But that made me think -- maybe it was a logging road, maybe for the kind of narrow-gauge railroad that was often used for those operations. I'm still a bit skeptical, especially since there were large rocks embedded in the top at some points. large embedded rocks could be the handiwork of a ...

I am revisiting this string to update on my total loss of appetite on hiking trips (see above). Maybe this will be helpful to those who have suffered from the same. I have the same problem, especially on higher altitude trips, and three things on your list---ramen, fritos, and drink powders---are ...

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 ...

An ENTIRE OUNCE of Dr Bronner's?! just kidding. It looks pretty lean and mean to me. To keep the food weight down, you might consider some sort of resupply at Windigo---either mailing a box to yourself (this entails non-trivial logistics, which you can find described on the Grand Portage Isle Royale ...

one observation: your present day 6 (Windigo to Little Todd), your longest, covers what many people consider the toughest stretch of trail on your whole loop---the rocky outcrops between Little Todd and S Desor. Many people, including me, also think it's the most fun! It's absolutely doable---I'm a ...

Name: Laura (and Mr t) Email: (at) PM me here! Hometown: Ann Arbor Arrival Date: 5 August Departure Date: 7 August Coming From/Via: Copper Harbor/her majesty the Queen Itinerary: Rock Harbor Lodge based forays (Mr t is a keen walker but an even keener fan of beds and toilets) Notes/Other: I'm very ...

An alternative Day 3 destination: Chickenbone East, IR's least favorite campground! It's not guaranteed to offer contemplative solitude, but it's not easy to get to, and people don't like staying there, due to the long water fetch. (I think it's .5 miles RT, and I know a hill is involved.) Although ...

Day 1: it's a haul but in late June you'll have scads of daylight to work with. Pack light, take your time, and enjoy it! Day 4: lots of choices here for routing. You really can't go wrong. My totally subjective vote would be to take the trail on the east side of Chickenbone Lake, then follow the ...

these are amazing! Here's a screenshot from the GR one just now:

I'm (finally) buying a Garmin inReach to give my relatives peace of mind. I'm especially a fan of the free check-in messages. Sadly the 20% coupon doesn't work on devices with GPS chips, but the dividend at least takes a bit of the edge off. "At campground, all is well." Garmin: I've acquired my ...

that is a supercool scheme! I'm also hoping you'll carry it out (and report)! I wonder if the Voyageur folk would consider some sort of frequent flyer discount? In a way, you're just booking one outbound (to RH) and one inbound (from RH) trip. Also, you'll practically be a member of the crew by the ...

I'm famously bad at reasoning involving small numbers and dates, but I *think* that if your trip falls before September 21st this year, you can take the Voyageur on a Sunday from RH to Chippewa, spend 3 nights en route to McCargo, then be collected there by the (RH bound) Voyageur on the following ...

I understand that this won't be much help for planning ahead unless it's available in another format, but--- there is, or used to be, a binder on the IR Queen that had what I remember as quite comprehensive writeups (including profiles) on the Island's trails and (maybe?) campsites. Am I imagining ...

backwoods doc wrote: ↑Mon Jan 30, 2023 2:00 pm Similar to humans, I see that the frigid water plunge was preceded by drinking.

but not, in this case, by leaning out over the water to pee . . . .

European moose aside: The natural history museum at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris has a famous stuffed moose sent to France's leading 18th naturalist, Comte de Buffon, by Thomas Jefferson, as part of their beef about whether everything in North America was paltry and weak compared to everything in ...