Isle Royale Forums

For those going out on the First boat, From IRKPA:


The National Park Service advises that campers and visitors to Isle Royale National Park should be prepared for winter camping conditions on the island for the next few weeks. Most docks are ice bound, and shore access is limited due to slowly melting ice shelves ringing the archipelago. Park Superintendent Phyllis Green says that visitors should monitor satellite photos for up-to-date information on access to bays and harbors. Even snowshoe travel is compromised and strenuous. “Our primary concern is that visitors understand what they are facing if they visit the island in early May. These conditions naturally limit emergency response, so visitors need to be prepared for a true wilderness experience with a focus on self-reliance and safety. There is no potable water at entry points or campgrounds, and no gas or diesel sales are currently open for motorboats. We will monitor marine band radio, but remember there is little to no cell phone coverage on or around the island,” Green continued.

[weatherwindigo][/weatherwindigo]

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Hey Fonixmunkee can you briefly describe the video you posted, I codnt get it to play on my old antiquated windows desktop and my IPad doesn't support flash to watch it on that. Thanks. Andy

Never mind. Just got to work and see you posted a weather link. It just said Flash Video on my phone.

Can someone provide a link to current satellite photos of Isle Royale? Through Google or Bing maps (and some online weather services) all I see are leaf-on imagery. The satellite photos I can find are of such poor resolution, it's hard to judge conditions on the island.

Thanks.

Hey leftovers.
The site that I use doesn't want any kind of linking to websites, and in fact says it's forbidden to do so. So I can't post a link to it, but if you're to hypothetically Google something like Coast watch Modis you might find an interesting link to click on.

It's just the hotlinking of the images that is forbidden. You can share the site. http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/modis/region_map.html They do ask that you don't sit at your screen and constantly refresh too. I'm assuming they don't have the budget to provide the bandwidth.

Thanks for the info about satellite imagery.
Yow, bring snow shoes, sleds, skis. Handwarmers.

Things are improving rather rapidly considering that a week ago Thursday 8-10 inches of fresh snow fell. The sat photos of the island and surrounding shore lands are at least looking mostly brown rather than all white like a week ago. I am going to the island on Sunday to pick people up and if I am able will bring the Voyageur II into some of the previously inaccessable areas to see at what rate the ice has deteriorated compared to last Saturday. Hopefully the forecasted wind and waves on Saturday will help break the ice up and allow it to flow out into the lake. My guess is by the 18th all the ice will be gone and all but the most sheltered of areas will be snow free, I'll know better by Sunday night. I think trail conditions will improve dramatically with the sun drying things up, conditions would be similar to a day of a heavy rain shower.

Thanks for the updates Capt! There's no substitute for first-hand information.

Thanks Capt. Don
fingers are crossed

Anxiously awaiting Captain Don's report on the shoreline conditions......From the looks of the satellite photos, the ice is starting to recede..

What a difference a week has made. No shelf ice on the shores of the big lake were found anyplace I went on the island. All the white landscape is now brown or green with the only snow remaining being shrinking drifts in shaded/sheltered areas. I was able to get just past Beaver Island in Washington Harbor, but had no real reason to go to Windigo other than to just look so I turned around. The remaining ice is deteriorating very quickly and I expect to be there on Saturday. I was in Malone Bay, it is ice free, Moskey still has some ice cover well past Daisy Farm but, again, it is going fast. Chippewa looked open as far as I could see but I did not go into the harbor. I did not go on the north side this trip so McCargoe is still unexplored, I know the ice is still in there but not to what extent nor it's condition. I am hoping to get there Saturday as well. Inland lakes are still ice covered and will be the last to open up, based on the local inland lakes around here I'm guessing it's probably going to be 7-10 days before they are all clear of ice.
Finally, Isle Royale is open for 2013.

Let the fun begin!!!

Yaaay!