4 Nights -First Timers

[bearclaw]

Hey Everyone!

My wife and I are planning our first trip to the island. We are normally day hikers and this will be our second backpacking trip ever. Our first trip was only an overnight. We are in fairly good shape and in our late 20's.

We will be coming from Minnesota and are open on where we are dropped off or picked up at. We don't want to spend the extra money for water taxis so anything that can normally be arranged by the other boats would be great. I'm thinking 6-8 miles a day would be good (thoughts?)

We want to do 4 nights. Either the first night or the last night have it be close to the dock to minimizr hike time that day (be it either to late to get to a spot on arrival or would be cutting it to close to catch departing ferry. Also looking to avoid the masses.

Thanks for your route suggestions in advance!

[MikeT]

The obvious choice is the Feldtamnn Ridge trail looping around to the Greenstone and back as below:
Feldtmann Loop (29.8 miles total)
Day One:
Grand Portage to Windigo via the Voyageur
Windigo to Feldtmann Lake (8.5 Miles)
Evening walk to Rainbow Cove (.8 miles one-way)
Day Two:
Feldtmann Lake to Siskiwit Bay (10.3 Miles)
Day Three:
Siskiwit Bay to Island Mine (4.4 miles)
Day Four:
Island Mine to Washington Creek (6.6 Miles)
Day three and four can be combined to get into Washington Creek or, Island Mine to Washington Creek can be done in the morning to catch the boat. From where the Island Mine trail meets the Greenstone Ridge trail, it is all downhill to Windigo and can be done quickly.

There are other routes from Windigo, but they all backtrack with the amount of time you have. Getting dropped of at McCargoe is another possible start, but you would have longer days than you want and you loose half a day on the boat.

[Tom]

I'll go with the second obvious choice, and what might be my favorite three night hike of the Island. You can easily add another leg/campsite with this route.

Day 1: Take the Voyageur II from Grand Portage and have them drop you at McCargoe Cove. (No Mileage day one.) Hike up the Minong to see the mines.
Day 2: Hike from McCargoe Cove to Moskey Basin. 8.6 mi.
Day 3: Hike to Chippewa Harbor. 6.2mi
Day 4: Get picked up at Chippewa by the Voyageur. (Again, right next to docks.)

You can add a camp inbetween (Chickenbone West or Ritchie) if you like, or swing over to another site like Daisy Farm. If three nights, take the Sat or Mon ferry and get picked up Tuesday or Thursday; if four nights take the Wednesday ferry and get picked up Sunday. (Season will dictate when each of these works.)

I'm not saying the Feldtman isn't a great hike, and will tend to be more secluded. However, distance between sites is a bit longer, so if someone is having a tough go, it doesn't provide many outs. The schedule above also places you at camps that have shelters, should the weather get rough. The price difference for the ferry is only $13/person/trip compared to just being dropped at Windigo, so $52 additional for the two of you to use this option.

If not this time, then just do it the next... I think you'll find that like so many other hikers, you'll be back!
Welcome to the forums!

[Rafiki]

First off, hello and welcome to the forums.

I want to begin by saying that I believe that both Mike and Tom pose excellent suggestions. Both of their plans involve taking the Voyageur II or Sea Hunter from Grand Portage which is an ideal source of transportation considering that you are from Minnesota. Mike's plan will allow you to save some money if you are on a budget and do not want to pay the extra $13 per person for inner island drop off or pick up (in other words getting dropped off at McCargoe Cove or Rock Harbor/getting picked up at Daisy Farm, Chippewa Harbor, or Malone Bay.) His plan will also let you get a start on the day right away. On your first day, from 10:30am (around when you will arrive and check-in) until an hour or so before dusk starts settling in (provided you stop for lunch and a couple of short water breaks), you'll be on the trail hoofing it away. The only concern about this plan is the miles. However, you do say you are in relatively decent shape and are in your 20's, so I believe, as long as you have nice comfortable hiking boots that are broken in and you are carrying around or under 40lbs each (maybe a little more for you and less for her), I think this trip is very doable even with backpacking experience set aside. However, if you want to play it safe, and there is never anything wrong with that (better safe than sorry), perhaps this is not the plan you want to go with.

