Two weeks after returning home from my adventure in Isle Royale, I have finally finished my trip report. My apologies for the delay, but I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed reflecting upon the wonderful experiences I had on the island. This was my first trip to Isle Royale but as you all can probably guess, it will not be my last.
Since there is a limit of three photos per post, I have broken my trip report into four sections in order to share more photos with you all.
So, without further ado...
Friday, 5/24 [CT -> Thunder Bay, ON]:
Travel day! Nothing too exciting to report here other than that, apparently, a large amount of food in your carry-on (i.e. my food bag for the trip) is something that the TSA considers cause for suspicion - enough to make you dismantle your entire pack so that they can inspect the contents therein. Upon informing them that I had carefully read through all the TSA and airline food/liquid/restricted item regulations and had not brought anything that was forbidden, they stated, "Well, it wouldn't say it is on the website."
I asked what was of concern to them about the food in my pack, and they said that there was "more than a handful" of it. Um...what? I was more than a bit annoyed by this explanation and for having to pull apart my carefully packed and organized pack (in order for it to fit within the specified airline carry-on dimensions), but I passed whatever test they administered and proceeded to re-pack my bag and continued towards my gate. "Isle Royale, here I come!" is all I could think as I walked away.I made it to Thunder Bay, picked up my rental car, and checked into my motel before grabbing some dinner and enjoying what would be my last shower and slumber in a cushy bed for the next several days.
Day 1: Saturday, 5/25 [Thunder Bay -> Grand Portage -> Windigo -> North Desor]:
Up early today - too early, in fact. I drove from Thunder Bay to Grand Portage to catch the Voyageur II to Windigo and, unfortunately for me, I neglected to recall that the Voyageur II is on Central time and was an hour early. Oops! I could have used that extra hour of sleep, but I finished arranging my gear and watched some thunderstorms and downpours from the safety of my car, hoping that things would clear up before boarding time. Thankfully, other than a few sprinkles just prior to boarding the boat, Mother Nature seemed to listen to my pleas to keep the rain at bay. While waiting to board, I met a group of four nice folks (whose names have escaped my memory) who had recently met each other (last summer, I believe?) on the John Muir Trail and were now embarking on a 5-day trip to Isle Royale together. We all sat at a table inside the cabin of the Voyageur for the cold and foggy journey to Windigo and chatted about travel and backpacking trips and gear and the island.
Upon arriving, we were directed to the pavilion for our ranger orientation and LNT talk. Isle Royale is known as being the least visited national park in the contiguous 48 states, but also the most re-visited; and those who choose to come to here are typically either experienced or have at least done their research and are prepared for the island's wilderness challenges. Still, the rangers gave good reminders on how to stay safe, reduce your impact, and respect the wildlife and environment while on the island. Shortly after the ranger talk, the fog that had followed us from Grand Portage swiftly lifted, along with my spirits, and the sun started to break through the clouds. I picked up some fuel from the store, said goodbye to my new boat buddies, took a selfie with the Windigo sign, and was officially on my way!
Not a mile in, and I run into 2 other girls watching 2 young bull moose grazing off the sides of the trail. Although very pleasantly surprised, I had (what I thought would be) a long way to go, so I snapped a quick pic and continued on past them - as they were very hesitant to move forward/startle the moose. After passing the turnoff to Huginnin Cove, I saw not a single other soul for the rest of the hike to North Desor; I did, however, see 3 more moose! Each one dashed away at the sight of me, and I continued on my way along the trail.
With the beginning of leaf-out in full swing, the ridge was alive with varying hues of green and yellow ranging from dark to neon and everything in between. This, combined with the cool blue waters of Lake Superior, the stark white and black aspen bark, and the myriad of colors in the flora across the rocky ridge, made the entire scene a beautiful one to behold!
