TR: Late May 2023

[JerryB]

A friend and i were on the island from May 20 to May 25, 2023. Our hike was: Windigo to Hugginin and back to Windigo. Windigo to IM for two nights, with a day hike to Siskiwit and then back to Windigo.

We kicked off our trip with another delicious meal at the Angry Trout in Grand Marais and then overnight at the Grand portage Casino, which we found a bit less pleasant (smoky room, unhelpful staff,…). The off for a very smooth ferry ride to Windigo. Once there, we waited for over two hours to register. There was only one ranger working and many of the hikers were first timers with lots of questions. The ranger did her best, although her guidance was pretty general. Because of the delay, we decided to reverse our planned trip and do the Feldtman Loop beginning with Hugginin instead of feldtman lake. Later, we were told that the trail to Feldtman was washed out by a broken beaver dam and folks were getting very wet. I believe that was false, but more on that later. Anyway, because of that, we modified our plans as indicated above. Key lesson is to build in as much flexibility into your plans as possible.

For Hugginin, we took the shorter, west trail and I can think of very little positive to say about that route. Constant ankle-twisting terrain and quite a few steep uphills, all without views to speak of. Hugginin itself was fantastic. It is a very beautiful cove with four sites well spaced around its edge. Most of the sites had nice “furniture” too! One warning, the campsite is quite exposed to cold winds, especially in May. Still, worth it. Now, on the way back, we took the East trail, which is a bit longer but half as difficult. It also runs right along the shore for some incredible views. I would definitively choose this trail for both going to and coming from Hugginin. One interesting site: Out in Lake Superior, we saw an intrepid soul in a pack raft! He looked like he came all the way from McCargo Cove. I cannot imagine.

After a night at Windigo, we hiked up to Island Mine. The trail was fine, although no trail crews made it through yet. IM, however, was severely damaged with downed trees along the trail to the group sites. Fortunately, the sites were fine but it looked like Armageddon. We were able to have two campfires during our two evenings there, which was very pleasant. And the creek was running plenty high for us to easily get water. Shout out to Jay from Jersey who was there! On our full day at IM, we hiked down to Siskiwit—actually just to the Carnelian Beach at the bottom of the trail—to relax and picnic. Then back to Windigo, where (unfortunately) the store was not yet open. I was told it will not open until June 6, but it still had quite a ways to go.

A note on weather and sleeping. It was very cold, below freezing on our last night when ice formed on the harbor. It was clearly on the very edge of my sleep system of a 40 degree quilt, heavy liner, down boots and hood and a puffy jacket. I should have brought my down bag, if only to avoid the chill when the quilt slipped off. One innovation (for me) did help: I wrapped my pad in an emergency reflective blanket. As a result, I never felt the cold seeping up into me from the ground.

Now a few random notes. Lots of people on the island and many seemed to be newbies. IM was full for three nights running. I was quite surprised. In my view, NPS is going to have to do something to manage the crowds. I suspect we will see some unpopular but perhaps necessary changes in the future. The rangers really need to do a better job in orientation setting expectations for crowded camp sites. I got into an fairly animated conversation with one newbie hiker who insisted that those in shelters must share the shelters until they are at capacity. If the rangers do not do better on this, there will someday be a confrontation. Finally, I cannot recall ever getting so many bits of false information fed to me by so many different people as absolute fact (and refusing to hear anything to the contrary). The Feldtman trail was washed out; the showers are working; the “lady” will open the store if you just ask; pay for parking at GP at the marina and not at the small ferry office; sidearms are allowed on the island; I saw a coyote! and more. All simply wrong. I felt like i was living in a three dimensional rendering of social media. I have no point here but it was weird!
In a separate post, I will offer some thoughts on food. All in all, a great trip!

[Ingo]

Glad you had good trip. How was the trail down to Siskiwit? The lower part was a stream when I was there this time of year.

[JerryB]

Glad you had good trip. How was the trail down to Siskiwit? The lower part was a stream when I was there this time of year.

The trail to siskiwit was in pretty good shape, even without trail crew work. No rain for most of a week helps.

