Itinerary advice welcomed!

[Tess]

Hi! Is welcome hearing thoughts/suggestions about my plan. This will be my first visit to IR; female; reasonably fit; going solo.

Night/Site
1 Windingo (via seaplane)
2 McCargo Cove (via VII)
3 Lake Richey
(or 3 Moskey Basin if possible)
4 Daisy Farm
5 Three Mile
Rock Harbor (seaplane out)

Yeah, I expect the camp sites to be busy end of July/beginning of August.

Are these trails easy to spot? Are any going to be soggy?

Any concerns with buying enough stove fuel at Windingo?

Seems I read somewhere about a ranger-guided tour of mines near McCargo for day-trippers but haven't been able to find that again.

Wise words welcome!

[JerryB]

Welcome! I am sure you will enjoy your trip. Yes, it is all doable and I would not worry about anything being too wet. I have never bought fuel at Windigo, so I will let others answer that. The trails should be easy enough to spot. Over the ridge at the center of the island, it will be rocky, so you may need to look for cairns marking the trail. Go slow and you will be fine.

Here are a couple of suggestions:

Looks like you will have some time at Windigo, depending on when the plane gets in. At a minimum, walk the nature walk' it is interesting. Consider day hiking a bit. Again, others can give suggestions.

I have done your itinerary and I would suggest going to Chippewa from McCargo. It is not a tough hike and Chippewa is a great site, one of my favorites. From there, go to Moskey, another fantastic site. Then, you can go to three mile or Daisy or even all the way to RH, as you please.

Sites will be "crowded" that time of year, but not like Yellowstone, etc. you may not get a shelter is likely the worse outcome.

Read the trip reports and trails and campsites postings on the forum. There is a ton of good information. And enjoy!

[Tess]

Yes! This site has been very helpful. Thanks for the feedback and suggestions.

[fonixmunkee]

Welcome to the forums, Tess. You are in for an adventure on IR.

To directly answer your questions:

Are these trails easy to spot? Are any going to be soggy?

Trails are very easy to spot between all these camp sites. They are clearly marked with mileages too. The sogginess of the trails will always be weather-dependent; the trails tend to be muddy up two two days after a good soak. It always rains on Isle Royale, at least once every few days, so I'd plan on some mud.

Any concerns with buying enough stove fuel at Windingo?

The store will be open in Windigo, so that is of no concern. Obviously supply-and-demand rules apply, but I've never heard of anyone not getting fuel from the store.

Seems I read somewhere about a ranger-guided tour of mines near McCargo for day-trippers but haven't been able to find that again.

I have never heard of ranger-guided tours outside of the Windigo and Rock Harbor visitor center. You'd be on your own for this one, but I can tell you that you can easily find your way to the mine outside of McCargoe and explore it by yourself. You can also check out Mike Tremblay's website & book, http://www.isleroyale.info for some more details on what exactly to see at the mine.

Wise words welcome!

1. McCargoe is beautiful, I hope the campers sharing the campground with you are quiet, because you'll be treated to beautiful skies at night, and lots of loons and otters (and sometimes, moose) in the cove as the sun goes down.
2. Maybe skip Daisy Farm and stay at Lake Richie/Moskey Basin instead? It would make for a helluva hike one day, but Daisy Farm is overrated, and it's going to be busy.

[Ingo]

Seems I read somewhere about a ranger-guided tour of mines near McCargo for day-trippers but haven't been able to find that again.

The Rock Harbor Lodge used to do a sightseeing boat tour to McCargoe Cove that included a guided hike to the mine with a ranger, but they stopped a couple years ago.