Tom's plan is a wonderful plan too. As he mentioned, going with his itinerary will allow you to stay at places with shelters which is nice because you would not have to set up a tent if you were lucky enough to get one. His plan also allows you to do something you are already familiar and comfortable with, that is, it allows you to have a base camp for your first day and to do a day hike to the mines. Perhaps this will be a more ideal way for you to start your trip. It also allows you to see many peoples favorite sites. This is just an assumption on my part, but I think if you asked a 100 people what there favorite site is to stay at, at least 75% of them would either say McCargoe Cove, Moskey Basin, or Chippewa Harbor as their first choice. Tom's plan also allows you to have lower mile days with the benefit of allowing you to be picked up right at the docks. The only concern about Tom's plan is if it is in your budget to play the extra money for inner island drop off and pick ups and if it is alright with you to have to backtrack from Moskey to get to Chippewa Harbor.

I have another plan that you can consider. I throw it out there as another option to review based off of your preferences.

Day 1: Take ferry to McCargoe Cove arrive at docks at 1pm. Setup camp and explore the mines. (No Miles)
Day 2: Hike to Todd Harbor. (6.6miles)
Day 3: Hike to Hatchet Lake (3.9 miles)
Day 4: Hike to Malone Bay (11.3 miles) Take ferry home the following morning.

When people ask for suggestions, I try to give more options rather than opinions until I get a better feel for what preferences they have as hikers. If I were to give you my opinion, my plan might include too many miles, include too little miles, include places you do not want to stay at, include a direction of travel you do not want to go in, include options that cost more money, etc. Only you know what preferences you have as individuals, and therefore, I simply I try to lay out the different perspectives to keep in mind with each option so that you can determine whether or not your preferences align with those perspectives. If they do, then we have found YOUR ideal plan. With that taken into consideration, I think the above plan is also a nice once to keep in mind. Not hiking on the first day and setting up a base camp will allow you to stick with what you are familiar with just as was the case with Tom's plan. This plan will also allow for light miles with the exception of the last day. However, if you are going to do high miles at any point during your trip, its best that they be done in your final days when your packs are a little lighter from eating your initial days supply of food. The nice thing about doing high miles on the last day of this particular option is that the hardest part would be tackled at the begining of the day rather than at the end. The hard par that I speak is the .3 miles ascending up to the Greenstone Trail from Hatchet Lake. You would also have energy from doing a short hike (3.9 miles) the day before and may even be eager to tackle something a little more challenging. It could be a great finale to the trip, and being that you are in your 20's and in decent shape, I definitely think you could handle it. Furthermore, this plan would not include any backtracking over any already hiked terrain. It would also allow you to stay at shelters for most of the trip. McCargoe has them, Todd as one (so a little luck would be required), Hatchet doesn't have them, but the site does have a beautfiul lake to sit and gaze at, and Malone has them. Finally, just as with Tom's plan, it would allow you to get picked up from the dock directly at Malone Bay. I think it is a good option, but again, there are two concerns with it. It will involve a long last day and it will cost more money to do because you will have inter-island drop off and pick up points.

Now you have three options to consider based off of your preferences One other thing. Something that was forgetten to be taken into consideration was your "looking to avoid the masses" line. If I were you, I would go in May or September. I would suggest October too, but that option is only possible with the Ranger III ferry in Michigan. By going in May or September, now only will you be avoiding the masses, but you'll also be avoing another M word. Mosquitos!!! You'll also increase your chances of obtaining shelters when arriving at campsites eariler and later in the season. I hope all of this information has helped. Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns, or if you would like to elaborate on your preferences so we can figure out what option is best for you or if an option that has yet to be mentioned needs to be considered.

[bearclaw]

Thanks for your advice everyone. Everyone has great words of wisdom to consider. We really like the idea of the last route proposed by rafiki. This route stays close to water which is what we like and it seems that 3 of the 4 campsites allow fires which sounds pretty nice after a day on the trail.

We slept in a shelter in WI once and were terrorized by mice all night, has anyone had problems with mice in the shelters or tenting? Also, what is the recommended way to store food at night to keep curious critters out/is it beet nit to store food in the shelters with you? Any special considerations for packs st night if tent camping?

Thanks guys! I'm so excited, this place sounds great and I'm sure ill be beck again to try other suggested route out

[Rafiki]

Ahhh see...campfires as a personal preference. And to think, I did not even think to mention it, because I am not a fan campfires and because it did not dawn on me to take that into consideration. After a long day of hiking and taking the time to wash off, the last thing I want to do is linger around a campfire only to smell like smoke before hopping in my sleeping bag. However, I know of a couple people that have favorite campsites partially based off of the fact that campfires are allowed. So go figure.

