June 2020 Itinerary Review

[mmueller575]

Hello Everyone!

My husband and I are planning our first trip to Isle Royal in June 2020. We are looking to go for a few days (4-5) in late June. We decided to splurge and we are going to take the seaplane in from Houghton, MI. We are going to be the first flight out on a Thursday. I do know that there is a possibility for delays, and we are ready to deal with that.

I've been trying very hard to work out a plan for the actual hikes we are taking. We want to hike end to end on the Greenstone Trail. I would love some insight on some potential versions of our itinerary ideas. I've attached four different plans below in a pdf. The first two are very similar, with only one difference in campsites. The other two both the pipe dream (if my husband can get off of work that many days) and what I have affectionally told my husband would be a "death march." I have the benefit of being a teacher, so days off isn't an issue for me in the summer.

It might also be helpful to explain our physical conditions. First, we regularly are hiking each summer at various national parks. We regularly hike between 10 & 14 miles per day when on our trips for 5-7 days in a row. When we are in the national parks, we typically are having large elevation gains (between 1,500 & 3,500 feet of gain). We have not done any backpacking, however. I realize this is going to be very new, but we are in good physical condition, young (29 & 33) and we are used to hiking decent amount of miles with some good elevation gain. I plan on keeping my backpack at no more than 25 pounds.

I'd love to know if these plans sound like they will be okay. I also want to know if any of the campgrounds I've chosen would be a bad choice. I have heard that Hatchet Lake has quite a difference in elevation to get to the camp, but I can't figure out how to avoid it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[bobcat]

I like the pipedream itinerary the best. You may find the lower daily mileage gives you a more relaxing trip, with more time to explore and relax. You have a great option your next-to-last night, skip past South Desor and stay at IslandMine where campfires are allowed at the provided fire rings. This also gets you a shorter hike the last day, giving you more time to explore around Windigo.

I hope you can do an all-day hike, better yet an overnight, with your full packs so you can accurately judge how your body responds to the weight after carrying it all day. 13 miles with a pack always feels like a lot more than a 13-mile day hike on the same trail!

[dcclark]

Welcome to the forums!

A few comments on your plans:

- Your description of your hiking experience is helpful. It sounds like you'll be well prepared for the island's terrain, which is quite rocky with a lot of up-and-downs over ridges. My main concern is that you haven't hiked with 25+ pound packs before. That can make a big difference in the distance you can reasonably cover. I can hike a 15 mile day with a daypack, but 10 miles with a backpack is a different story. At the least, you should try a weekend backpacking trip closer to home before going to the island.

- I'd encourage you to consider an itinerary that isn't a Greenstone end-to-end for your first trip, especially if it's only 4-5 days. End-to-end is possible, but there's little room for error if the plane is delayed. If you find the backpacking to be harder than you expect, there's no room to slow down or take a day off. The east end of the island has a lot of lovely loops to explore. Hike the east end of the Greenstone, check out Moskey Basin, West Chickenbone or McCargoe.

- Whatever you choose, it's best to avoid East Chickenbone campground. It's pretty much agreed to be the worst campground on the island. The water source is a long hike (and a big hill) away. The campground is on an exposed ridge high above the lake. A good alternative is to end earlier (Daisy Farm) or push on farther (West Chickenbone is another 2 miles).

Whatever you do, by half way through your first trip, you'll be thinking about your second trip to the island. Have fun!

[torpified]

I'm also guessing that you'll find that your background and experience leaves you in more than adequate walking shape for an IR backpack. Even if you haven't got the latitude for a trial overnight, you can prepare for the backpacking element of the trip by dayhiking with your intended backpacks, increasing the load over time up to the 25 lbs you intend to carry. (Even short walks help---and tramping around flat dinky local parks in full backpacking regalia can catalyse some interesting conversations with passers-by.) You can also practice tent and stove (and so on) operation at home (but be sure you're outside if it's the stove you're troubleshooting). A nice thing about the timing of your trip is that you'll have like 20 hrs of hikable daylight a day. You won't risk being benighted if you take your time with camp chores while you're settling into the backpacking routine.

