Garcia canister rental Inyo NF Mammoth VC

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SSSdave
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Garcia canister rental Inyo NF Mammoth VC

Post by SSSdave »

One in our group is going to need to rent a Garcia canister for a trip we will be picking up the permit at Mammoth Visitor Center for. Didn't see anything on the Inyo web sites so am wondering if they still are renting them and for how much? As a fall back Yosmite at Tuolumne Meadows still rents canisters for $5 per week and Sports Basement here in urbanland where I live, $20 for 6 to 12 days. Will bother them with a phone call if no one here has info.

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JohnS
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Re: Garcia canister rental Inyo NF Mammoth VC

Post by JohnS »

This is the reply from my inquiry Feb 11, 2015.

Hi John,

My name is Brian Williams and I work at the White Mountain Ranger Station. Chances are, I’ll be here to rent you your bear canister this summer. Your e-mail was forwarded to me so I could answer any questions/concerns you may have.
What locations have the canisters?
There are four locations on the Inyo N.F..
Lone Pine Interagency visitor Center located at the junction of Hwy. 395 and 136.
White Mountain Ranger Station along the 395 inside Bishop city limits.
Mammoth Visitor Center located along Hwy. 203 just on the outskirts of Mammoth Lakes.
And the Mono Lake Ranger Station near Lee Vining

Bear canisters can be rented at any of these four locations and returned to any other location (So you could rent a canister out of Bishop and return it in Lone Pine.)

Do you need to reserve them ahead of time?
No. We don’t accept reservations on canisters, but we very rarely run out of them. It was never an issue last year.
What canister make or model do you have?
We have the Standard Garcia Model. It measures 12” tall and 9” diameter.
What do the canisters cost to rent?
Last year’s rental rates were $2.50 a day with a two day minimum. We also take an imprint of your credit/debit card to be used for an $80.00 deposit. Nothing gets charged to your card unless the canister is never makes it back. The imprint is shredded once the canister is returned.
Can the canisters be picked up or returned outside of the hours your stores are open?
Canisters must be rented during regular business hours, but there are after hours drop boxes for canister returns. Canisters found in the drop box in the morning at opening time are registered as being returned the previous day for the purposes of calculating applicable late fees. Returning the canister later than your chosen return date results in late charges at the rate of $5.00 a day. Additionally, if the canister is returned unclean or with a strong odor there is an additional cleaning charge of $5.00. There are spigots outside the Ranger/visitor stations to aid in returning clean canisters.
If you have any additional questions feel free to contact me either by replying to this e-mail or by calling the White Mountain Ranger Station directly at 760-873-2500.
Brian Williams
White Mountain Ranger Station
Information Assistant
760-873-2500
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Re: Garcia canister rental Inyo NF Mammoth VC

Post by SSSdave »

Thankyou for that information John and Brian.

Follow up after our trip. Although the other choices were inexpensive, we ended up renting a Garcia canister at the Tuolumne Meadows backcountry office for a 9 day period for a piddly $5 total. They charged that on my credit card. The rental canister was marked with item codes so on the way home the follow weekend we chucked it in their night return box. Thus the Yosemite knows who returned it by that code. Otherwise if one loses a can, they are charged an additional $85. We didn't see any bears in the Fish Creek areas nor have I ever. However Mammoth Lakes now has lots of black bears so would expect some bears tired of being rousted rummaging through garbage cans "went over the mountain, the bear ....to see what he could see."

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Re: Garcia canister rental Inyo NF Mammoth VC

Post by hildop »

Hi,
We have one bear canister for our hike JMT, and would need to rent one from Reds Meadow to MtWhilliams Motel Independence. Meaning we will pick it up Aug 25 in the Mammoth Lake area, and return it at Independence Sept 7 or Lone Pine area Sept 11. Would this work, and where would the best place to pick it up be around Mammoth Lakes and what are the opening hours at that station?
Thanks from final planning done at home in Norway ;),
HG
JohnS wrote:This is the reply from my inquiry Feb 11, 2015.

Hi John,

My name is Brian Williams and I work at the White Mountain Ranger Station. Chances are, I’ll be here to rent you your bear canister this summer. Your e-mail was forwarded to me so I could answer any questions/concerns you may have.
What locations have the canisters?
There are four locations on the Inyo N.F..
Lone Pine Interagency visitor Center located at the junction of Hwy. 395 and 136.
White Mountain Ranger Station along the 395 inside Bishop city limits.
Mammoth Visitor Center located along Hwy. 203 just on the outskirts of Mammoth Lakes.
And the Mono Lake Ranger Station near Lee Vining

Bear canisters can be rented at any of these four locations and returned to any other location (So you could rent a canister out of Bishop and return it in Lone Pine.)

Do you need to reserve them ahead of time?
No. We don’t accept reservations on canisters, but we very rarely run out of them. It was never an issue last year.
What canister make or model do you have?
We have the Standard Garcia Model. It measures 12” tall and 9” diameter.
What do the canisters cost to rent?
Last year’s rental rates were $2.50 a day with a two day minimum. We also take an imprint of your credit/debit card to be used for an $80.00 deposit. Nothing gets charged to your card unless the canister is never makes it back. The imprint is shredded once the canister is returned.
Can the canisters be picked up or returned outside of the hours your stores are open?
Canisters must be rented during regular business hours, but there are after hours drop boxes for canister returns. Canisters found in the drop box in the morning at opening time are registered as being returned the previous day for the purposes of calculating applicable late fees. Returning the canister later than your chosen return date results in late charges at the rate of $5.00 a day. Additionally, if the canister is returned unclean or with a strong odor there is an additional cleaning charge of $5.00. There are spigots outside the Ranger/visitor stations to aid in returning clean canisters.
If you have any additional questions feel free to contact me either by replying to this e-mail or by calling the White Mountain Ranger Station directly at 760-873-2500.
Brian Williams
White Mountain Ranger Station
Information Assistant
760-873-2500
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