Post Office deliveries to AT may stop

Saw this on WMUR this morning -

http://www.wmur.com/news/28002764/detail.html

Not sure if I should have posted in New England section of backcountry, but I figure it could affect anyone on the AT. Hope this info is helpful.

Wrong as usual

The post offices in Hanover, Wentworth and Warren regularly hold mail for thru-hikers. The others are not as handy as Glencliff since Glencliff PO is essentially right on the trail. With the USPS hurting for funds it will probably be gone soon.

Ah, so it's just one post office that might be shut down (albeit one that would cause a lot of inconvenience if it did close down). I thought maybe the post office had a service where they'd deliver packages to trailheads or something.

I guess the Gorham NH post office isnt in the white mountains?. I expect they mean that it may be the only one directly on the trail in the whites in NH ?
It is a popular stop in that folks use it to resupply before the whites and get warmer gear shipped to them. A most likely non profitable aspect is that many hikers use "bounce" boxes that they forward up the trail. If they dont open the box they can forward it up the trail to the next post office for free. Of course I expect that most folks would need to get into their box at Glencliff. One other use is that hikers can get extra cash for no fee if they buy anything at the Post Office. There is a nearby hostel, but managing hiker mail is probably something they dont want to do on an extensive basis, and setting up outbound shipping would be difficult.

Only government, or a quasi-public agency, would expect a cut in service and a rise in price to be the route to success.

As a collateral duty I once established and operated a post office on an icebreaker deployed on extended isolated duty. It is not difficult. If the post office got away from some of its narrow mandates it could have "post offices" in remote and sparsely populated areas with no problem. It would also help if it redefined its job from delivering the mail to communicating and transporting.

Did you also post this on White Blaze? I'm sure they'd be very interested to see this news, they are more involved with the AT and rely on such service.

White blaze has two posts on two different forums regarding this closure.


A few P.O. comments.

I could live with one day a week less mail delivery. That extra day virtually mandates overtime with little or no benefit to the average mail user.

Fed Ex and UPS services rural areas, but compared to the PO they are a pain to use to send things out. I work out of my home in Gorham NH and the closest Fed Ex office is St Johnsbury VT. The UPS office is Twin Mtn NH and its front desk is only open from 5:30 to 6:30 PM Mon to Friday. If I need a package picked up by either company, it must be scheduled and there is a surcharge. They make one run a day and usually the pick up is the next day. They will hold packages for general delivery, but will not forward.

Canada has already implemented the reduction in postal services in rural areas. While driving down rural highways through small villages, the PO has been replaced by a large cluster box on the side of the road.

Glencliff post office will close

Read this on WMUR.com:

NH Village Loses Fight To Save Post Office

Postal Service Proposes Closing 3,700 Offices Nationwide

POSTED: 12:58 pm EST February 16, 2012

CONCORD, N.H. -- Residents of a small village in New Hampshire's White Mountains have lost their fight to save their post office.
The independent Postal Regulatory Commission on Thursday upheld the U.S. Postal Service's decision to close the Glencliff post office. The village has fewer than 100 residents, but its post office is popular with Appalachian Trail hikers.
The Postal Service, on the brink of bankruptcy, estimated it will save $27,000 per year by closing the Glencliff office and shifting its business to Warren, five miles away. Residents argued that doing so will erode the community's identity and leave them no place to gather with neighbors.
The Postal Service has proposed closing about 3,700 offices nationwide but has agreed to wait until mid-May to begin closures so Congress can stabilize its finances first.


Read more: http://www.wmur.com/news/30474961/detail.html#ixzz1mb4wKAI2

Moderator Note
Please restrict your comments here to how the Post Office cuts will affect the hiking community, and in particular AT PO drops. USPS management is beyond the scope of this forum.

I believe AT hikers will survive.

It's not a "countless" number, and in my opinion not a factor. (hikers)

I am by no means a "tech" person...but USPS...is surely on the way of the pony express.

Drops can be done in a variety of ways.

Peace.

Closer alternative

Hikers may send resupply packages to "Hiker Welcome Hostel" in Glencliff. Of course this won't satisfy the "bounce box" situation. Actually the hostel is a few feet closer to the AT than the PO.

The Hanover P.O. is about as close to the trail but is not really a good substitute.

Obviously the locals and AT hikers can't support the pay and benefits of a postal worker, and Saturday closures will be hard on AT hikers who will have to be careful with timing to hit all mail drops.

What is really needed is an agency PO, which is a private business (often a general store but I think the one in Glencliff is defunct) which is authorized to handle mail, ship packages. I don't know if the hostel is interested in the paperwork or not

it used to be that local mon&pop stores could assume most post office duties. perhaps it will return to that in some rural areas.

Stan said:

Only government, or a quasi-public agency, would expect a cut in service and a rise in price to be the route to success.

As a collateral duty I once established and operated a post office on an icebreaker deployed on extended isolated duty. It is not difficult. If the post office got away from some of its narrow mandates it could have "post offices" in remote and sparsely populated areas with no problem. It would also help if it redefined its job from delivering the mail to communicating and transporting.

Click to expand...

Contractor Mail Office

The "One Chair Barbershop" that I use a couple of miles from my house is also a post office. That would be in North Jay, Maine. When I first got a haircut there I asked about the closing list and the Postmistress/Barber told me that these types of operations were not threatened.