2021 Trip Log - Post your planned itinerary here!

[Tom]

Welcome to the 2021 Trip Log!

After 2020 presented us with a wacky year for getting out to Isle Royale, let's hope everyone who wants to visit in 2021 has the opportunity to do so!

Once finalized as best as possible, post your itinerary, and then look around the list at who may else be enjoying a trip at the same time. It's a great opportunity to make new friends on the isle.

If you have questions or want feedback on your planned trip, consider posting your questions on the Trail and Campsites (viewforum.php?f=4) and Canoeing, Kayaking, & Fishing (viewforum.php?f=5) subforums.

When you return, we hope you share your experience with a Trip Report!

Please copy below and post your plans in the following format:

Name:
Email: (at)
Hometown:
Arrival Date:
Departure Date:
Coming From/Via:
Itinerary:
Notes/Other:

[thesneakymonkey]

Name: Ashley and Matt (Husband_Wife_OutdoorLife)
Hometown: Saginaw
Arrival Date: mid July
Departure Date: 7 days later
Coming From/Via: Hancock via Seaplane
Itinerary:

• Day 1: Land in Windigo, hike to Feldtmann
  Day 2: Feldtmann to Siskuit
  Day 3: Siskuit to washington creek (or island mine)
  Day 4: Washington creek to Hug cove
  Day 5: Huginnin to Washington creek
  Day6: spare day (can add layover where needed or spend in Windigo)
  Day 7: early flight home

Notes/Other: open to variations on this plan. But would like to do the two west end loops this time around. Not sure where to spend the layover day or to just wait to see where it works best in the moment.

[Bobcat1]

Name: Nancy. “Bobcat”
Hometown: Athens, OH
Dates: August 1-15

Itinerary: Changed plans - I am going to spend 2 weeks on a canoe expedition deep into the Boundary Waters this year.

[glitch99]

Name: John P. (traveling with 3 other middle-aged dudes)
Hometown: Rochester Hills, MI
Arrival Date: Aug 15
Departure Date: Aug 22
Coming From/Via: Hancock via seaplane
Itinerary:
1 Windigo to Feldtmann Lake
2 to Siskiwit Bay
3 to S. Lake Desor
4 to Todd Harbor
5 to McCargo Cove
6 to Three Mile
7 to Rock Harbor and day hikes around RH
8 depart

Notes/Other: Per suggestions from this forum, I've added a day to this itinerary in case we decide to spend an extra day somewhere along the way. We can always do the short hike from Three Mile to RH the morning before our flight out. If we stick to our original plan, we'll be in Rock Harbor mid-morning on Saturday to setup camp and potentially head out for a short loop hike (without the packs!!!). Any suggestions for 4-6 hour loop out of Rock Harbor?

The classic loop out of Rock Harbor is the Scoville Point trip. A different experience would be to rent a canoe or kayak and explore Tobin Harbor, which could include a stop and 2-mile round trip hike to Lookout Louise. I would choose Scoville Point every time, and be sure to include Mt. Franklin when you are en route to 3-Mile. Way better overlook than Lookout Louise.

[backwoods doc]

Name: Steve (backwoods doc) and son Nate (aka "The Sherpa")
Hometown: Fort Worth, TX
Arrival Date: July 21
Departure Date: July 27
Coming From/Via: Grand Portage via Voyageur II
Itinerary (portaging/canoeing):
1. McCargoe Cove to West Chickenbone
2-3. West Chickenbone to Lake Ritchie Canoe. Spend 2 nights.
4-5. Lake Ritchie Canoe to Intermediate or Wood Lake. Spend 2 nights.
6. Intermediate or Wood Lake to Malone Bay.
7. Depart on Voyageur II

[Grizzly22]

Name: John and Megan
Email: pm me for email
Hometown: Rochester MI
Arrival Date: June 21
Departure Date: June 25
Coming From/Via: Houghton via Seaplane
Itinerary:
1. Rock Harbor to East Chickenbone (Maybe West Chickenbone if we are feeling good)
2. Chickenbone west to Hatchet Lake
3. Hatchet Lake to Island Mine
4. Island Mine to Washington Creek
5. Depart Windigo Via Seaplane in the afternoon
Notes/Other: I am very excited to go back to the Island and finally get to backpack it. It will be my partners first time on the island. I am always looking for new hiking friends that live in the Metro Detroit area that would like to meet up to go hiking or birding. I have always found that it's easier to prepare for trips like this when you have others to hike with!

[markcw4747]

Name: Karl/Mark
Email: PM me for Email
Hometown: Dryden MI.
Arrival Date: 6/6/21
Departure Date:6/9/21
Coming From/Via: Houghton via Seaplane
Itinerary:
6-6-21 fly 8am to Isle Royal Rock Harbor Hike to Lane Cove camp for night.
6-7-21 hike from Lane Cove to Daisy Farm camp for night.
6-8-21 hike from Daisy Farm to Rock Harbor Lodge for the night.
6-9-21 hang around Rock Harbor for the day and fly 5pm back to Hancock.

Notes/Other: This will be our first trip to the Island. We have modest backpacking experience, and always open to advice.

