Trip plan, advice requested (questions at bottom)

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DSKlos
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Trip plan, advice requested (questions at bottom)

Post by DSKlos »

My Dad has always wanted to go to Isle Royale, and as I just graduated college, I think this could be our last chance to take the fishing trip we've always wanted to take to the Isle. I've been to the Isle twice. We will each have an 18ft Aquaterra Sea Lion kayak. Neither of us have a heck of a lot of experience in kayaks aside from a few day trips, practicing flipping/righting, and fishing. I have around 300-350 miles in a canoe however...

Sat, Aug 8. Day 1: Ferry to RH from Copper Harbor, paddle from RH to Chippewa Harbor, fish CH
Day 2: Chippewa Harbor to Lake Whittlesey, fish Whittlesey
Day 3: Whittlesey to Wood Lake, fish Wood Lake/Siskiwit
Day 4: Wood Lake to Intermediate Lake, fish Intermediate
Day 5: Return to Wood Lake/Siskiwit, fish
Day 6: Return to Whittlesey, fish
Day 7: Chippewa Harbor or Rock Harbor, fish
Day 8: Extra day for weather, exploring, fish
Day 9: Extra day for weather, exploring, fish
(I've done the Richie to Moskey portage before, and there's no way in hell I am doing that again.)

Questions:
Ive never been further southwest on the island than Richie. Has anyone paddled RH to Chippewa before? I learned my lesson last year when I rounded Blake Pt with a friend of mine and our under-sized canoe flipped in a classic, sudden Lake Superior storm on the very first day (I really need to write a report for that trip)... and then the canoe sank on the last day too, haha. Anyway - I don't want to have a repeat of that with my aging father. He's stubborn and over-confident like me, but I just don't want to see him hit the water or over-exert himself and then have a heart attack. How bad can the seas get? Is it about 13 miles from Rock Harbor to Chippewa?

Does anyone know what the fishing is like in the lakes above? How about the camp sites?

Is Malone Bay worth paddling to?

This itinerary seems quite relaxed to me. Do you agree? I ask because I have a track record of planning these types of trips with my friends, and while I think they are relaxed while planning, they end up being hell marches or near-drowning experiences off of Blake Point...

Thanks a lot, fellow Royalers!
Dan
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Re: Trip plan, advice requested (questions at bottom)

Post by johnhens »

Dan,
What safety equipment do you plan to bring?
Do you know of the potential hazards you may face?
There aren't many places to pull out along the shore between Chippewa and Rock Harbor.
A kayker was killed in '07 in the Apostles when they got caught by the weather.
Lake Superior and Isle Royale in particular are not the place to "learn" kayak skills.
The shorline consists of large boulders. Any wind out of the South will make paddling hazardous with large waves (6-8' waves not uncommon) and strong shore current. If you still plan on going, take a water taxi to Chippewa and start your paddle from there, making sure to scout the shorline for places to seek refuge. If you want to go out and have an adventure, at least consider the lives of the folks who may have to come and rescue you!!!

There are many experienced canoists here who have not gone round Blake Point due to its hazardous nature. Learn from your "adventure"!!!

By the way I have done the portages with kayaks you mentioned except from Intermediate to Richie. Carrying a kayak, well you would be wise to try it at home and figure out how you are going to carry your gear. If you are concerned about your dad having a heart attack, portaging may not be the best idea.

Malone Bay is IMO opinion a great place to paddle.
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