As for the itinerary itself---you'll love it, and be back, no matter what you do. My first trip was end-to-end on the Greenstone (and I loved it and I came back). I think it's a lot of people's first idea because it's the trail in the park that looks most prominent from far away. Much of the western end of the route is pretty heavily forested, though. There are other 4-5 day itineraries that offer more variety, and more flexibility in the face of unanticipated developments (like realizing that you can't bear to leave Moskey Basin). One that hits a lot of highlights is:

RH-Moskey 11 mi.
Moskey-McCargo 8.4 --- you can (and should!) tack on a side trip of a few miles to the mine.
McCargo to 3M 12.6.
3M to RH 2.7 -- then grab a shelter and spend the bulk of the day exploring Scoville Point or doing the canoe/hike to Lookout Louise and back.
RH and out

Of course, because you'll be back, it doesn't really matter what order you do the GRT and East Side trips! Whatever you do, please report back. A lot of us here are great fans of trip reports!

[bobcat]

"RH-Moskey 11 mi.
Moskey-McCargo 8.4 --- you can (and should!) tack on a side trip of a few miles to the mine.
McCargo to 3M 12.6.
3M to RH 2.7 -- then grab a shelter and spend the bulk of the day exploring Scoville Point or doing the canoe/hike to Lookout Louise and back.
RH and out"

This is also a great itinerary, and the day from McCargoe Cove to 3Mile, up along one of the more spectacular sections of the Greenstone Ridge including Mt Ojibway Tower and the Mt. Franklin overlook!

[mmueller575]

Thank you all so much for your responses! I totally agree, I would love the Pipe Dream itinerary option the most, but right now it's not looking like I'm going to be able to get that extra day that I want from my husband! I will for sure be skipping East Chickenbone as it does sound like a bit of pain. I should also note that my husband and I both plan on training for this trip. That would include us doing at least one backpacking trip before we go to sew what we are up against with our packs. I'm also planning on taking hikes around our house, which has a rather hilly terrain, and build up the weight in my pack to make sure I can deal with the weight! I know it's going to be way different than a simple backpack during the day, so I really want to be prepared! If you have anything else to add about the other campsites, I'm all ears! I'm just so excited for this trip, I want to make sure we are ready!

[Base654]

I don't think you will have any problem with any of your itineraries, you just might be quite a bit more tired with a pack vs without. I have done a few end to end trips, but for some reason I usually go from Windigo to Rock. I think I like the bar and restaurant at the end of my trip. I do have some concerns about you first days. I love the plane and take it usually once a year, but it it not great for timing. I have been on the first trip of the day at 3:00 in the afternoon with the afternoon people going the next day. Trying to get 13 miles in after that will be difficult. On the other end, I have spent an extra night on the island for weather. If jobs are at risk for an extra day I would suggest being ready with an alternate plan. Starting from Rock in this case is a good idea. There are many 3 day trips from Rock and back and not much from Windigo. You can talk to the pilot or the hotel about changing plans. The plane folk are great people and will help if they can. Hatchet lake is steep, but nice. It's the last and first part of the hike for the day, so it is not that bad.

[bobcat]

The hike into Hatchet Lake is not really that different from the hike into West Chickenbone or South Lake Desor, and a little easier than the hike into Island Mine. The main Greenstone Ridge Trail is just that, a RIDGE trail and all of the campgrounds are down on lakeshores (or creek at Island Mine). So there is a climb or descent on the spur trail to any of these campsites. On the other hand, the main hiking trails go right through the campgrounds at Rock Harbor, 3Mile, Daisy Farm, Lake Ritchie, and McCargoe Cove. Moskey Basin Campground is a short and level spur off the main trail.

[patman1508]

Hello! I'm planning a June trip for this year with similar mileage and timelines in mind. Mind if I ask what you ended up going with? How was it? Changes you would make? Thank you!