Trip plan for Minong trail

[tree rattt]

I am putting my plan together for our May trip to paradise.My dad and I have a few questions for ya' ll.
This is our second trip last year we were there in the same stretch for 9 days.we did the feldtman tr, the greenstone to moskey then out at chippewa.We met zimms on the dock on the way back.

We are planning a minong trip about may 28th i believe.we are coming in on the VII and will be there for a week.

Questions

#1. Going up the minong from windigo .Is the hugginin cove loop worth the effort or is the minong punnisment enough.

#2 the minong sounds wet and challenging. How wet are we talking? Wading or just knee deep?

#3 beaver dams? Whats the scoop ....just reference points or actually crossing them?

#4 BACK country crash site after doing the hugginin loop. We dont do over ten miles if we can help it.....it cuts into our time for a small bushwack or the need to smell the roses.so if we do the loop, north desor is out of our range.

#5 this one is a head scratcher.following the trail the only marks are the cairn stones, correct.......someone told me that they thought this trail was marked with blazez such as those on the ice age trail or the north country trail..this sounded like crazyness to me.

At this point this is all i can think of. Thanks in advance
Other than this our trip seems pretty strait forward. We will continue up the minong to McCargo then down and out through daisey farm for the ride home.

Thoughts and suggestions appreciated.

Thanks Jason

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[MikeT]

Jason, Some initial thoughts. I'm sure you will receive more...

#1. Going up the minong from windigo .Is the hugginin cove loop worth the effort or is the minong punnisment enough.

As much as I love Huginnin Cove, I would not attempt it going this direction. The section from Windigo to North Desor is tough with some steeps accents.

#2 the minong sounds wet and challenging. How wet are we talking? Wading or just knee deep?

It is wet and challenging. Especially in May. There is no real wading (unless you go into Little Todd over the so-called "bridge"). It is more a matter of a wet trail and wet/slippery leaves along the rock outcroppings. These can be dangerous and you really have to watch your step. You WILL slip. I recommend at least one trekking pole for this trip.

#3 beaver dams? Whats the scoop ....just reference points or actually crossing them?

Actually crossing them. They are fun! There will be water on some of them. Just be careful.

#4 BACK country crash site after doing the hugginin loop. We dont do over ten miles if we can help it.....it cuts into our time for a small bushwack or the need to smell the roses.so if we do the loop, north desor is out of our range.

I've stayed in a couple of backcountry sites on my way from Desor to Windigo. They are not easy to find that meet the NPS requirements, but it is doable. I think I'd push on to Desor if coming that way.

#5 this one is a head scratcher.following the trail the only marks are the cairn stones, correct.......someone told me that they thought this trail was marked with blazez such as those on the ice age trail or the north country trail..this sounded like crazyness to me.

The official markings are the typical cairns, but there are some old blazes on trees occasionally. I believe these are from when they first created this trail. This is one of the newest trails on the island. I'm guessing the early 70's. The blazes are very faded. On this subject, the trail can be very hard to follow and you WILL lose it at least once and have to back track. You have to keep your eyes open and look ahead. The trail follows a ridge, goes down to a valley then back up on a ridge multiplied many times and sometimes it goes down before the end of the current ridge and it is easy to miss.

Other than this our trip seems pretty strait forward. We will continue up the minong to McCargo then down and out through daisey farm for the ride home.

My favorite way to do this trail is getting dropped off at McCargoe and going towards Windigo. This allows for plenty of enjoyment and leaves the hardest part for the end. It also allows for going to Huginnin Cove at the end if you have the time. I have also done the route you are going though.

Enjoy!

[Tightlines01]

Sounds like a great trip. Here's my two cents from what I recall of my Minong trip 2011.

#1. Have not been to Huginnin Cove. I'll be going there this year, but from what I hear it's nice.

#2. The Minong is extremely varried. You'll see just about every type of trail on the island including some very hectic rock hoping around Little Todd. I don't recall it being overly wet, most of the wet stuff is before North Desor. I did it in Aug so I'd expect it wetter in Spring. Definately no wading. Boots got damp a couple times but not bad.

#3. The Beaver Dams weren't what I had expected. I know what they were afterwards, but when going through them it was more like a small stream crossing on logs across a creek narrowing.

#4. If you don't do over 10 miles Windigo to N.Desor is going to be long especially if it's the first day. I know others have posted about camping half way between Desor and Windigo. Sounds like that may be a good option for you and include Huggin Cove.

