Here's the detail. Thanks to everyone on this forum. I signed on in 2008 and finally made it.
Spoilers if you want to just get the high points....
Copper Harbor has no cell phone coverage
Motels close offices at 10 PM
Permethrin treatment of clothing is very effective mosquito repellent
Eating well on the trail adds lots of weight
There are picnic tables and grills along the dock area at Rock Harbor
The trail from Rock Harbor to Three Mile is much easier along Tobin Harbor even if it is a half mile longer.
The trail from Daisy Farm to Moskey Basin is more challenging than it appears on the map.
The rocks get very slippery when wet.
You have to file a plan but you can change it on the fly as long as you are not reserving group sites
You can get Verizon cell service in spots on the south side of the island.
Note the days the Ranger arrives if you plan to camp at Rock Harbor, Three Mile, or Daisy Farm.
Use the showers when they are in active use so it warms up faster for you. [/list]
Some time ago a friend approached me. We had met when our kids were in scouting. We had helped on numerous scout trips and he was now suggesting it was time for a parents’ trip. Thus was the genesis of the Big Adventure Discussion And Sports Society. Our first big adventure was this;
https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... trip=15009
Last fall it was a canoe trip down the Green River in Utah. This summer it was Isle Royale.
I went to school at da Tech in Houghton and longed to visit Isle Royale. I was jealous of those students that managed a week after spring or before fall classes. Their giant relief maps of the island posted like a big game trophy. So now is my chance over 40 years since matriculating from da tech. Our august body of adventurers is down to just two this trip. A third had to cancel at the last minute so it is Rob and me. Rob hails from NJ and has wanted to visit the island since seeing it on a map as a kid.
We left the Chicago area on Friday morning heading for Ft Wilkins State Park in Copper Harbor. We’d camp there and catch the Queen to Isle Royale. We got to Copper Harbor just before 10PM due in part to our late start and delayed by Bridge Fest activities in Houghton and Hancock. A balmy 67 degrees in Houghton gave way to 47, dark, and wet after recent rain in Copper Harbor. While the camp ground looked nice, we changed our plan and opted for a motel to do a better job of consolidating gear which was still badly needed. Unfortunately, it was lights out at 10PM in Copper Harbor. While the motels looked as if they would have rooms available based on cars in the parking lots, there were no office lights on. Complicating our search for lodging was that cell phone service drops off to nothing as you get into Copper Harbor. Fortunately, we found The Pines which had an active bar establishment and they were happy to set us up with a nice room. We spent two hours consolidating our gear in well-lit heated dry comfort.
Saturday morning, we got to the Queen dock at about 7:20. There were already a large number of people there. A smattering of back packers and a good size group of scouts but mostly lodge guests. We were told the boat would be full. We checked in the office for parking and got our packs loaded. Before getting in line for boarding I stopped in at Jamsen’s for a cup of coffee and one awesome cheddar, bacon, and chives scone. Sorry, no smoked fish until the end of June the sign said.
The boat left at 8AM. The seating is mostly two or three seats facing each across a table. You can purchase drinks and snacks. Some people played cards or slept. We chatted with a couple from Huntsville Alabama. The guy was a Tech grad from about 85 so we had some shared experiences. The boat has a nice binder of trail maps. I forgot who wrote it. It is very complete. I should have studied it more closely before leaving Rock Harbor, that would have saved me a great deal of pain.
The crossing was smooth and I should have opted to skip the motion sickness meds. I was a bit groggy even when we got to Rock Harbor. We got to Rock Harbor about 1130. Got our Ranger briefing and filed our camping permit. Out plan was to hike to Three Mile on Saturday. Sunday go up to Mt Franklin and Mt. Ojibway then down to Daisy Farm. Monday we’d go to McCargoe Cove. Tuesday to Moskey Basin, Wednesday to Three Mile, then Thursday to Rock Harbor and back to Copper Harbor. That was the plan. Before we started we ate our lunch along the harbor where there are picnic tables. There are grills there also. If you wanted, you could pack a nice lunch and grill it there before heading out on the trails. The 37 degree water kept the air temperature down and all the gear stored up top very cool. A natural refrigerator.
We never weighed our packs. I could lift it so I did not want to be intimidated. Packs were heavier than we planned initially because we had common equipment distributed between two hikers instead of the original plan of three. One hour down the Rock Harbor trail I am hurting.
- Next time my pack will be this size
Sunday morning, we changed our plan. Instead of hauling our packs up to the ridge then down to Daisy Farm, we’d go directly to Daisy Farm then dump the packs before hiking up to Mt. Ojibway. The trail to Daisy Farm was much easier than the trail to Three Mile. We left at 10 and got there about 2:30. We stopped often along the way.
- We often stopped to eat where the locals ate
Monday we again left at about 10 and traveled to Moskey Basin instead of our original plan to McCargoe Cove due to our 1000 pound packs. The hike takes you up a ridge to about 750 feet MSL and there is a lot of up and down. It was pretty tiring. We stopped near the high point of the trail and had lunch. Closer to Moskey, a couple was heading in the opposite direction. They had mosquito nets on and cautioned us on lots of mosquitoes ahead. When we got to the more wooded areas out of the breeze we could see where there would be mosquitoes but our permethrin treated clothing seemed to be doing a pretty good job of keeping them away. We got to Moskey at about 2:30 PM. At 3:30 we hiked with just cooking and fishing gear to Lake Richie. Earlier a couple told us they portaged a canoe into Richie and caught 80-90 pike in a day. They said we’d have no trouble catching pike from shore. They were correct. Rob got a 24 inch pike on his third cast using the ubiquitous Dare Devil. The water temp where he fished was very warm. I estimated over 80 degrees. After a nice fish fry we got back to Moskey at about 9 PM. We had maybe an inch of rain overnight.
- Lake Richie pike
Wednesday we got our earliest start of the week at 9AM. We met a lot of people that arrived on the Ranger the day before. We stopped close to Three Mile for lunch and then headed over to the Tobin Harbor trail to get to Rock Harbor. This trail was much easier than the segment on the Rock Harbor Trail to Three Mile. It is also very scenic with the islands in the harbor. But still no moose sightings. We got to Rock Harbor at about 3PM. I splurged the $6 for a shower. Yes $6 for 5 minutes of a very fine mist spray. 2 minutes of which are cold. I think I’d wait to take one until others have been using the showers and it might warm up faster. You have to buy a token for the showers so don’t think you have to carry a pack full of quarters around. I thought the beer and wine prices were very reasonable. I head back to the shelter and as I’m writing notes, here comes a moose. I make sure the kids with the family next to us get to set it. A great capper to an awesome week.
Thursday we packed up and hauled our gear to the dock. I finally weighed my pack. 43 pounds at the end of the trip. I’m sure I was pushing 60 at the start. But we ate really well. We did a final hike to Scoville Point which is stunning. The ride back was smooth. The surface was mirror like. I did not think Superior could ever be that calm. We got to Copper Harbor about 6:20. We stayed in Houghton and I checked out what has changed there and remained the same over the years.
Friday back to Chicago with wonderful stop and go toll way traffic at 4 PM. I miss the Island already.
The biggest lesson learned from the trip is to go lighter on pack weight. We saw solo hikers and they were much lighter than us. Also, I wouldn’t be apprehensive about hiking solo here. There are enough people even in June to help you out if needed particularly on the east side of the island.