As far as storing your food is concerned, here is a link to another section in the forum that talks about this matter http://www.isleroyaleforums.com/viewtop ... =10&t=1361 If I have a shelter I just keep it inside with me on one of the 2X4's that stick out of the walls and act as a shelves. If I am outside in my tent, I keep it in my backpack and under my vestibule that overhangs in front of the door way to my tent. I figure if a crafty fox or some other daring animal wants to have a go at my food, Ill be there to hear them and they won't get far with their plan. Again, I would read some of the information provided on the above link, because the way I have been going about handling matters as of lately may not be recommended.

On the note of mice, I cannot say I have had any issues with them. I know I was staying at Moskey Basin one time and there was one that made his home under our shelter. He would constantly peer out and run accross the front landscape and dart back to his headquarters when he though danger was present, but never at any point did he gain access to the inside of our shelter. I am sure someone on here might bring up a time when they encountered a mouse in his or her shelter, but I believe if you inspect the shelter ahead of time and the screen is intact along with the wooden planks that make up the shelter, you should have not such issues.

Last but not least, I think including Malone Bay into your plan is a nice idea, because you will be allowed to experience the campsite without having to backtrack the 7.3 miles you took to get to the site in order to leave the site since you will be leaving from this site via the Voyageur. Its a nice ending. I liked Tom's idea of going to Chippewa for this same idea of not having to backtrack the 4.1 miles to leave the site since his plan would allow you to get picked up on location too. However, if you ever have to backtrack out of Chippewa, at least its only 4.1 miles rather than the 7.3 miles that Malone Bay will leave you with. Just some final thoughts. Hope it helps you with being that much more confident about liking this particular option since it appears as though you are leaving towards it at the current moment.

So, out of curiousity, when were you planning on going? I know May and September is the best time to go to avoid the masses, but I realize sometimes it is not always the most ideal time for people to take their vacations.

[jerry]

bearclaw (love the name), I've never had an issue with the 4 legged creatures of any sort during my 8 visits. One morning at Daisy Farm a few years back a fox watched me eat breakfast. It reminded me of a former family dog waiting for a handout. No snacks for that fox. Grey jays at Washington Creek clean up the campground quickly if anything is spilled.

[Midwest Ed]

I’ve never had issues with mice. While the Deer Mouse is classified as being “common” I don’t think they are “plentiful” to the point that they are any sort of nuisance. Your most likely annoyance or trouble will come from the small Red Squirrels or Red Fox if you do not take some simple precautions.

To illustrate how they have lost their fear of humans, I’ve had squirrels burst out of nowhere and then run up my leg. I’ve also had them chew through my pack’s zippered pocket to get to a Zip Lock bag of peanuts. Do not leave food exposed like this even for a few seconds. The park recommends a hard sided food container or hanging, but I never went to that length (That recommendation was not in effect during most of my trips, but then again I now have a hole in my pack .) I always stored my pack in a shelter or my tent (I have room in the tent when traveling alone). If you also frequent bear country then tent storage on IR could a bad idea as the inside of the tent can absorb food odors. Even so, food in a bag, inside a pack, inside a tent could eventually succumb to squirrels if left unattended long enough although every successful attack I have heard about was when the pack was pushed tight up against the tent wall.

As far as fox are concerned, they are craftier than squirrels and they will steal most anything. I’ve had my dinner snatched from a picnic table while I was sitting with it. I turned my head for two seconds and never even saw him coming or going. They might even steal a hiking boot if left available which of course could really put a damper on a trip, so take simple precautions.

One of the best reference guides available is the Park’s newspaper called "The Greenstone." The 2012 edition should be available shortly. Here’s a link to the 2011 edition and other publications. I expect most of the everyday stuff will not change for 2012.

http://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/brochures.htm

You’ve got several great options. My advice (which is biased toward my preferences) is to not plan too much or over do things. Have a backup plan in mind in case conditions change (i.e. weather) and take an extra days food. A word of caution, the Voyageur II does not make scheduled stops anywhere except Windigo and Rock Harbor so you cannot just show up at an intermediate location, expecting to get picked up without first making prior arrangements. Advance reservations are strongly recommended for departures from Windigo and Rock Harbor as well.