The Minong proved to be a much easier hike than I had anticipated and was warned about. I'm not sure if I'm unknowingly some kind of hiking superhuman (highly unlikely), or if I simply ran into fluke ideal conditions (much more likely), but I thought that the ups and downs were nice and gentle and I had no trouble following the trail, nor did I get wet crossing the 3 beaver dams. So after somewhat hurrying along for most of the afternoon in an effort to get to camp with plenty of time to set up/eat/relax, I sat down on the ridge in a particularly nice view spot and had a snack. I decided to check my location and discovered that I was only about a mile or so from N. Desor. My mind now at ease, I extended my break and took in the views a bit longer.
Since I had not seen anyone else since shortly after departing Windigo, I was surprised to find that 2 of the 3 sites at N. Desor were occupied when I arrived. I grabbed the site on the far left and set up my tent, made some dinner, and enjoyed some time down on the shore before heading to bed.
- Colors of the Minong
Day 2: Sunday, 5/26 [North Desor -> Todd Harbor]:
Despite the loons rousing me throughout the night with their echoing calls, I awoke in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to start the day. Not in the least bit sore, I quickly broke camp and headed back up to the Minong. Today proved to be another surprisingly quick just-under-13-mile journey. A brief disorientation after heading East at the N. Desor junction post was cause for the loss of a few extra minutes of my time (the Minong couldn't allow itself be completely hitch-free for me, right?), but I made it to Todd Harbor by lunchtime, grabbed its one-and-only shelter, and had the entire place to myself until shortly thereafter when 2 other guys showed up and snagged the nice tent spot with a fire pit across from me. We briefly exchanged pleasantries and I took off to explore the area, given that I had the entire rest of the day to do so!
As part of my exploration of the Todd Harbor area but also as a side note, I must add that I discovered what would turn out to be a common theme within the campgrounds I encountered throughout the island...and this would be PRIVIES and TOILET PAPER! And I'm not just talking about one fortuitous half-roll left by a kind trail samaritan; I'm talking full-blown, brand new, right off-the-shelf and still wrapped rolls of toilet paper on actual posts meant to hold them in reserve. This may sound like crazy talk to you all, but as someone who regularly backpacks in areas without such amenities, this spoiled me tremendously for the remainder of my trip. No wandering about looking for a legal and covert spot to do business? No digging and squatting awkwardly over cat holes, reaching for a tree or root for balance? No packing out used wads of TP?! I'll take it, thankyouverymuch! Oh, the things we consider luxuries in the backcountry...
In addition to my happy privy discovery, I also learned while exploring that group site #1 is definitely the best of all the group sites in TH. If ever I were to go with a group, I would definitely snag it. It had cool spots farther away from the others and great views of the opposite side of the little peninsula it's on. The dock down below the group sites was also a favorite spot of mine, where I spent a good deal of time just sitting and soaking up some sun (through a few layers of clothing, of course - it was a tad chilly) and watching some fish-that-I-couldn't-identify casually swim by. The little foot bridge leading to the dock was also a peaceful sit-spot, where I spent some time just listening to the outgoing water run into the incoming waves of the lake.
Eventually, I made my way over to the mine and the little rock viewing area below it. Sadly, as evidenced by the number of folks who asked me about it, I missed out on a purportedly awesome waterfall in the immediate vicinity. Still not sure how I could have missed it, but apparently I was pretty close by and I was not even aware of its existence. Had I known, I certainly would have searched for it. Ah well - something to look out for next time.
After returning to camp and making some dinner, I headed over to the 2 guys in the tent-spot below my shelter. They were just starting to get a fire going. Since they were in hammocks and we were the only occupants of the campground, I wanted to say goodnight and apologize to them in advance in case I woke them in the morning when I inevitably got up with the sun.
That was at 9PM.