[Dot Bear]

Name: Walter, Hags, and the C-man
Email: PM me for Email
Hometown: Hibbing, MN
Arrival Date: Late May
Departure Date: Later May
Coming From/Via: Grand Marais via seaplane

Itinerary:
Day 1-Windigo to S. Lake Desor
Day 2-S. Lake Desor to W. Chickenbone
Day 3-W. Chickenbone to Three Mile
Day 4-Three Mile to RH + RH day hikes
Day 5-Seaplane back to Grand Marais

Notes/Other: Hags and the C-man have never been to IR, and I haven't been there since doing the Feldtmann Loop back in 2001. Beyond excited!!! Now I just need to drop ten pounds of flab in the next 3 months so I can bring a camp chair and beefier sleeping pad.

[torpified]

I booked this a while ago, but was superstitious about posting it before I knew more about whether/when I'd be vaccinated. My first vaccine is scheduled now, so here goes nothing!

Name: torpified (aka Laura)
Email: (at) message me here!
Hometown: Ann Arbor

Arrival Date: late May
Departure Date: early June

Coming From/Via: the Queen to *Daisy Farm*! <--strike that---they've rescheduled the Rock Harbor Dock repair, so the Queen should deliver me to Rock Harbor after all!

(Original) Itinerary: walk to Chippewa Harbor; like the cheating cheater I am, take the Voyageur from there to Malone Bay; walk up to the GRT and around the Feldtmann Loop to Washington Harbor; back to the Queen via the Minong Ridge

Updated (due to Minong closure) Itinerary: walk to Chippewa Harbor; like the cheating cheater I am, take the Voyageur from there to Malone Bay; walk up to the GRT then down to Windigo and around the Feldtmann Loop; zigzag back to the Queen on open trails.

Notes/Other: As is my custom, I'm trying to walk new trails (or old trails in new directions). There's a fine-grained version of the plan where I stay at all and only campsites I haven't visited before! A Windigo resupply is another possible novelty.

[blink]

Name: Bonnie and Mike
Email: PM me for Email
Hometown: Boone, IA
Arrival Date: June 19
Departure Date: June 27
Coming From/Via: Grand Portage via Voyaguer II

Itinerary:
Sa - Arrive at McCargoe, hike to Todd Harbor
Su - Todd Harbor to Hatchet Lake
M - Hatchet Lake to S Lake Desor
T - S Lake Desor to Island Mine
W - Island Mine to Siskwit
Th - Siskwit to Feldmann
F- Feldmann to Windigo

Depart the island via Voyageur II on Sunday

Notes/Other: I'm looking forward to beers at the new lodge in Windigo at the end of our trip! My biggest IR fear is getting lost.

[NordeastB]

Name: Ben
Email: (at)
Hometown: Minneapolis
Arrival Date: mid-September
Departure Date: 6 night trip
Coming From/Via: Hancock via Seaplane
Itinerary:
Washington Creek
Washington Creek to S Desor
S Desor to Hatchet
Hatchet to McCargoe
McCargoe to Moskey
Moskey to Rock Harbor

Notes/Other: First time, just booked!

[TopCarrot]

Name: J L A G W
Hometown: Bridgman Michigan
Arrival Date: Friday July 9, 2021
Departure Date: Thursday July 15, 2021
Coming From/Via: copper harbor/Queen

Itinerary :
Day 1, 7/09 - Copper Harbor to RH to Lane cove
Day 2, 7/10 - daisy
Day 3, 7/11 - McCargoe
Day 4, 7/12 - Chippewa Harbor
Day 5, 7/13 - Moskey Basin
Day 6, 7/14 - rock harbor
Day 7, 7/15 - Rh to Copper harbor

Three veterans two newbies. I have a longer mile plan if things are super smooth at Ojibway is the switch point day two.

[Kelly]

Name: Kelly
Email: (at) Here!
Hometown: Berrien Springs, MI
Arrival Date: late May
Departure Date: early to mid June
Coming From/Via: Copper Harbor via Isle Royale Queen IV
Itinerary: Lane Cove > East Chickebone > McCargoe Cove > Lake Richie > Three Mile
Notes/Other: Because I've never camped at East Chickenbone or Lake Richie

[bloodbuzz]

Name: RJ & Co
Hometown: Amana IA
Arrival Date: 6/5
Departure Date: 6/10
Coming From/Via: Grand Marais via IR Seaplane
Itinerary:
6/5: Rock Harbor -> Moskey Basin
6/6: Todd Harbor
6/7: Siskiwit Bay
6/8: Feldtmann Lake
6/9: Windigo
6/10: fly back to Grand Marais
Notes/Other: Think this mileage is too aggressive? Trust me, I've done dumber things.

Todd to Siskiwit is hop. I love the balls and that the climb out of hatchet is early.

[irhikers]

Name: Steve (dad) and Pete (son)
Hometown: Blaine, MN
Arrival Date: Mon. Jul 19, 2021
Departure Date: Tue. Jul 27, 2021
Coming From/Via: Grand Portage via Voyageur II

Itinerary (To Be Determined):
Day 1, 7/19 - Grand Portage to Rock Harbor
Day 2, 7/20 -
Day 3, 7/21 -
Day 4, 7/22 -
Day 5, 7/23 -
Day 6, 7/24 -
Day 7, 7/25 -
Day 8, 7/26 -
Day 9, 8/27 - Windigo to Grand Portage

Notes/Other: Booked passage on the Voyageur II early to guarantee the dates we wanted. We have enough time to enjoy hiking the island from end-to-end. We hiked the Minong in 2007, 2008 & 2013 so it's probably the year to hike it again. Have plenty of time to finalize the itinerary before the trip!