2009 Trip Log - Add your planned itinerary here!

[johnhens]

Name: Kim Overholt
Email: kimmers@charter.net
Hometown: Holmen, WI
Arrival Date: 8/14
Departure Date: 8/22
Coming From/Via: Houghton / Ranger III
Itinerary:
1st night- Sitting on the fence on this one. We'd like to make Tookers or Caribou. (Unless we hear it's unlikely there's a spot then maybe further south or head north? Weather dependent too. I'm a little worried about this. Or maybe we'll just get a cabin the first night.)

2nd night - Depends on what happens on the first night.

3rd night etc. Unsure as it depends again on availability and weather however we do plan to trip north and south using RH to refuel. Slight possibility of circumnavigating.

Last night - RHL Cabin

Notes/Other: Bringing our 18' boat aboard the Ranger III. Hubby and I are bring our two kids (college age) to show them where we met, while working for RHL, then fell in love, and became engaged that same summer. I am way more excited that I can tell you all!

Hope your kids like it as much as you do!!!

[johnhens]

munk, we are almost neighbors, I live west of Geneva. I have fished the Fox down your way for Smallies.
Your trip looks good. Make sure as you go from Richie to 3 Mile that you stop in Moskey Basin, one of my favorite places to camp on IR!!

Have a Great trip!!

[philranger]

Hey Trekkerjeff,

Looking forward to meeting you on the VII. I'll be the guy wearing the yellow Packer hat. I wanted to go canoeing, but couldn't rouse any of my slug friends to do a trip. Backing IR is better than sitting at home and watching TV.

[DonNewcomb]

Just received Ranger III confirmation.
To I.R. 8/25/09
Off I.R. 9/5/09

My brother & I are working out several possible intra-island backpacking itineraries. Not sure yet which we'll use. There are a lot of moving parts. He has one plan where we make two hops using Voyageur II. Resupply by parcel-post, etc. The goal is to see as much as possible while keeping the weight and daily mileage down to a reasonable level for a couple of out-of-shape graying mouse-potatoes.

[DonNewcomb]

Here is our current plan. The planning objectives were:
1. See as much as possible.
2. Keep our pack weights as low as possible.
3. Avoid backtracking and repeats.
4. Avoid hard hikes, get plenty of rest.

The result is a plan that seems complicated and expensive. Brother says he's wanted to hike I.R. for the last 30 years and the expense isn't the issue.

Names:
Donald Newcomb, Long Beach, MS
Ward Newcomb, Montogmery, AL
e-mail: drnewcomb (at) attglobal.net
Arrival: 25 Aug 09
Departure: 5 Sept 09

Itinerary:
8/24 Arrive Houghton from Montgomery, Ala.
8/25 Ranger III to I.R. Camp at Three Mile
8/26 Camp at Moskey Basin
8/27 Chippewa Harbor
8/28 Chippewa Harbor
8/29 Ride Voyageur II to Malone Bay. Food package arrives on boat. Camp either at Malone Bay or along shore of Siskiwit Lake.
8/30 Camp at S. Desor
8/31 Windigo Area. (Shower, fuel, sundrys)
9/1 Camp at Huginnin Cove
9/2 Return to Windigo. Ride Voyageur II to McCargoe Cove. Food package arrives on boat. Camp at Lake Ritchie
9/3 Camp at Moskey Basin or Daisy Farm
9/4 Sleep at lodge/cottage. Hot bath/shower and dinner. Clean up gear.
9/5 Depart I.R. on Ranger III. Arrive Houghton and start driving south.

The only thing that's confirmed are the Ranger III rides. We had considered driving to Grand Portage to use Voyageur II to allow us to start at one end and end at the other but that added a bit more driving that we could handle.

Any comments or suggestions are appreciated. (PM or e-mail might be more appropriate.)

P.S. I realized that VII does not make the south side run on 8/29. So, this plan will have to be tweeked.

[jerry]

Don,

I might see you on the 28th at Chippewa Harbor. Hope a shelter is available for me when I get there. It sounds like you'll have a great trip.

[MeganP]

Name: Megan, Heidi and Jan
Email: mkparker919(at)gmail.com
Hometown: Eau Claire, WI
Arrival Date: Wednesday, Aug. 26.
Departure Date: Sunday, Aug. 30.
Coming From/Via: Grand Portage, Minn., to Windigo and back.
Backpacking itinerary:
Day one: Windigo to Feldtman Lake.
Day two: Feldtman Lake to Siskiwit Bay.
Day three: Siskiwit Bay to Windigo (Washington Harbor Campground).
Day four: Windigo to Hugginin Cove.
Day five: Hugginin Cove back to the boat.

