Boat transport AFTER 9-1

Questions about trails and campsites on the island.

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tphanson
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Boat transport AFTER 9-1

Post by tphanson »

Hi all! The wife and I are changing up our IR plans for a variety of reasons and are looking at splitting our 8 days on the island after 9-1 between two jaunts. Need your expertise to figure out what will work.

We are coming in from Grand Portage to Windigo. Thinking about getting off at McCargoe Cove and then backpacking over to Moskey Basin or Chippewa Harbor. What are the options for getting picked up at Moskey or Chippewa? How difficult/expensive is it to arrange?

We are then thinking of getting dropped off at Siskiwit Bay and then hiking back to Windigo after a couple of days wandering around there.

Thoughts? Feedback? Other ideas? Thanks for your help on this!
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Midwest Ed
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Re: Boat transport AFTER 9-1

Post by Midwest Ed »

Your best bet is to simply use the Voyageur for your drop off and pickup. It does not run to Moskey Basin though, so Chippewa Harbor or Daisy Farm are your options with the Voyageur. There is a chance you could still get a water taxi from Moskey Basin up until about September 8th or 9th. You would need to check with the Rock Harbor park concessions but they normally operate for about a week after Labor Day. Even so you would be getting on the Voyageur in Rock Harbor. It would be simpler and less expensive to just have the Voyageur pick you up at Chippewa Harbor or Daisy Farm. All you have to do is make the arrangements with the Voyageur. If no one has scheduled a pick up or drop off they do not stop at these intermediate locations so you can't just show up.

The Voyageur operates into October but reduces from 3 trips to 2 trips per week beginning the week of September 18th in 2017. Here is a complete 2017 ferry schedule showing their planned 2017 schedule but check with the Voyageur to make sure it is all still the same. I don't have pricing but a McCargoe Cove/Chippewa trip from Grand Portage can't be much different than a Rock Harbor round trip.
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Ingo
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Re: Boat transport AFTER 9-1

Post by Ingo »

Not difficult or expensive using the Voyageur II. It is somewhat more than a round-trip ticket to R.H. because you'd be splitting up your return trip into 2 legs, however. Simply check their schedule and make your reservations for your drop-off/pickup locations http://www.isleroyaleboats.com/. As Ed notes, they start to reduce the schedule so pay close attention to the dates--earlier in Sept gives you more options. Also, at some point they require that you have an alternative drop-off point on the south shore because they may not travel out on the north side of the island due to the weather. They will tell you if this is necessary.

The one issue with your plan is that they do not stop at Siskiwit Bay. But for the 2nd leg you have 3 other options:
(a) CH -> Malone Bay, hike back to Windigo. Malone -> S Desor would be your longest day (11 miles)
(b) CH -> Windigo, hike the Feldtmann loop.
(c) CH -> Windigo, hike the Huginnin Cove loop. If I'm reading between the lines correctly that you're looking for a more relaxed trip with shorter days, this would be my suggestion. I've only spent one night at Huginnin, but could easily spend a couple days there.
22: BI-PC-BI-RH, 21: RH-ML-DF-MB-DF, 18: MC-PC-BI-DB-RH-DF, 17: WI-IM-SB-FL-WC, 16: RH-CI-TI-RH, 14: BI-ML-CI-CH-MB, 13: RH-PI, 12: MC-CB-HL-TH, 11: WC-HC-WC, 09: MC-BI-DN-RH, 05: MI-CI-MB-DF-RH-TM-RH, 02: MC-LR-WL-CH, 01: BI-DB-RH, 79: worked RH
galupnorth
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Re: Boat transport AFTER 9-1

Post by galupnorth »

Thank you Ingo and Midwest Ed for your direction. I think we will get dropped at MC and hike over to CH and get picked up there. We'll then go to Windigo and spend the night and depending on how we are feeling and the weather do Huggins or the Feldman loop. Got a call into Grand Portage folks to alter our original reservation.
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