Leaving gear at Rock Harbor??

Questions about equipment and supplies to bring on a trip (including reviews).

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outdoorlovers1
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Leaving gear at Rock Harbor??

Post by outdoorlovers1 »

Heading to the island in Sept. into Rock Harbor. Then water taxi to Windigo and hike back to Rock Harbor. Wondering if there is an area at Rock Harbor that we can leave a bag with clean items to get back to the mainland. We will be getting into Rock Harbor on our last day after the boat has left so we will be staying one night at Rock Harbor and it sure would be nice to have clean stuff so we could shower, etc.. Does anyone have any ideas?
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Rafiki
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Re: Leaving gear at Rock Harbor??

Post by Rafiki »

The rangers office is small at Rock Harbor. Where I have heard some people asking the Rangers at Windigo to leave gear with them and them allowing it, I doubt they will do that for you at Rock Harbor since there space is limited. My suggestion would be to put your pack and items in the corner of a shelter with a note on it stating when you will be returning. Obviously don't leave any valuables in it. I have heard of people doing this with mixed luck. However, at this time of year while the traffic is starting to die down in September, I think you'll be safe.
343.1 Miles Hiked: 2004 (3 Days), 2010 (11 Days), 2011 (13 Days), 2012 X 2 (8 + 12 Days), 2013 (9 Days/Paddling), 2019 (30 Days/Paddling)
Redbad
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Re: Leaving gear at Rock Harbor??

Post by Redbad »

You could do a mail drop (ie. mail the items via the Voyager II, which is the designated USPO delivery method to (and from) ISRO). There is additional information elsewhere in this forum on how to do this. Your postage would be regular US postage for the item that you are sending. The Ranger Stations are designated US post offices (with very limited ability to store packages). The V2 can also deliver mail/packages to locations along its route around ISRO with prior communication with the V2 management.

I had a weeks worth of food mailed to me at Windigo for the trip back to Rock Harbor. I just had to check in at the Ranger Station to let the Rangers know I was there and then when the V2 arrived the captain gave the Ranger my package and the Ranger gave it to me at the pavilion.

Depending on your timing and the timing of the Voyager II, you may also need to ask permission of the Rangers at RH to hold your package until you arrive.

If you are hitting ISRO after the Voyager II stops running (sometime after the first part of October), you may need to contact park HQ regarding mail service to ISRO (probably via the Ranger II).
Richard1961
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Re: Leaving gear at Rock Harbor??

Post by Richard1961 »

Depending on when you go in September might limit the services at Rock Harbor. This week I sent an E-mail to the NPS at ISRO about the store and marina at Rock harbor. The closing date for services at Rock harbor is 9-8. They told me that all services stopped at 9am when the boat left for its trip to Houghton. I assume that when the store closes so do the showers. If I am wrong someone else please chime in. I hope you have a great trip. Me and my son will be sailing around the island from September 1st till the 22nd so if you see a man and his son with a 26ft sailboat stop by and say Hi. Richard Ps we have a solar shower you could borrow
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DonNewcomb
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Re: Leaving gear at Rock Harbor??

Post by DonNewcomb »

You don't say when in September. According to their website the lodge closes Sept 7th. When we went to IR we left a bag at the lodge office. The charge at that time was $6 per bag per day. Including the first day. If you dropped it off today and picked it up tomorrow it was $12. It's per bag and the size didn't seem to matter.

We had reserved a cottage. So when we arrived we got our bag from the office. Went to the cottage, took a shower, changed into clean clothes and went to the restaurant for dinner. It was a very civilized way to end a 10-day backpacking trip.
outdoorlovers1
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Re: Leaving gear at Rock Harbor??

Post by outdoorlovers1 »

Thanks for all the input to everyone. We are arriving on labor day and then hiking for 8 days. On our last night we are just going to sleep in a shelter at rock harbor and wanted to shower once we got into camp. That is a good point about the showers being shut off possibly I will look into that. I will share your thoughts with my fellow travelers.
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