Since I have a strong affinity for Lake Superior, I’m partial to the campgrounds there. It will always be a little cooler there and generally less buggy as well; although the views from the Greenstone Ridge should not be missed. Another advantage of the campgrounds on the Big Lake is that almost all of them allow for three consecutive nights stay (see the chart next to the map in “The Greenstone”). You can thus make one of them a base camp of sorts and do day hikes with far less carry weight. No matter your plans, I know you will find many things to enjoy.

~Ed

[Redbad]

If you stay in a shelter, you should have no problem with larcenous animals. However you may hear mice or other animals who have taken up residence under the shelter. Washington Creek has camp moose which you will have to yield to (its not a good idea to get between momma moose and calf moose). Please keep the shelter clean as this deters animals from taking up residence in the shelter.

If you are not using a shelter then beware the red squirrel, the red fox, and the showshoe hare. They are brazen and they are hungry for human food. They are crafty and will strike if you turn your back. While I have seen other creatures including kangaroo mice in the campgrounds, they tend to be better behaved. Keep your food in a separate container that, were it to be gnawed on, would not be a great loss.

You will get a lecture on the red fox from the rangers as part of the leave no trace lecture when you get to the island.

[alecto73]

If you stay in a shelter, you should have no problem with larcenous animals. However you may hear mice or other animals who have taken up residence under the shelter. Washington Creek has camp moose which you will have to yield to (its not a good idea to get between momma moose and calf moose). Please keep the shelter clean as this deters animals from taking up residence in the shelter.

If you are not using a shelter then beware the red squirrel, the red fox, and the showshoe hare. They are brazen and they are hungry for human food. They are crafty and will strike if you turn your back. While I have seen other creatures including kangaroo mice in the campgrounds, they tend to be better behaved. Keep your food in a separate container that, were it to be gnawed on, would not be a great loss.

You will get a lecture on the red fox from the rangers as part of the leave no trace lecture when you get to the island.

My first trip it actually took me a day before I figured out that those weren't birds - they were the crazy squirrels barking at me. They are bold lil' dudes. I critter bagged when not in a shelter and had no issues but I always treat it like roulette. I just don't want any holes in my tent. A stuff sack I can handle.

[bearclaw]

Post Trip Report: Yes we are alive We ended up pushing the trip up and went May 23-27 since I switched companies. First time to the island and it was AMAZING!!...even with it raining almost every day at some point during the day

When we arrived, we learned of the wildfire and the aggressive Goshawks. The first day we stated right at McCargo, it was beautiful! The second day started out nice but quickly turned into a 6 mile hike in the rain/thunderstorm. When we made it to Todd Harbor it calmed just enough to get the tent up...then it got WINDY and DARK real quick. The storm was crazy and we experienced the Sasche where Lake Superior dropped 5 feet!!

At the shelter was a NPS crew doing research. We talked weather with them because the next day was supposed to be just the 4 mile day to Harchet Lake. Well based on the weather report we decided to play it by ear the next day. The next day it was beautiful. We made it to Harchet Lake early enough to decide to stay or leave...it had kind of an irie feeling and was loaded with widow makers...On top of that the next day was supposed to be wicked again. After a 45 minute rest we decided to trek on and turned our 4 mile day into a 15 mile day and hiked all the way to Malone bay, yes Malone Bay

It was a very long and painful hike at times but the weather was perfect and the scenery was awesome. I knew if it was another thunderstorm like the day before I didn't want to do 11 miles in it on top of the ridge.

The last 7 miles to Malone Bay was pretty intense. The trail is not visible in lots of areas and had to guess on which direction to keep heading and we need up having to go around a lot of snags. I was worried with the sun setting that we would still be deep in the woods having to fight our way to the shelter in the dark! But we made it with a half hour to sunset to recover and cook dinner. It was nice to have two full days at Malone, we went two days without seeing anybody else.

We surprised the ranger at the dick the next day as we were only the 2nd group he had seen all season. The final boat ride out was rough...but those guys are champs and got us back.

Great first trip to the island with lots of amazing challenges and stories to tell...and I managed to talk my wife into making a return trip this coming summer!!

[Midwest Ed]

Congratulations to you and your group on your successful and enjoyable trip. You and your wife find yourselves among the many that are compelled to return to Isle Royale. It can certainly be addicting. The trips with a few challenges are always more memorable and satisfying than the easy ones.

I was struck by your 15 mile trek from Todd Harbor to Malone Bay. I've made the same journey in a day but in the opposite direction. You and I both changed our plans after arriving at Hatchet Lake.