Hey-
My buddy and I are going to Isle Royale this summer, circumnavigate as it were. I figured we should be able to maildrop food ahead to one end... and have found some stuff online that makes it look possible. Except that what I found said that you could maildrop things to yourself, but not food... unless you were there to pick up the package. So do you mail food ahead and mark it hiking supplies? Or is food ok?

I wish I could answer your question, but truthfully I don't know. I just wanted to say that I am jealous that you are going there. It has always been a place I wanted to go backpacking.

Anybody?

I haven't used this, but per the NPS website:

How do I make food drops on Isle Royale National Park?
You can mail yourself a package through Grand Portage Minnesota Post Office. If the package contains food or stove fuel you must meet the boat to collect your package. If the package contains no fuel or food the concession operation at Windgo or Rock Harbor will collect and store your box for a fee. To use this service - please place the following information on the box:

Your Name
C/O Voyageur II or Wenonah (Wenonah only serves Windigo)
Grand Portage, MN 55605


On the lower left side of the package place the following:

Location of pick-up: Windigo, McCargoe Cove, Rock Harbor, Daisy Farm, Chippewa Harbor, or Malone Bay
Date of Pick-up: Month/Day/Year

For More information call the Grand Portage Post Office at (218)475-2303

Hey, Chris-
Yeah, that was the part I mentioned in my original post... have to meet the boat if there's food. Which is why I'm wondering if anyone has done a mail drop there, because I can't imagine doing a mail drop with anything other than food or fuel. IE, if it's NOT perishable, would you still have to meet the boat? And is there a difference between the guidelines and actual practice?

Bump.

http://isleroyaleforums.com/

I've hiked Isle Royale from end to end twice: once via the Greenstone Ridge Trail and once via the Minong Ridge Trail. Unfortunatley, I don't know of a way to do a mail drop w/perishable items.

During the summer months, there is a small store open at both Rock Harbor and Windigo. You can purchase stove fuel at both locations as well as lunch/snack type foods (nuts, cliff bars, candy bars, etc.). Assuming you are planning to hike generally from one end to the other and back again, you could pack breakfast/dinner foods for the complete trip, but pick up fuel and snack foods for the 2nd half of the trip at one of the stores. This would be expensive since the store pricing is similiar to airports, but it would reduce some weight and bulk at the outset. I wouldn't recommend trying to find breakfast/dinner foods at the store.