Isle Royale Forums

Hello all, hope all is good.

Here is my dilema.I am setting up my trip to pick up the few trails that have slipped through the cracks. Greenstone ridge trail to Island mine,Ishpemeng pt trail, Hatchet lk trail and a short section of Indian portage trail by west chickenbone.I am sure many of you already know the question .How do we get around that nasty 7 mile backtrack out of the Ispeming pt trail and not get on the boat to do it.We are looking at 6 days and out at Daisy farm, we also need a short section between Moskey and Daisey.This trip would give us all the trails we are after, but we loose the better part of a day backtracking.I am pretty sure the short answer is not possible, but I am hoping that one of you has a rabbit in the hat.This trip is planned for the beggining of June.Any help or suggestions would be appreciated

Thanks, Jason (Tree rattt)

tree rattt wrote:Hello all, hope all is good.

....How do we get around that nasty 7 mile backtrack out of the Ispeming pt trail and not get on the boat to do it....

Thanks, Jason (Tree rattt)

Tree rattt,

Can you fly?

Malone bay/Siskiwit Lake is a wonderful area; it's all good.

Think of it as two wonderful days(one in - one out), soaking in the continuous views of Siskiwit.

Enjoy.

Nope,cant fly I guess I was hoping for some super secret super cool bushwack trail along the lake that comes out by indian portage you are correct ....It's all good

Thanks

Not sure how you're getting to ISRO, but if you arrive at Rock Harbor perhaps you could take a water taxi to Daisy Farm. Hike to Moskey and on to W. Chickenbone. You didn't indicate if you need to do the north or south area around W. Chickenbone. If north, go to McCargoe head west on the Minong to Todd. From Todd you could access the Hatchet Lake Trail back to that Lake's campground and hike up to the tower on the Greenstone and on down to Malone Bay. You probably need more then 6 days to do this event, especially if you want to get Island Mine/Greenstone included in this trip.
I too have an unusual trip plan for Isle Royale for this year and need to use the boats from possibly Mich. and Minnesota to do both ends of the island that I haven't covered so far, including Mott Is.

Thanks jerry,at the moment it looks like we would land in Windigo via the V2.We need the section along the west side of Chicken bone.We did the Minong last year and went up through the East Chicken bone site. I just had to see what all the hype was about I am thinking of skipping in faver of the next trip. When we clean up the remaining trails on the East end.We may pick up lane cove instead, or just shorten all together.The shorter option would make my wife happy.Such is life , adventure must go on!

Without thinking too much about the daily distances, timing, or cost ( perhaps that's why you said and not get on the boat?) you might make this work:

VII to McCargoe. Day hike around Chickenbone
McCargoe -> Todd -> Hatchet -> Malone
VII from Malone -> Windigo
Windigo -> Island Mine -> Windigo (overnight or in a day?)
VII or Sea Hunter home

It doesn't eliminate any backtracking, but remember it's always a different trail going the other way . And in this case, the backtrack is downhill .

Or just go home from Malone and save the Greenstone for another trip. We know this won't be your last!

Ingo, very interesting proposal. I want to see that side of the island from the boat anyway.The not getting on the boat comment was just associated with going home too soon.

We may be adding my 2 nephews to the trip .1 st timers with 1 easy trip to their resume in flat terrain and 4 mile day.That ittinerary could be a Feldtman and out at Malone.The Feldtman loop sure is a nice slice of pie for new eyes

So many trips to do, so little time oh yeah I'm going back!

tree rattt wrote:I guess I was hoping for some super secret super cool bushwack trail along the lake that comes out by indian portage

Actually there IS a super secret super cool bushwack trail between Malone and Indian Portage, but you never know if you'd wished you just walked back up the darn hill to Ishpeming Tower. I met a soloist at Chippewa, oh, 5-7 years ago that had just completed it. He followed along the shore to about Datolite mine, then made a line toward the portage between Wood and Whittlesey. He then followed the northern shores of Whittlesey and the first part of Chippewa, which I could totally see possible as the slope wouldn't be so bad. (And the south shores are cliffs in many places.)
I seem to recall the hardest part he said was finding a place to cross the Lake Ritchie outflow.

Not for the faint of heart, but possible!

I recall LeftOvers, a couple of years ago discussed his trek from Chippewa to Malone. I think he took a route much closer to Lake Superior (due to a last minute canoe ferry out of Chippewa Harbor.)

I was determined to bushwack this back in the 1970s then I chickened out at the last minute when I was offered a boat ride out of Chippewa harbor the morning of my planned departure. (At the time, I saw it as a message from God, LOL ). This was before the days of satellite imagery and GPS so I was going only on topographic maps, a compass and youthful indiscretion. The preponderance of many parallel ridges is what convinced me to try it. Indeed, today's satellite imagery bears this out, showing many bare ridge rock outcroppings throughout much of the route. Other vegetation data indicates the typical boreal forest is less dense throughout this area. It would be gratifying to make this trek but I'm not sure it's any faster than following the 26 miles of designated trail.

Edited to correct direction of LeftOver's travel.

Tom and Midwest ed, you shure know how to get my attention even if it took a couple of days, that would be cool

Tom I looked at that route on the maps and in GEarth.It does look doable. My Dad said to me once that he has always wanted to see Greenstone beach.I may study this more. Sure do find that interesting.Still need to get a gps though that way I could plot the path and take notes.I am surprised Mike T hasn't latched on to this one.

Once you bushwack and find the route, post it for the rest of us!

I would say, based on the same 'sat imagery research' that I find it might be one of the most bushwackable (is that a word?) routes. I've had it on a bucket list, of sorts, but have never ventured out. If someone plotted the points (by actually hiking it) I would think many would follow...

Tom, I Believe you would be correct.Many people would want those plot points It would be fun to just get lost in the pickers...so to speak.Before ya know it we would have a new trail. We could call it the Whittelsy trail

I believe I could find the route from north desor to south desor as well ....as long as I don't mind gettin wet on that thought, we should petition the park service to leave a canoe on north and south Desor. That would make a nice cutoff

Did anyone happen to mention how long this would take...2 days maybe 3.I would like to take my time and explore. I am thinking of skirting the big lake as best as possible all the way to blueberry cove. Then heading up to the portage trail between whittelsey and Chippewa harbor.From there skirt chippewa at a distance , to the creek flowing out of Ritchie and see where we can find a crossing on that ravine /creek. Just a fun research project at this point. What we experienced when we left trail last year was a different and more intense experience. Much more one on one with the island.I guess at this point it depends on who makes up their mind if they are going or not.That is not making planning very easy . I find that a little buswacking takes the need for covering distance and swaps it out for pure exploration.A few back country camps can't hurt either.

Approximately 0.5 miles per hour is a typical bushwhacking pace for me (including rest stops, additional exploring, etc.). Actual mileages are more than the straight line distances on the map as one is constantly adjusting/backtracking to avoid obstacles.

Regarding your proposed cutoff between the Greenstone and Minong Trails near Lake Desor, in 2010 I did a backcountry shortcut from Ishpeming Point to Little Todd Harbor. Link to my trip report --> Sept 2010 - 6 Days and 5 Nights - Windigo to Malone Bay