#5. No blazes. There used to be some trail flagging tape between Windigo and N Desore, but I think they were doing a small reroute of the trail. Some parts will be Cairns some will be trail through woods. Take your time on the ridges and you'll find the cairns.

[fonixmunkee]

I think MikeT sufficiently answered your questions, but I'll also throw a few comments in:

#1. Going up the minong from windigo .Is the hugginin cove loop worth the effort or is the minong punnisment enough.

As great as Huginnin is, you'll have your hands full with a long, arduous hike from Windigo to North Desor. I'd skip Huginnin.

#2 the minong sounds wet and challenging. How wet are we talking? Wading or just knee deep?

The Minong can be very slippery during or after a rain. There's a lot of rocks to scamper up, and they get slick. There's no wading involved, just your typical mud & puddles.

#3 beaver dams? Whats the scoop ....just reference points or actually crossing them?

The beaver dams are easily passable. You do walk right across them, and there's nothing treacherous about them.

#4 BACK country crash site after doing the hugginin loop. We dont do over ten miles if we can help it.....it cuts into our time for a small bushwack or the need to smell the roses.so if we do the loop, north desor is out of our range.

I'm new to backcountry, so I can't really provide much feedback on this. Just be sure to follow the NPS guidelines for finding a site.

#5 this one is a head scratcher.following the trail the only marks are the cairn stones, correct.......someone told me that they thought this trail was marked with blazez such as those on the ice age trail or the north country trail..this sounded like crazyness to me.

There are no blazes, but plenty of cairns. The trail is also well-worn through the vegetation, so you don't need to worry about blazes. The hardest part to find the trail is on the ridge line, where the trail can't really be worn into the rock. This is where you will find the cairns. I always recommend a GPS while on Isle Royale, especially if backpacking, anyway. It's a good investment and piece-of-mind

At this point this is all i can think of. Thanks in advance
Other than this our trip seems pretty strait forward. We will continue up the minong to McCargo then down and out through daisey farm for the ride home.

Now, a question for you: What's the plan once you get to McCargoe Cove?

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[Redbad]

#5 this one is a head scratcher.following the trail the only marks are the cairn stones, correct.......someone told me that they thought this trail was marked with blazez such as those on the ice age trail or the north country trail..this sounded like crazyness to me.

There are a few (<5 as I recall) faded orange paint blazes that are still visible on some of the rock portions of the trail. These are from the days before ISRO was designated a wilderness and the Minong served as a trail to access the north side of the island for back country fire fighting. Do NOT depend on them for route finding. I had to look very hard to find them.

I would recommend presetting a compass with the azimuth (60d for the route from Windigo to McCargoe). You will need to reference your compass from time to time when you come to stretches where animals/nature/hikers have removed the cairns. As has been said before you WILL loose the trail, so keep track of the last cairn that you passed so that you can work your way to where the next cairn should be.

Keep in mind that if you cross more than 2 beaver dams then you are lost...

[tree rattt]

Thanks a lot great info. The rest of the plan at this point would be to go from MCcargo thru to mount ojibway then down to daisey farm for the boat ride.......unless we are free of aches and pains , ahead of shedule. I said we dont do more then 10 miles, but that doesnt mean we cant or wont the number of days arent written in stone.when you get on island time it is up for grabs....suggestions.

On the subject of poles or a good stick.i cross country ski so i am used to poles for that but i have never used anything for packing.i have used the occasional stick for stream crossing but that is about it. More suggestions?

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[Vandy]

I used trekking poles for the first time during my last trip in 2011. I had some fairly high mileage days and found them invaluable.
I used my snowshoeing poles, nothing fancy. No spring tips, no cork handles. They kept me from slipping and tripping on multiple occasions.
I'll definitely use them on future trips.

[Redbad]

Almost any XC ski pole can work as a hiking pole. I use my adjustable back country poles for hiking (they serve double duty as the structural element of my tarp shelter as well). You will want to swap the snowflake baskets for hiking baskets (cone shaped deals).

[fonixmunkee]

Like others, I find trekking poles invaluable as well. I'll never hike without them. They are really helpful on tougher, more rugged trails like the Minong.

I wouldn't use XC pole for hiking as they are fiberglass. You need something aluminum.

