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Starting to worry!
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 11:57 am
by lewiada
Hi all,
My family and I have a trip to Isle Royale coming soon, taking the Ranger III on August 5th and planning a 7 day backpacking trip. I chose August because I heard the bugs were mostly gone by this time (and it's before the kids return to school in Sept).
In a recent trip to Indian Dunes National Lake shore (car camping) the mosquitoes were so bad that we packed up early. I don't mind an occasional bite, but it was really just ridiculous. The park rangers said it was one of the worst they could remember, and pointed to a "lake over there that never used to exist before this year." The only good thing about the trip was that we had a car to leave the place.
This recent experience gave me an all new perspective on mosquitoes, and the thought of being trapped on and island with them (should they be bad) scares me quite a bit. My 10 yr old daughter is especially a magnet. I'm actually having second thoughts about the trip for this reason alone. Maybe late September would be better, we don't mind the cold at all.
Am I overreacting?
tx!
adam
Re: Starting to worry!
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 12:42 pm
by egraetze
I went up last week expecting the mosquitoes to be gone. What we experienced were relatively bad mosquitoes all day long along the Greenstone from Windigo to Todd Harbor, through Hatchet, and the worst level of mosquitoes I ever experienced in my life from Todd Harbor to McCargoe (during a morning hike). After that, we went to Rock Harbor and didn't have much of a problem other than in the evenings. I don't recall even using repellent for the final days. The mosquitoes were described by the park people as well as others as the worst in years.
Fortunately your trip is several weeks after my trip there, and August is one of the better months. I had never had a problem during August trips for mosquitoes for trips into Canada north of the Soo, which we will be taking next week. I wouldn't be concerned, but check what others may have to say.
Re: Starting to worry!
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 1:16 pm
by StewartFip
I'll be arriving the 4th in Windigo, leaving the 11th remaining on that end of the island the entire time. For your sake and mine, I hope that the mosquitoes won't be a disastrous problem. I will say that I've been there once in August and once in very early September and we never had a problem with mosquitoes such that it ruined our trip. I'd love to hear from very recent visitors as well, though.
Re: Starting to worry!
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 1:43 pm
by egraetze
Off topic: StewartFip - Plenty of down trees on the Greenstone between S. Desor and Hatchet. Also, very overgrown in that section so expect to get soaked if you walk through it early day or after a rain. Windigo to S. Desor, Hatchet to Todd, and Todd to McCargoe all legs, no trees down.
Re: Starting to worry!
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 7:54 am
by karebing
We will be there at the same time as you, AND I am from the UP myself and have never seen the bugs this bad before. I had hoped they would be done by August but I am not so sure this year. I can't NOT go....so I am planning on wearing long sleeves, long pants and bring a bug net and then hope for the best. Frankly, misquitoes I can deal with. Deet and all....but I am curious about the stable flies, and/or some people call them sand flies that are on the beaches. They can be terrible on the Lake Superior beaches here in the Marquette area and they don't respond to ANY bug dope that I am aware of. Since we are staying on the shore all nights except for one, my question is: Are there these flies on IR? I was hoping they are like the black bear....not on the island. ha ha! Well if anyone knows about this, let me know. AND If I could wait and go in September, I would but I teach and so...it's now or not at all. I am hoping for the best and will deal with the rest!

Karen
Re: Starting to worry!
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 9:52 am
by egraetze
Stable flies are there particularly along the water. They were often present, but not really all that bad last week.
Re: Starting to worry!
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 10:46 am
by lewiada
Dang ... this is really giving me second thoughts. Not so much cause of myself, I can put up with them. But I really like for backpacking trips and the outdoors to be a positive experience for my kids. I'm worried that if my 10 year old daughter spends a week getting eaten alive, she'll never want to step foot outside of a Holiday Inn again *LOL*
We've been camping for years now and we all love it. But everwhere I go, and I do mean everywhere (including Rocky Mountain National Park last week, where pests are normally non-existant) I hear the same ... "never been so bad before ..."
*argh*
Re: Starting to worry!
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 3:50 pm
by karebing
For what it is worth~ I spoke with someone on the island today to make reservations for the water taxi and he said, "FINALLY< The bugs have really died down this week!" Well, no guarantees of course as it changes day to day BUT it is a heading in a good direction. I do not know how he gets his information either, from hikers? Is he out there much himself? Don't know, but... I liked his response! Hope it helps you feel better, it made me feel a little better but I am still planning for the worst and hoping to be nicely surprised! Karen
Re: Starting to worry!
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:13 am
by chiefiepoo
Long sleeves, head net, deet, treat clothes before leaving home, a small citronela candle for evenings. There is no lan B for me, and no way off the island for 8 days. Hopefully skeets will seek out "softer targets".
Re: Starting to worry!
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 6:53 pm
by Ingo
Just back from Windigo and Huginnin Cove. Skeeters were present, but not overwhelming. Used 1/2 oz of DEET in 3 days (40%). A few flies at Huginnin. Overall, not bad. They were a lot worse in N. Wis.
Re: Starting to worry!
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 11:34 pm
by Backpacker534
Good to know Ingo. My son and I will be on the island the last week of August. Hopefully they will be gone because we are doing the Feldtmann loop and Hugginin Cove too.
Re: Starting to worry!
Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 2:31 pm
by lewiada
So for what it's worth, I decided to pull my kids out of school and move my trip to the first week of September. I hear the bugs are pretty gone by then, is that a true statement?
Re: Starting to worry!
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 10:25 pm
by mjamo001
Back from the Isle yesterday, spending 5 days out between the 1st and the 5th and the bugs were almost non-existant! My wife and two daughters did use some bug dope from time to time but I went the entire trip without using any. We were on the east end for our stay .... Daisy Farm, Chippewa Harbor, McCargo Cove, Daisy farm, and out. I was amazed at the lack of bugs, both skeeters and black flies. Not to say I didn't have to swat a stray one every once in a while, but honestly it was easy being out ... on the beach, by the huts, on the trail. The only exception was the trail to Chippewa, where you were fine if you kept moving but would draw skeeters if you stopped for more than a minute. Looking good!!!
Re: Starting to worry!
Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:10 am
by johnhens
lewiada wrote:So for what it's worth, I decided to pull my kids out of school and move my trip to the first week of September. I hear the bugs are pretty gone by then, is that a true statement?
For the most part the bugs are gone. We have gone the week after Labor Day for a number of years and had no bugs. Now if it stays warm like it has been and rains, mosquitoes could be a bother. You stand a better chance of no or a lot less bugs the later you go.
Less people too!
Re: Starting to worry!
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 1:08 am
by Tampico
lewiada wrote:So for what it's worth, I decided to pull my kids out of school and move my trip to the first week of September. I hear the bugs are pretty gone by then, is that a true statement?
As a boater that has visited ISRO around that time of year, at least prepare yourself to either be stuck on the island or for a "lively" crossing.
The gales can be wicked.