First trip to Isle Royale N.P.

Reports or links to reports on trips.

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jerry
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First trip to Isle Royale N.P.

Post by jerry »

Name: jerry
e-mail: jerome.pesch@sinclair.edu
Hometown: Dayton, Oh
Arr. date: 6-30-01
Dep. date: 7-1-01
Via: Grand Portage/Wenonah
Notes: In 2001 I retired at the end of March. A friend talked me into going around Lake Superior. We drove up from where we live in southwest Ohio. The first evening we camped at Wawa, Ont. A bear came thru the campgrounds and upset some trash cans. We decided to drive all the way to Grand Portage, Minnesota to camp the second evening at the Marina. Early the next morning (June 30) we asked if the Wenonah had space to take us out to the "King's Island". It was a nice trip out and the temperature was near 80 when we arrived at Windigo. Heard the ranger's orientation and I was made a part of the Q&A session. After getting our two day permit, we dropped our gear in a Washington Creek shelter and headed to the Minong Overlook determined to see a moose or two. We saw plenty of tracks or droppings along the trail, but no moose.

By mid afternoon we were back at our shelter. My friend said he was going to take a nap, but I saw some movement down the creek in some lilly pads. So I told him to get up and get his camera. There were two young males about one or two hundred feet down the creek from us. Do all that walking and they are right near our shelter, go figure. A few minutes later we heard some splashing from our right, heading downstream. The cow and it's calf stopped near our shelter. She could smell us, but not see us. Her ears told us she wasn't happy with us. The hair on the back of my head stood up. After what seemed like hours (I sure it was only 5 or 10 minutes) they moved downstream. The mother made a sound and the two guys ran up a hill and left the lilly pads to her and her little one. That's when I knew I liked Isle Royale.

A ranger warned us that we needed to keep an eye on any fox that we would see. One of those hanging around Washington Creek had a nickname of "Steely Dan". He chased another fox through a ranger's presentation about Loons that evening. A cold front came in over night. It never rained but the winds were strong and that was the coldest I think I've ever been in the summer (and I grew up in Minnesota).

The next morning we hiked out to the Feldtman Overlook and when the boat headed back to Grand Portage we were treated to 5-6 foot waves. Some folks had a problem, but luckily I was almost my usual self. I was ready to make another trip to Isle Royale when I reached Minnesota.

Jerry
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Re: First trip to Isle Royale N.P.

Post by ScoutDad »

Sounds like a great first trip, and moose sightings too!

I see you're from the Dayton area...I liked your "Kings Island" name for IR...this island is MUCH nicer that the Kings Island near us!

-Scoutdad-
Amelia (Cinti.) Ohio
My profession is to always find God in nature.
- Henry David Thoreau -
jerry
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Re: First trip to Isle Royale N.P.

Post by jerry »

I've wanted to talk to you. Saw that you were from SW Ohio. IRNP definitely is better than "our" Kings Island. Maybe someday we can go up north together.

jerry
troop402miamisburg
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Re: First trip to Isle Royale N.P.

Post by troop402miamisburg »

Glad you enjoyed it, another Ohioan, welcome and yes Isle Royale much better in my perspective then Kings Island, more bang for your buck. For the cost of 5 days at kinds island it would be around 250 dollars plus parking plus meals, plus crowds and seeing the same things over and over and over again at Isle Royale same cost but way better scenery and always something different day by day and from reading the trip reports a different experiance everytime.
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Re: First trip to Isle Royale N.P.

Post by Ingo »

Hey Jerry, have you been back since?
I once took a "side trip" to Copper Harbor on my way back to N.C. from N. Wisconsin. Saw the isle from Brockway Mt (?) and came really close to doing a spontaneous overnight trip. But no tent or sleeping bag or any camping gear so I passed. If I had had at least a bag and tarp--or guaranteed a shelter--I would've done it.
22: BI-PC-BI-RH, 21: RH-ML-DF-MB-DF, 18: MC-PC-BI-DB-RH-DF, 17: WI-IM-SB-FL-WC, 16: RH-CI-TI-RH, 14: BI-ML-CI-CH-MB, 13: RH-PI, 12: MC-CB-HL-TH, 11: WC-HC-WC, 09: MC-BI-DN-RH, 05: MI-CI-MB-DF-RH-TM-RH, 02: MC-LR-WL-CH, 01: BI-DB-RH, 79: worked RH
jerry
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Re: First trip to Isle Royale N.P.

Post by jerry »

So far I've been to IRNP 4 times. When I find my notes, I'll write about those other experiences/trips. The last three times I've gone solo and it's a way to achieve inner peace. I sound like someone from the 1960's, oh I actually am from the '60s.

What's the best place to camp at Copper Harbor?

Jerry
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