Stock the cabin first

Do the grocery run before you start climbing

Most people cook at least half their meals up here. The kitchen is usually the best room in a mountain cabin, the drive to dinner is dark and winding, and after a day outside nobody wants to get back in the car. That makes the grocery stop part of the trip rather than an afterthought.

The smart move is to do it in the valley, before the road starts climbing. Markets on the mountain cover the basics well enough, but the selection is narrower and prices run higher than they do down below, which is what happens when every truck has to come up the same switchbacks you just drove. Bring the coffee you actually like, because that is the item people most reliably regret leaving to chance.

Think about the week rather than the first night. Groups routinely buy one dinner's worth of food on the way up, then spend two of their days driving back and forth for things they could have bought once. A full cart at the bottom of the hill costs you twenty minutes and saves you an afternoon.

What to buy down the hill, and what to leave for up here

Buy the bulk and the specific down below: the case of water, the coffee, the particular sauce your kid will eat, anything for a dietary restriction, and enough breakfast to cover every morning. Anything you are picky about is a valley purchase. So is anything you need a lot of.

Leave the fill-in items for the mountain. Milk, bread, ice, a forgotten onion, and a bag of something for the deck at nine at night are all easy to get in Blue Jay or Crestline, and supporting the markets that keep a small community stocked through a slow February is not a bad thing to do with your money.

Two things worth checking before you shop. Ask your local manager what is already in the kitchen, because a well-equipped cabin usually has oil, salt, foil and coffee filters, and there is no reason to buy a third bottle of olive oil to leave behind. And in summer, remember the bottom of the hill is hot. A cooler in the trunk keeps the meat and dairy honest for the hour it takes to get up and unloaded.

One winter note: if a storm is in the forecast, put an extra day of food in the cart. Roads close, and being snowed in with plenty in the fridge is a good afternoon rather than a problem.