Feedback on 9 day itinerary

[sabinajiles]

Planning my first trip to the Isle for early September(9/3-9/11) and have put together an itinerary and welcome any feedback on it.

Day 1 - Ranger III to Rock Harbor -Rock Harbor to 3 Mile
Day 2 - 3 Mile to Moskey Basin
Day 3 - Moskey Basin to Chippewa Harbor
Day 4 - Chippewa Harbor to Lake Richie
Day 5 - Lake Richie to McCargoe Cove
Day 6 - McCargoe Cove to Daisy Farm
Day 7 - Daisy Farm to Lane Cove
Day 8 - Lane Cove to Rock Harbor
Day 9 - Ranger III back to Houghton

I know I will be crossing the Greenstone 4 times. I don't have an issue with that. Should I? I also know I don't have a zero day but I have a very short, easy day on day 4 and all my days are fairly moderate. I have 2 of the Greenstone crossings on my last 2 days of hiking when my pack will be lightest and I can cut Lane Cove and do a zero or short day on the last couple of days if I think I should. A question, will the lodge restaurants still be open 9/10-9/11? It's my understanding it is normally open till the the 2nd weekend after Labor Day. If I know it's open I can save taking an extra days food for the last evening and morning. I also understand the bugs should not be too bad in Sept and the campgrounds could be a bit less crowded. Thanks.

[Ingo]

Looks like a fairly relaxed plan to me, and seems you've thought it through. There's a couple of places you could take a day if you want to along the way (e.g. skip Richie and have an extra at C.H. or M.C.). The only thing is there may be more folks then you expect--Sept has gotten pretty popular the last few years. The lodge and store are open through 9/13, so you can get a meal at the restaurant and a shower before you head home ( https://www.nps.gov/isro/upload/ISRO_We ... r_2019.pdf).

[thesneakymonkey]

Looks like a great 9day plan. If you are into fishing, Lake Ritchie is usually good for a pike or two.

[dcclark]

I agree, it's a nice plan. I'm a big fan of zero days, so I'd encourage you to make one of them happen -- I'd vote Moskey or McCargo, but you have options and can decide on the fly.

What is your hiking experience, especially in the UP or north shore? If you're not prepared for the ups-and-downs of Isle Royale, even a short day can feel unexpectedly hard. We thought that the 4 miles from Daisy Farm to Moskey were going to kill us the first time we visited (and then it felt like nothing at all the next time).

[sabinajiles]

Thanks for the input. I actually have a lot of hiking experience and quite a bit in the UP. Been in the Porkies twice, once for 5 days, Pictured Rocks twice including a 5 day and Grand Island twice, including a 2 day circumvention last year. I'll turn 67 during my planned hike, am carrying about 30 extra lbs, which I have been reducing and plan to be lighter on Isle Royale, and have an arthritic hip, in which the pain is controllable with an oral anti-inflammatory and cortisone injections, but I have a great heart, lungs and legs. I hike a lot here at home including a 10 mile loop around an arm of a local reservoir that does have continual ups & downs but is not rocky. I am looking forward to the challenge at Isle Royale and have purposely tried to build flexibility into my route so I can make adjustments if I feel I need to do so. The day from Moskey to Richie is a day I plan on continuing on to McCargoe if I am feeling it. I've tried to come up with a route that is somewhat relaxed, yet still covers a lot of the east side of the island because 45 years ago I said I was going to hike Isle Royale, never did it and now I may never have another opportunity to do it.

[torpified]

It sounds like you've got this! I bet it'll be a wonderful time to be on the Island.

[dcclark]

Thanks for the input. I actually have a lot of hiking experience and quite a bit in the UP. Been in the Porkies twice, once for 5 days, Pictured Rocks twice including a 5 day and Grand Island twice, including a 2 day circumvention last year. I'll turn 67 during my planned hike, am carrying about 30 extra lbs, which I have been reducing and plan to be lighter on Isle Royale, and have an arthritic hip, in which the pain is controllable with an oral anti-inflammatory and cortisone injections, but I have a great heart, lungs and legs. I hike a lot here at home including a 10 mile loop around an arm of a local reservoir that does have continual ups & downs but is not rocky. I am looking forward to the challenge at Isle Royale and have purposely tried to build flexibility into my route so I can make adjustments if I feel I need to do so. The day from Moskey to Richie is a day I plan on continuing on to McCargoe if I am feeling it. I've tried to come up with a route that is somewhat relaxed, yet still covers a lot of the east side of the island because 45 years ago I said I was going to hike Isle Royale, never did it and now I may never have another opportunity to do it.

Fantastic. I lived in Houghton, within sight of the Ranger, for 10 years and never went to Isle Royale once. Now that I live 400 miles away, I definitely wish I'd been more proactive.

Sounds like you have a pretty reasonable sense of what to do. I'm a big fan of being flexible and hiking your own hike -- whatever you get to see will be wonderful, and you'll enjoy it more if you're not pushing yourself harder than you should.