Itinerary Feedback

[Lena06]

Hi all, my friends and I (3-5 people) are planning our first trip to Isle Royale early August of this year. I'm so excited! We're all in decent shape - I'd say my absolute day limit is Yosemite's Cloud's Rest that I hiked this summer (foolishly, without a proper hiking backpack). The most anyone on the trip has backpacked however is 3 days - the rest of us have only done day trips or car camping. Here's our proposed itinerary, we would love some feedback, especially if you think of any short hikes/sights to see nearby where we'll be hiking and camping. Also, if anyone's been to IR in August..have you caught a glimpse of the northern lights?

Day 1: Land in Windigo via ferry from Grand Portage, hike and set up camp at Feldtmann Lake Campground
Day 2: Sisikiwit Bay Campground
Day 3: Island Mine Campground (lunch), camp at S. Lake Desor Campground (most worried about this one, as I've heard it's buggy)
Day 4: Todd Harbor Campground (long day)
Day 5: McCargoe Cove Campground
Day 6: Chippewa Harbor Campground (via W Chickenbone Campground and Lake Richie Campground)
Day 7: Moskey Basin Campground
Day 8: Rock Harbor Campground (another long day)
Day 9: Leave RH via ferry bright and early in the morning for Grand Portage

Thanks for any and all input! Really appreciate it

[Midwest Ed]

First reaction is, it's a strenuous itinerary for a group with limited overnight experience & without much overnight/fullpack experience. It's a common suggestion to build in a "zero" day to accommodate any number of unforeseen situations including weather. Plan it more towards the end so you don't use it too soon. After you complete the first 2 or 3 days you should have a much better idea of how the group is doing. You have enough "zig-zagging" scheduled so that things can be easily rearranged as you go for a more direct route to Rock Harbor. If you find yourselves slowing down you can skip or exchange campgrounds without problems. This is allowed for smaller group sizes like yours. The Black flies should be gone by August but any of the campgrounds can be buggy with mosquitos especially after dusk, except those on Lake Superior shorelines will be less so, especially with a favorable breeze. I suggest always taking a headnet, they're very lightweight. Northern Lights are not so much a function of the month but rather the year. Good news is, this year (2024) is entering a Solar maximum so your chances will be at an 11 year all time high.

[dcclark]

In addition to what Ed said (especially about the zero day!), I'd strongly encourage you to consider a shorter trip, maybe 5-6 days. That's based on your experience and the fact that the island will be unfamiliar terrain. If you discover that things are harder than expected, or that your group is not a fan of long backpacking trips, or that the weather is especially hot or buggy, it would be rough to find that out on a 9-day trip!

There's no need to hike across the island -- although many first-timers want to do that -- because the loops at either end tend to be more picturesque. That also lets you avoid some of the less-great campgrounds, odd spurs, and long days.

Finally, I lived in the Keweenaw (nearby mainland) for 10 years and only saw the northern lights once. Ed is right that you'll have a better chance this summer, but it's not something to count on -- it's a wonderful surprise if it happens!

[Kelly]

Since you're taking the VII, I suggest disembarking at McCargoe Cove and forgoing the Feldtmann Loop (on this visit). Also orienting your departure location to Chippewa Harbor or Daisy Farm rather than Rock Harbor. and adjusting your itinerary towards that end. This gives you easier access to Todd Harbor and Moskey Basin, and you may even decide to go on to Little Todd Harbor, and now you've opened up several zero-day options.

By that point in the summer, you will probably want to avoid inland-lake campgrounds, as they are more prone to toxic algae. Which is not a problem if you carry extra water.

Another option to consider is spending the night at whatever point you disembark, rather than pushing on to somewhere else.

Summer days are long and nights are short, thus reducing aurora sightings further.

[torpified]

Cloud's Rest from the Tioga Pass road climbs about 1800 feet, sometimes over very rough trail, over 7 miles, one way. If you can dayhike that without plunging irrevocably into despair (or Tenaya canyon), you should be able to manage any of the individual days on your itinerary, provided your pack weights aren't ludicrous. But how much your group would enjoy the 9 day backpack you describe is a question it's difficult to address in advance. So, like others who have weighed in, I'd encourage you to frame some contingency plans---and take advantage of IR's flexible permitting system to deploy them, if Plan A starts to feel burdensome.

One thought would be to do the Feldtmann Loop counterclockwise, as a sort of shakedown hike---being sure to visit Rainbow Cove when you stay at Feldtmann Lake---returning to Windigo to regroup, shower, resupply. (By the time you get to Island Mine, you'll have evidence about whether it'd be fun to press on to Windigo that day---it's mostly downhill.) You could even build in a postshakedown rest and assess day at Windigo, and use it to day hike the Huginnin Loop if it turns out you don't feel like resting. Then, depending on how the shakedown hike goes, plan your route to Rock Harbor. Straight down the Greenstone is easiest; the Minong is more challenging, more scenic, and more fun. If you walk by McCargo, be sure to take time to investigate the Minong Mine!

ALL the options are good, so don't stress about picking the "right" one. And in all probability you'll be back, so don't stress either about seeing it all. Whatever you do, please file a trip report! People like me need them to read over the dull winter months!

[Lena06]

Thank you everyone for your helpful responses and multiple options to build in a contingency plan! My only contingency plan was to remove the Chippewa Harbor Campground, so I appreciate all the other creative ways people can explore the island. The tickets for VII have already been purchased, so we're for sure going to be on the island 9 days. I'll definitely rethink/be ready to have a backup plan to combat my first-timer eagerness to do it ALL.

I really like Kelly's suggestion of orienting the departure location to Chippewa Harbor - has anyone successfully amended their tickets after purchasing? Thanks again, and a huge thanks to whoever coded the Isle Royale Trip Planner, they're probably not going to see this but they don't know the time that it's saved us (and likely so many others!). The community here is wonderful!

[Ingo]

I really like Kelly's suggestion of orienting the departure location to Chippewa Harbor - has anyone successfully amended their tickets after purchasing?

Just give the boat folks a call. So long as there's availability (and there will be if the same day) it's no problem. Perhaps a nominal change fee--I haven't been charged in the past, but it's been a few years.

Thanks again, and a huge thanks to whoever coded the Isle Royale Trip Planner, they're probably not going to see this but they don't know the time that it's saved us (and likely so many others!).

Appreciate the thank you . Glad it helped and have a great trip! (you will)

[Kelly]

ALL the options are good, so don't stress about picking the "right" one.

Once you land on the island, the most important thing is to show up for the boat at the end of your hike.

Probably the only trip on which I didn't make itinerary changes on the fly was my Belle Isle trip.

[Midwest Ed]

I really like Kelly's suggestion of orienting the departure location to Chippewa Harbor - has anyone successfully amended their tickets after purchasing?

Just give the boat folks a call. So long as there's availability (and there will be if the same day) it's no problem. Perhaps a nominal change fee--I haven't been charged in the past, but it's been a few years.

As Ingo points out, there should be no problem making this change as long as the Chippewa Harbor pickup date is the same as your ticketed Rock Harbor depature date. The boat on that date already has room reserved for you. But if it's a different date the boat might already be full for the return to Minnesota. The Coast Guard is who sets strict limits.

Even though you have a reserved spot for the original date do NOT assume you will get picked up at Chippewa Harbor. The Voyageur does not make any intermediate campground stops unless a passenger is on their schedule for drop off or pickup. I've restated this to also potentially warn other readers as this fairly simple "mistake by assumption" can lead to real trouble. Changes like this can be made in person on the boat, the day of your Minnesota outbound trip as long as room is available. But of course things are best assured by calling in advance as far as possible.

[Backpacker534]

Even though you have a reserved spot for the original date do NOT assume you will get picked up at Chippewa Harbor. The Voyageur does not make any intermediate campground stops unless a passenger is on their schedule for drop off or pickup. I've restated this to also potentially warn other readers as this fairly simple "mistake by assumption" can lead to real trouble. Changes like this can be made in person on the boat, the day of your Minnesota outbound trip as long as room is available. But of course things are best assured by calling in advance as far as possible.

I would also like to add the possibility of being stranded on the island due to weather.

This happened only once to me and my buddy, Ken. We had done a traverse that ended with our last night being at Chippewa Harbor. We had planned to be picked up at that location when the Voyageur made its trip from Rock Harbor back to Windigo.

We waited and waited and waited, but the ship never arrived. Without any way for us to know it (the weather and wind did not seem bad to us at Chippewa Harbor) the Voyageur was not able to leave Rock Harbor because of the swells on Lake Superior. We spent an unanticipated extra night at Chippewa Harbor. Fortunately, we had extra food to sustain us, and also extra food for the lone male who stayed there that night but was out of food.

We were awakened early the next morning by the horn of the Voyageur as it was sailing down the harbor. Needless to say, the three of us were elated and packed up all of our gear at lightning pace.

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