At midnight, I bid them goodnight and farewell before finally heading off to bed. We had lost track of time chatting around the campfire about seemingly anything and everything, but mostly about travel and our respective hobbies. Shortly after sunset, we got up to grab some firewood and I noticed a line of pink over the horizon. Before I knew it, that line was spreading across the entire sky illuminating it in a pink-ish fuchsia glow. I pointed it out and we all dashed for our cameras and tried our best to capture its brilliance. It's so easy to get caught up in trying to get the perfect shot in moments like that, and one of the guys commented that we should stop and enjoy it with our own eyes in the present moment instead of behind our lenses/phones. As a photographer myself, I found that to be a much needed and appreciated reminder. As the light faded, we skipped some rocks, gathered some more wood, and headed back to the fire to chat a good bit more into the night. I did not get their names and I wish I could remember where they were from (Pittsburgh, maybe?), but it was a nice cap to the evening and I greatly enjoyed their company.
- Todd Harbor Sunset
Day 3: Monday, 5/27 [Todd Harbor -> McCargoe Cove]:
Today was a little harder to get out of bed, though the reasons were well worth it. As not to wake my campfire comrades asleep in their hammocks nearby, I packed up and snuck out as quietly as I could. Today was a super-short mileage day, and I would end up making it to McCargoe before some people had even left for the day. But not long into my hike as I quietly walked along, I suddenly heard a loud "Ker-THOOMP" sound close by. I immediately froze, thinking I must have startled a moose grazing in the marshy water to my right. I scanned the area but couldn't see anything. "Ker-THOOMP" again, and this time even closer! My heart now racing, I stood still and carefully scanned the area until I finally spotted the culprit: A brazen little beaver patrolling the waters by his lodge. He was slapping the water with his tail with more force than I imagined that he could be capable of! I breathed a loud, mildly embarrassed sigh of relief and admonished him for his behavior - you can't just go around scaring innocent hikers like that!
Close to McCargoe, I passed the mines planning to hike back and explore them after getting settled into camp. I arrived at camp and chatted with a group of guys with painfully heavy-looking packs who were heading out in the direction in which I came. They left, and I set up in shelter #7, perused the campground area, and quickly realized how tired I actually was from the previous night's lack of sleep. So, I decided to crawl into my quilt and treat myself to a short nap.
I awoke from my cozy slumber to a LOUD motor running. "What in the heck?" I thought, "There are no vehicles allowed around here!" Over the noise I could hear voices, and while curious as to what the commotion was about, I was still very tired and attempted to get back to my nap, but doing so proved to be too difficult and I finally popped my head out of my quilt cocoon to investigate. It was the Voyageur dropping some folks off! That made a lot more sense than the half-asleep image I had in my head of a wayward vehicle bombing down the trails.
I meandered down to the community fire ring where I met the Mikes (two friends, both named Mike) who were base camping at McCargoe. They had a fire going and I asked if I could steal some of its warmth. We began chatting and eventually the mother-daughter pair who the Voyageur dropped off with their canoe for a portage trip made their way down to join us. We mingled and laughed as we warmed our hands and this went on for a good long while. Our conversations were some of the best I had during the trip. A couple coming from Hatchet Lake made their way into camp later on in the evening and joined us by the fire as well. At some point, I started to head up to my shelter to gather some things to begin cooking dinner. And then it happened...
WOLVES. Their noise broke through the evening air and immediately grasped everyone's attention. I rushed back to the fire and stopped to listen - it was coming from directly across the cove. Their yipping/barking and yowling was unmistakeable. There were a lot of them, and they were causing quite a commotion. Their impromptu serenade did not last long, but WOW was it remarkable. We speculated as to what they were going on about: Was there a spat of some kind? Perhaps they got a kill? Maybe the Isle was lucky enough to see a brand new litter of rambunctious pups? We of course could not be certain, but we floated on the high of that incredible experience for the remainder of the night.
Upon later sharing my experience with the rangers in Rock Harbor, they said that many people who claimed to have heard wolves howling were actually hearing loons, as the loon's wail call can sound similar to a wolf's howl. I suspect that I even encountered some people who had that exact experience, based on their description of what they heard in the park (e.g. "sounded like an elk bugling at first"). However, with recorded proof of it, I can happily testify to the authenticity of my encounter!
- McCargoe Sunset
