fantastic! Even without the white-collared mother and calf (whom the NPS evidently detailed to shadow you), a trip rich in wildlife. I was curious about the cooperative merganser fishing effort: did they share the fish they caught, or was it every duck for itself?

Thanks for the fantastic report---it seems like that might be about as good as a trip with more syringe sightings than moose sightings can be! My usual pattern is to visit before things ramp up in May, but you've got me considering September as another option. I'm probably not the only reader keen t...

What a fantastic write-up! Not only did I relish following along, I learned a lot. E.g., I’d never processed before that the ridges on IR slope south. Thanks from another bro-weary alum of campsite #3 at Feldtmann Lake!

it looks great! I find the MCC-CH walk, which traverses the length of the Indian Portage Trail, particularly satisfying. If you do spend a layover day at MCC, and have energy after exploring the mine, I bet you'd enjoying venturing far enough down the Minong Ridge trail to get a taste of the rhythms...

four+ other ways to see that end of the Greenstone: -water taxi to Hidden Lake, walk back to RH -Sandy tour to HL, walk back to RH -canoe to HL, out-and-back to Lane Cove junction -(if a collaborator can be found) hitch a ride to HL on a canoe someone else is paddling back to RH, walk back to RH -yo...

Portages too, Kelly? That complicates the logistics considerably---but maybe if you recruit companions who are paddlers, you can hitch (and help with portaging!) for part of their trips. I didn't even know there were passage island trails---I guess I've never fully unfolded the NatGeo map. A very in...

But that made me think -- maybe it was a logging road, maybe for the kind of narrow-gauge railroad that was often used for those operations. I'm still a bit skeptical, especially since there were large rocks embedded in the top at some points. large embedded rocks could be the handiwork of a partic...

I am revisiting this string to update on my total loss of appetite on hiking trips (see above). Maybe this will be helpful to those who have suffered from the same. I have the same problem, especially on higher altitude trips, and three things on your list---ramen, fritos, and drink powders---are a...

hooray, and thank you, for the season's first trip report! Maybe we should start a crowd-sourced, color-coded map of false reports and where we heard them, so we can figure out which parts of the Island are populated by the trustworthy. Since I take you to be trustworthy, I want to ask: What color i...

An ENTIRE OUNCE of Dr Bronner's?! just kidding. It looks pretty lean and mean to me. To keep the food weight down, you might consider some sort of resupply at Windigo---either mailing a box to yourself (this entails non-trivial logistics, which you can find described on the Grand Portage Isle Royale...

one observation: your present day 6 (Windigo to Little Todd), your longest, covers what many people consider the toughest stretch of trail on your whole loop---the rocky outcrops between Little Todd and S Desor. Many people, including me, also think it's the most fun! It's absolutely doable---I'm a ...

Name: Laura (and Mr t) Email: (at) PM me here! Hometown: Ann Arbor Arrival Date: 5 August Departure Date: 7 August Coming From/Via: Copper Harbor/her majesty the Queen Itinerary: Rock Harbor Lodge based forays (Mr t is a keen walker but an even keener fan of beds and toilets) Notes/Other: I'm very e...

An alternative Day 3 destination: Chickenbone East, IR's least favorite campground! It's not guaranteed to offer contemplative solitude, but it's not easy to get to, and people don't like staying there, due to the long water fetch. (I think it's .5 miles RT, and I know a hill is involved.) Although ...

Day 1: it's a haul but in late June you'll have scads of daylight to work with. Pack light, take your time, and enjoy it! Day 4: lots of choices here for routing. You really can't go wrong. My totally subjective vote would be to take the trail on the east side of Chickenbone Lake, then follow the GR...

these are amazing! Here's a screenshot from the GR one just now: