I had heard that the Queen lost an engine and hit the RH dock hard last Friday. This was all second hand information from passengers on the Ranger who were dropped off at Mott because the RH dock was occupied by the Queen. There is not a lot of excess capacity to transport passengers at this time of ...

I have paddled around ISRO by packraft, both the 5 fingers area (Rock Harbor, Tobin Harbor, Duncan Bay, Belle Isle) and the interior chain of lakes (McCargoe Cove, Chicken Bone lake, Livermore, Lesage, Ritchie, Intermediate, Siskiwit, Whittlesley, and Chippewa Bay). I have an Alpaka whitewater ...

I would not recommend avoiding the Tobin/Duncan portage by paddling around Blake Point unless there are ideal conditions (no wind/flat waves). I have paddled around Blake Point in less than ideal conditions and have learned from my folly not to do so. Belle Isle is a great campground and well worth ...

I have taken my Alpacka to ISRO on two occasions. It is possible (and safe) to paddle a packraft from Snug Harbor to Moskey Basin (about a 6 hour paddle in a packraft). From Moskey Basin you have access to Lake Ritchie and the other interior lakes. Lake Ritchie Canoe is a great campground, as is ...

I am guessing based on the map plots that the 3 were on the Minong between NLD and Washington Creek. Tough stretch of trail, but you do have to go over 2 Beaver dams and there is (or was) water, albeit highly silted and difficult to filter, feet from the trail in several places. Are the impoundments ...

When I backpacked the Minong and Greenstone in 2011 (14 days), I did a food drop at the Windigo Ranger station by mailing myself food (Windigo serves as a post office and the Ranger there is the resident postmaster. Mail is delivered by the Voyager II). It really does save packweight. From talking ...

Gaiters are really useful on the Hatchett Lake - Windigo stretch of the Greenstone (and the stretch from Mt. Franklin to Lookout Louise), where the trail is flanked with head high foliage which will get wet and will in turn make you wet. Boots and socks stay drier with gaiters in these conditions ...

The campgrounds with docks do give access to Lake Superior waters and while I have not caught fish from them, I have seen folks catch pike from the McCargoe Cove dock and Lake Trout from the Daisy Farm dock. Shore fishing from Chickenbone (Chickenbone West Campground) is possible but it will involve ...

I bought a ResQLink+. While I hope never to have to use it, it does ease the minds of folks back home.

I have done much of that route. It is very doable. BUT September is a very dynamic month weather wise. Storms on Lake Superior will affect both your ability to get to ISRO (the ferries will not run if waves on Lake Superior are 10 or more feet in size (I have been weathered in in September); weather ...

In 2013 I did not get into Sargent. Ended up doing the center lakes by packraft. In 2016 I packrafted in McCargoe and looked at the area around the Sargent Lake outlet stream to recon a trip to Sargent. The logistics are difficult. There is no established trail and the outlet stream has multiple ...

For planning purposes, you should plan on around 1.5 miles per hour. Day 2, you will be spending time climbing up to the Greenstone, so your pace will drop. Also keep in mind that your mileage does not include the mileage from the Greenstone to SLD (and back). Could be a very long day of hiking ...

Your itinerary is very doable. The shelters on ISRO are 24 or so inches off of the ground and are on platforms. 3 sides are paneled; the 4th is screened. There is a spring loaded door for entry/exit. Please do not let the door slam shut. This includes the outhouses. ISRO is unlike many other ...

Clear skies and a north wind can make it dip into the upper 30s to low 40s, especially on the north side, even in August. Bring the warmer bags or bring additional thermal layers and a wool hat and thick wool socks.

Lake Ritchie canoe is around a mile or so (as the crow flies) west of the Lake Ritche campground. Canoe flotation device: while this is up to you, you really should be prepared to be able to self rescue anywhere on ISRO. Depending on how you will be getting to the chain of inland lakes -- paddling ...