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[tree rattt]

The minong seems like my kinda trail.i have done far more backcountry bushwacking then i have ever done on a trail. However that is on my home turff in north central wi.the first thing i noticed when i hit the island, was the fact that my internal compass wasnt working. I think that this trail will be a good skill builder.with all the knowledge you all have shared gives a person a good starting point for what to expect.

As far as the poles go, should try to heed the warning .never been steered wrong before! I figure i will get some and see if i can learn to like them.probably pick up a pair of wally world cheapo's till i can locate something better.heck still have a few weeks left,and 30 inches of snow where I'm at.

And on the tapatalk subject, very nice and user friendly!

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[Ingo]

I figure i will get some and see if i can learn to like them.probably pick up a pair of wally world cheapo's till i can locate something better.

I used some (Outdoor Products) on an I.R. trip before I decided I would use them enough to warrant a larger investment. Nothing wrong with them at all, just heavier than the pricy ones.

[kolo]

I would like to add to the good information that several veterans have already posted. I was fortunate to finally backpack the Minong trail this past summer (June 2013). It was my fourth trip to paradise and I did it solo.

I went from Rock Harbor to Three Mile, Moskey Basin, Todd Harbor, North Lake Desor, and finished at Windigo. The Minong was tough, but very fun and gratifying! I remember crossing two (I think) beaver dams that were relatively dry and one creek crossing just before the turnoff to Little Todd. The creek crossing was a little tricky with a full pack but trekking poles helped a lot. I echo what others have said about trekking poles; I will not hike/backpack without them.

One thing to consider is the burn area where a fire occurred in 2012(?). It was challenging finding my way through this area and a little stressful. Fortunately the rangers placed pink ribbons (very few) at key points to help navigate. If not for those markers, I might have gone MIA! The trail may be more obvious this year.

One last thing—while researching this trail prior to my trip, I read a description of the Minong trail. I think I read it on this forum. The description: “The Minong is a lot of up and down, but no in and out.” I still laugh when I think about it!

[tree rattt]

Are there any points of interest along the minong?I am looking forward to seeing the minong mine.is there anything else, mining eq, historical stuff and the like?

What is the youngest hiker anyone has seen on the minong? I am entertaining the idea of introducing my daughter to the island, either on this trip or someting a bit easier. She is 5 1/2 and trains along with us everyday...she runs our donkeys off!!! She has been to the estivant pines, porcupine mts., ice age trail.... 200+ foot hills is not uncommon where we live.she has been doing backwwods camping since she was 6 months old.if we did do the minong I would try to level it to 5 to 7 mile days....even if it means a little bushwack camping. On our trip last year, trail wise I didnt see anything she couldn't handle, aside from the distances. She has never done anything over 7 miles before.as soon as the snow goes off I will see if she will do a ten mile.she is tall for her age ....tallest in her class. Her pack weight is 3.5 pounds .....ultraliters eat yer heart out!!!!! Her down bag, air mat, clothes and raingear +a stuffed animal of choice. I carry food and she has a small water bottle.

I have a cool oppertunity here,it would put 3 generations on the island!


Thoughts? Just trying to figure if its possible. Or am I hitting one out into left field

[MikeT]

Besides the Minong Mine, which is the best historical mining site on the island:
- At Todd Harbor there is the Haytown Mine (aka. Pittsburg and Isle Royale Mine) site which operated from 1847-1853. The trail is marked by a post in front of the shelter. It is less than .2 miles down the trail and consists of a shaft with a fence around it and slag piles going towards the lake. It is a beautiful walk with a couple of little waterfalls. Along the trail, on the lakeside, there are some possible diggings, maybe foundations, maybe road? The trail continues past the shaft and leads to a stream around 175' past. The trail goes over the creek and looks like it goes on following the creek, but I have not gone any further.
- At Todd Harbor, the 1995 Trails Illustrated map shows a mine site about 600' northeast of the group campground on a hill (it has disappeared on newer maps), but I have not checked it out.
- .33 miles north of the Minong Trail, on the East Huginnin Cove Trail is the Wendigo Mine site which operated from 1890 to 1892. There are remains of a cabin and rail tracks.

You can spend a lot of time exploring the Minong Mine site if you look at the sign that is posted there. Below is a picture of that sign. It is possible to go into the mine site from the Minong Trail and loop back through the site all the way back to the campground.

Minong Mine Site

[tree rattt]

Thanks for the tips mike! And the book is big help too! .........wanted to throw a plug in there for all your help.Sure glad that my second trip will be better informed, and no need to take notes this time.

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