[dcclark]

Thanks for the trip report! I just got back from the west end too (don't think we saw each other). I second the odd amount of false info -- we heard it too. The rangers at Windigo seemed brand new this year too. I'll post some logs and notes on that later.

[hooky]

Sorry about all the false info, but one correction. Firearms are allowed on the island, assuming you're in compliance with Michigan firearm laws. Discharge of those firearms on the island is prohibited though. Our gun laws are Byzantine.

[JerryB]

Thanks for the correction. At least some things were true! I saw a sign prohibiting firearms, but maybe it was just for a building

[torpified]

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 is the water at Island Mine when the stream is flourishing? I've only seen it in its trickly, tea-colored phase.

[dcclark]

Island Mine water was definitely tea colored as of a week ago. I enjoy the fresh astringency and mild bouquet of an upland stream.

[RedLeg]

I agree there seemed to be more first timers / inexperienced hikers on the trail this May vs the last couple. I didn't find the island to be too busy for the first week, I didn't see another person for the first six days there.

SO did anyone else meet the kid who fell in the Big Siskiwit River trying to jump the mouth?!?

[JerryB]

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 is the water at Island Mine when the stream is flourishing? I've only seen it in its trickly, tea-colored phase.

It was a bit tea-colored and one first timer was quite concerned about it until we talked. Tasted fine. Funny story: last year I took some boy scouts to the island and they raved about the taste of the IM water, especially after Desor.

[JerryB]

I agree there seemed to be more first timers / inexperienced hikers on the trail this May vs the last couple. I didn't find the island to be too busy for the first week, I didn't see another person for the first six days there.

SO did anyone else meet the kid who fell in the Big Siskiwit River trying to jump the mouth?!?

I did not. I did meet the hiker who, last year, got lost on the way to Siskiwit from Feldtman. He ended up at the Fisherman’s Home for three days! He banged pots and waived at the Voyageur and the Coast Guard rescued him. The rangers are still talking about that one!

[RedLeg]

That's the same kid!!! We were getting ready to cook up a pike at Siskiwit camp when he staggered in about 7:30 one night soaking wet having just fell in the drink. He came back this year to do the trail in reverse and try to find out where he went off trail (which was likely the jog in the trail heading east from Feldtmann) where the topography would have forced him down to the South shore over time. After hearing the story, I paddled out to FHC to check it out. It baffles my mind why he didn't finish the 4.5m shore hike in to Siskiwit camp when he realized where he was the next day. He found the map on the wall in the bath/sauna house that mush have had a pushpin or mark on it. He'd probably already covered almost 3x that distance from Feldtmann to get there with his bush travels.

[JerryB]

That's the same kid!!! We were getting ready to cook up a pike at Siskiwit camp when he staggered in about 7:30 one night soaking wet having just fell in the drink. He came back this year to do the trail in reverse and try to find out where he went off trail (which was likely the jog in the trail heading east from Feldtmann) where the topography would have forced him down to the South shore over time. After hearing the story, I paddled out to FHC to check it out. It baffles my mind why he didn't finish the 4.5m shore hike in to Siskiwit camp when he realized where he was the next day. He found the map on the wall in the bath/sauna house that mush have had a pushpin or mark on it. He'd probably already covered almost 3x that distance from Feldtmann to get there with his bush travels.

Worse, he told me he INTENTIONALLY searched for the Superior shore and he KNEW where he was when at the Home. He was also the guy who insisted, in an increasingly animated way, that those in shelters must share until the shelter hits maximum capacity.

[JerryB]

I commented to my buddy that this was a guy with waaay too much unwarranted self confidence

[RedLeg]

Yeah his soaking wet ass was a little dissapointed that the Siskiwit shelters were all full and he had to tent it that night. Even after explaining the tent was probably at least 5 degrees warmer than sleeping your damp ass in a shelter. He had a map this year, but no compass, no GPS, no phone, no matches/lighter. Hiking in sneakers, jeans & Corduroy pants/jacket. I was baffled...

Plus he'd already done the worst of the shore hike to FHC, the last five miles or so in to Siskiwit bay from where he was at was pretty much a cake walk unless he tried to 3/4 mile shortcut over the ridge. I'd already made the bush hike from Siskiwit camp out to Francis point a couple days earlier.