Notes: This is a trip I attempted in mid-May, but the Voyageur II was canceled for two consecutive days because of wind and waves so I decided to take a refund and try again later in the summer. Here's hoping for better weather this time. I've been to the island twice, Heidi has been there three times, and Jan is new to backpacking. I hope she loves backpacking, but I *know* she'll love IR.

[TheHoneymooners]

Name: Matt and Jessica Lipiec
Email: holdrenj(at)msu.edu
Hometown: Milford, Michigan
Arrival Date: August 17
Departure Date: August 25
Coming From/Via: Copper Harbor, I.R. Queen
Itinerary:
Monday Night - Rock Harbor
Tuesday - water taxi to Lookout Loiuse Hike to Lane Cove
Wednesday - Hike to McCargo Cove
Thursday - Hike to Tod Harbor
Friday - Hike to Little Todd Harbor
Saturday - Hike to Lake Desor
Sunday - Hike to Washington Creek (hopefully don't get eaten by beavers)
Monday - Ferry back to Rock Harbor
Tuesday - Queen back to Copper Harbor.

Leaving on Friday for Mackinaw and then on to Isle Royale!
We are very excited! If anyone else is going to be around that week, let me know. I would love to meet with some of you!

Jess
Notes/Other:

[munk79]

Jess/Matt,

We might cross paths at some point...we'll be hiking the eastern half of IR from Sunday till Friday. We'll be leaving McCargo on Tuesday morning. Congrats!!! Sounds like an awesome honeymoon!!!

Eric

[Kim Overholt]

OMIGOSH!!!!! We're on our way!!!!! Looks like fine weather for the trip!!!! Report to be posted on the 24th!!

Kim

Sorry for all the exclamation points!!!

[mkiss]

Name: Mike, Matt, Pete, Glen
Email: mkiss@hines.com
Hometown: Southgate MI
Arrival Date: 8/31/09
Departure Date: 9/3/09
Coming From/Via: Copper Harbor
Itinerary: not sure yet
Notes/Other: Any suggestions? This will be our first trip on the island. i've been trying to get to IR for close to 12 years now.

[Don_P]

Name: Mike, Matt, Pete, Glen
Email: mkiss@hines.com
Hometown: Southgate MI
Arrival Date: 8/31/09
Departure Date: 9/3/09
Coming From/Via: Copper Harbor
Itinerary: not sure yet
Notes/Other: Any suggestions? This will be our first trip on the island. i've been trying to get to IR for close to 12 years now.

One option:

8/31 - Rock Harbor to Moskey Basin
9/1 - Moskey Basin to McCargoe Cove
9/2 - McCargoe Cove to Daisy Farm
9/3 - Daisy Farm to Rock Harbor

We'll be on the boat back to Copper Harbor with you.

[jeastbur]

DonNewcomb,

We may pass you going the opposite way on the trail.
My group will be staying at Chippewa on Aug 26 and staying at McCargoe or Moskey Aug 27 (still deciding whether to go for a strenuous itinerary or a more laid-back one).

We were going to have 5 in our group, but one member broke his collarbone the other day and won't be able to join--a big disappointment.

Josh

[mkiss]

Thanks Don,
I know i dont have much time, but i kid you not, i have been trying to get to IR for about 12 years now. gota go when you can go.

[jeastbur]

Thanks to those on the forums that helped me out with this itinerary!

Name: Josh, Aaron, Cliff, J. and James
Email: josh.eastburn {at} gmail {dot} com
Hometown: Charlotte, NC; Oakland, CA; Chicago, IL; Grand Rapids, MI; Des Plaines, IL
Arrival Date: August 26
Departure Date: August 30
Coming From/Via: Copper Harbor on the Queen IV
Itinerary:

August 25 - Fly into Houghton, MI
August 26 - Arrive in RH via Queen IV, take water taxi to Chippewa Harbor, day hike, camp @ Chippewa Harbor
August 27 - Hike to McCargoe Cove; 10.6 mi
August 28 - Hike to Daisy Farm; 8.2 mi
August 29 - Hike to Lane Cove; 7.2 mi
August 30 - Hike out to RH (6.9 mi), leave on Queen IV
August 31 - Fly out of Houghton, MI

Leaving in 4 days!!
Sadly, one member of our group broke his collarbone last week and won't be joining us.

I'm considering this alternate itinerary which would log fewer miles:

August 26 - Arrive in RH via Queen IV, take water taxi to Chippewa Harbor, camp @ Chippewa Harbor
August 27 - Hike to Moskey Basin
August 28 - Hike to Daisy Farm or Lane Cove
August 29 - Lane Cove
August 30 - Hike out to RH, leave on Queen IV

DonNewcomb, it looks like we might see you between Chippewa and Moskey. Anyone else going to be along our path?

Josh