In addition to all of the above, you might like writing about what happened to you that day. I bring a little notebook and a pen, and while I'm waiting for it to get dark enough to crawl into my tent, I settle in someplace (ideally with a view of the water), pore over my maps and that day's pictures...

I've had really, really good luck with Darn Tough socks, especially the 1/4 length light hikers---comfortable, unbelievably durable, no blister issues. For me, they were a significant step up from smartwool/REI merino hikers. Footwear's pretty personal, though: I wouldn't hike in shoes or socks that...

Dang! I'd been meaning to walk on it then! But I'm sure the maintenance work will be good for it, and this way I have an excuse to do even more IR planning . . . .

Here's my response to this moral intuition poll: As petitioner: Unless there were some kind of emergency a shelter would help with, I'd never ask to share a shelter. That's not etiquette, though---I'm just unnaturally shy. I can imagine situations where I'd gratefully accept the offer of a spot in a...

I booked this a while ago, but was superstitious about posting it before I knew more about whether/when I'd be vaccinated. My first vaccine is scheduled now, so here goes nothing! Name: torpified (aka Laura) Email: (at) message me here! Hometown: Ann Arbor Arrival Date: late May Departure Date: earl...

An extremely sensible plan. I'm looking forward to the trip report!

so far north and close to the summer solstice IT NEVER GETS DARK (<-- a small exaggeration). Pros: lots of daylight to hike in. Cons: not so much dark to sleep in. (Fortunately on my first trip I had a buff that I hadn't yet drenched in deet; I used it as an eye mask overnight.)

I really like the trail from East Chickenbone to McCargoe too --- it undulates through a variety of habitats and featrues some marvelous beaver handiwork along the way. But I also agree that every single option named here is a splendid one!

I like this feature too! (As I just signalled by hitting the thumbs-up button on the OP.) There are a lot of cases --- photos and horrific puns* foremost among them --- where I'd like to acknowledge engagement/approval but don't have enough to say to justify adding another post to the thread. (That ...

Unless things have changed, your lodge booking will come with a half-day canoe rental. It's definitely worth taking advantage of the opportunity to explore the island by a different mode! I'm a big fan of canoeing across (relatively) sheltered Tobin Harbor to Hidden Lake dock, then hiking from there...

I'm also curious about the Ranger: it seems like if there's no Rock Harbor dock that accommodates the Queen, there's no Rock Harbor dock that accommodates the Ranger. Only there's been no indication of disruptions to the Ranger service during the projected construction period. (On the other hand, th...

Maybe the forums should buy ad space on the site, to direct some traffic here! I followed the link to the site, and all the courses posted so far (hydration, cooking, maps . . .) look pretty backpacking boilerplate, that is, not IR specific. I wonder if the site is part of a more general effort? Thi...

Unsoilicited review of Leave Only Footprints ---despite being blind with envy that it wasn't my job to visit all the national parks and write about them, I liked it pretty well, especially for its yield of strange facts and apt observations. I also have no problem with the lodge WiFi, but would rue ...

thanks for these! It's almost like being there . . .

that merganser is a genius to pick such a mergansery rock to pose on! I can see why you're partial.