2 Night Backpacking Trip - Help!

Questions about trails and campsites on the island.

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hmt
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2 Night Backpacking Trip - Help!

Post by hmt »

Hello all,

My friend and I are planning to spend two nights on Isle Royale this August. We would be leaving from Grand Portage on Monday and heading back Wednesday. What would be your ideal 3 day/2 night itinerary? We don't have anything set in stone and are finding it hard to narrow down what we want to do/is worth doing in such a short amount of time!

She is a more experienced backpacker than I am, but we both have experience camping and backpacking. We are open to changing camp sites each night or staying at the same one. We would love some pros' opinions! Thanks!!
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Tom
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Re: 2 Night Backpacking Trip - Help!

Post by Tom »

Welcome to the forum!

Two nights makes for a pretty tight itinerary, but there are a couple options.
Here are a few, listed from most extreme/difficult to easy:
-Hike the Feldtman Loop. Your first day is from Windigo to Siskiwit, day two is Siskiwit to Feldtman, and day three is Feldtman back to Windigo. That first day will be long, but experienced backpackers can pull it off. The last day you will have enough time to make it back to catch the boat. I've personally done this trip, and do love what you can see, but it's not entirely for newbies.

- Out and back camps: South Desor is the furthest, then Feldtman, then Island Mine, and finally Huginnin. (Ok, I guess Washington Creek shouldn't be over looked.)
Of those, for August Island Mine is the one I would be most willing to discard, and then South Desor mainly because the hike there is nothing special. Feldtman will pass you by the Grace Overlook and put you along a typically moose busy lake, and has Rainbow Cove to enjoy.

So, personally, if I just wasn't feeling up to pushing through the Feldtman Loop, then I would probably hike to Feldtman on Monday when I got off the boat, on Tuesday hike back through Windigo over to Huginnin, and then on Wed return to Windigo with time to spare to enjoy the nature trail/exclosure near Windigo, reading up on things in the visitor center.
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Re: 2 Night Backpacking Trip - Help!

Post by bobcat »

Ditto what Tom says. If you want to see the highlights of the southern end of the island, then do the Feldman loop. If that seems to ambitious, then you could overnight to Huginin Cove and Feldman Lake. Third option might be a 2-night base at Feldman with an out-and-back dayhike to the lookout tower. I recall the stretch from Feldman Lake to Siskiwit Bay as spectacular at the Feldtman end and a long slog on a straight and flat trail through the woods at (old logging railroad bed) at the Siskiwit End. The lookout tower gives you great views and was the highlight for me, of the trip I took on that route.
hmt
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Re: 2 Night Backpacking Trip - Help!

Post by hmt »

Well, surprise! Change of plans due to ferry availability...we're now leaving from Copper Harbor. Any suggestions for the east side of the island? Still 3 days/2 nights. All of our research had been done on the Windigo side, so now we're scrambling! :shock: Thank y'all so so much!
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Re: 2 Night Backpacking Trip - Help!

Post by bobcat »

Day 1 Lane Cove (Tobin Harbor trail to Mt Franklin Trail, lunch at Mt Franklin enjoying the view). This route will not be quite as busy as other routes when the full ferry arrives! Day 2 Lane Cove-Daisy Farm via Greenstone Ridge and Mt. Ojibway. Again, not quite as busy until you get up to Mt. Ojibway and start joining the crowd from Daisy Farm. Day 3 Daisy Farm-Rock Harbor early enough to hike the Stoll Trail before getting on the ferry.

If Lane Cove and the Greenstone do not interest you as much, then look at where you can take a water taxi to start (Chippewa Harbor, for instance) and hike back. This might look like CH to Moskey Basin, Moskey to 3-Mile with an afternoon/evening hike up Mt. Franklin, 3-Mile to RH with plenty of time to hike to Scoville Point.
hmt
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Re: 2 Night Backpacking Trip - Help!

Post by hmt »

Wonderful, we'll start looking into those immediately! Really appreciate your suggestions!
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