south around San Jacinto Clockwise on Pines to Palms hwy and stop at Paradise Cafe near Anza to verify their offer to hold my pack for a day then allow me to park bicycle there for several days. Also verify their open hrs (they are closed Tuesday and short hrs Monday if I recall correctly.). Then find a back-country car-camping spot - maybe in the Santa Rosa Mts area east of the Cafe on Pines to Palms hwy, or on Thomas Mt Rd on the way back around to Idyllwild, or at/near the cafe with their permission. Pack the backpack.
Sunday: Finish packing the backpack, leave it at the Cafe (it will actually be stored in the car trunk of one of the servers.) Drive back up to Idyllwild, (noting exact mileage and terrain for bicycle return.) Stop at State Park Visitor Ctr to obtain permit for campground use within State Park maybe last day hiking up, and after I take the tram back up the following week . Park the car at one of the trailheads (probably at Devil's slide) and with my day-pack full of water and food and my camera and probably my sleeping bag & "half" of my tent in case I have mechanical problems, bicycle back down to the Cafe. (As I recall from my first trip up to Idyllwild, there is one "steep" uphill stretch of about a half mile and another gentle uphill grade for about two miles, but otherwise it's downhill and main problem will be brakes and tires and narrow shoulder. Not sure of the exact total mileage yet but "feel" I should make it to the cafe well before it closes (at 8pm is it?) on Sunday. Swap my bike for my backpack and if early, start my hike, or if late, overnight at the Cafe.
Monday - Friday. Hike the 40 miles up to my car at Idyllwild.
Saturday: shower at the Idyllwild community park, do laundry (verify existence & loc?) resupply, use library. (as I recall it's closed Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday.) Camp somewhere on Black Mt Truck Trl (that's where I've been camping last few days)
Sunday Drive north back down to hwy 10 & stash bike (and some water) either at Snow Creek (south of hwy 10 where the trail reaches the valley floor) or north of hwy 10 at the Whitewater trail house. Drive to Palm Springs, resupply, repack my backpack. Park at the Tram & Take tram back up to San Jacinto. Camp 1st night at Sate Park CG, other nights anywhere in Nat Forest land. Not exactly sure of mileage at the moment - #of days to hike down not constrained. leave backpack (ah, that's where the Whitewater trailhouse has an advantage) at whitewater trl house or hide it well at Snow Creek?) Bicycle to Palm Springs bottom of tramway to retrieve car, then back to retrieve backpack. Plan next segment.
An alternative on the uphill side is to do a series of shorter car/bicycle shuttles up the hill from a series of trailheads along the way. Will be looking at this alternative more closely. It would take longer (more hiking & bicycle travel - some possibly on dirt roads.... but makes the water situation easier.
Any holes you see in this plan (asside from leaving little time to deal with picts & "log"?
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