Isle Royale Forums

Hi everyone! I'm planning a trip for 4 people (ages 26 - 70) the last week of June 2017. We will be kayaking from McCargoe to Malone, via the inland routes. I consider myself an intermediate level kayaker - have done large lakes, the Missouri River in South Dakota, Lake Oahi, Mississippi River, Trempeleau Bay, and the Brule to name some of them. My 70 year old father has kayaked twice with me, is extremely fit and capable and my brother and his wife are fairly athletic, but not as skilled at kayaking as me. They will take some classes before we go on this trip so they have better skills. I am aware of the wildlife and know how to exercise caution in case of an encounter. I've got all the necessary gear.

So, this will be our first trip together and our first trip to Isle Royale and I am open to any suggestions, tips, advice...please share. We are hoping to arrive on Monday and leave on Friday. Is this a reasonable time frame considering the distance? What is the bug population like in late June? I have a Nikon D5200 with a waterproof case and plan on taking lots of pictures. Any recommendations for spectacular places to stop along the way?

I just spent a couple of hours reading the various topic posts and gleaned lots of helpful tidbits and now I'm looking for extras.

Welcome to the forums!

I see you have experience kayaking big water but do you have any experience portaging kayaks/gear? Your first portage will be 1.2 miles long, and there are three others on the inland route that are about a half mile long.

I assume you will be taking the Voyageur II? Inbound (to Windigo, Grand Portage) pickups at Malone Bay happen only on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.

Incaroads makes two good points: if you're not accustomed to portaging the kayaks and gear you may find that to be the hardest part of the trip--and take longer than you might think. So plan accordingly. And also check the Voyageur II schedule (http://isleroyaleboats.com) and adjust accordingly (unless you're coming from Mich and using the water taxi).

Bugs are likely to be significant the end of June. I would pretreat all my clothes with permethrin, bring plenty of bug dope, and also headnets (cheap and lightweight insurance). In general the skeeters come out in force when the sun goes down, so you don't want to be starting supper at dusk, although the days will be rather long that time of year. In general they will be worse on the inner lakes (Chickenbone/Richie/Intermediate), probably not quite as bad at Wood, and least bad on the Lake Superior sites (McCargoe/Malone). Of course, you never know until you get there ... Just be prepared.

The first portage to Chickenbone used to start up the creek, but now you must start at the dock. Some maps and charts have not been updated, so be aware that it is >1 mile even if you see something that says less. It is a gradual uphill all the way. The next three portages have initial climbs out the lakes, but otherwise there's not too much notable about the portages. At Malone Bay the campground is about 1/4 mile from the dock and it's easiest to load up the boats and paddle over versus carrying it.

Assuming 5 nights (e.g. Sat -> Thurs) I'd suggest something like this:
Day 1: Stay at McCargoe. Hike to the Minong Mine. Paddle the cove.
Day 1: Alternative: Head to Chickenbone off the boat, in order to shorten Day 2. I like Chickenbone, but McCargoe more.
Day 2: McCargoe -> Richie. This has 4 portages, which will make it the longest day, but certainly doable. The narrows in Lake LaSage is great lunch spot. The Lake Richie canoe campground is very nice. Make sure everyone is aware that the portages intersect/join the Greenstone Trail, and knows where they're going.
Day 3: Richie -> Wood Lake. 2 portages, not too bad. Wood Lake is one of my favorite campgrounds. Watch the sun set over Lake Siskiwit.
Day 4: Wood Lake -> Malone Bay. You can stop at Ryan Island, the largest island on the largest lake on the largest island on the largest lake in the world. Obviously a big lake and SW winds can create significant waves.
Day 5: Layover, TBD along the way, probably dictated by bugs. My 1st choice would be Wood Lake, but ending with 2 nights at Malone Bay and exploring the islands there would be nice too.
You certainly could do this trip in 3 nights if you had to (McCargoe -> Richie -> Malone), but for the effort to get there I would suggest more.

There aren't really specific photo spots along this route, just a lot of natural beauty. Best advice is get up early for the sunrise when the lighting is best. That time of year, probably about 5am. I use a Nikon 7000 and with the 18-300DX lens which allows me to go with 1 lens and cover about everything. If you don't have a polarizing filter, they're great for reducing water reflections and bringing out the color in landscapes. I started using Picaridin instead of DEET for bug dope because it doesn't interact with plastics, something I'm particularly concerned about with my camera. It's probably not quite as effective as 100% DEET, but usually is good enough.

Have a great trip!

I have portaged a 17' kayak on some of the inland routes on IR. One thing I found helpful was a canoe yoke that I would strap across the cockpit coming to portage the kayak unless you plan on carrying the kayak with 2 people. We also used Granite Gear portage packs to transport the gear on the ferry and to do the portages. Take time when going over the Greenstone to hike down the Greenstone to get pics from the ridge. A trip to the Ojibway tower is worth the time. Keep an ear on the weather particularly for paddling Siskiwit. It is a big lake and can kick up quickly with west winds. I don't think you mentioned fishing, the lakes are great fun to fish.
A VHF is good to have for weather and safety. Enjoy your trip.

IncaRoads wrote:Welcome to the forums!

I see you have experience kayaking big water but do you have any experience portaging kayaks/gear? Your first portage will be 1.2 miles long, and there are three others on the inland route that are about a half mile long.

I assume you will be taking the Voyageur II? Inbound (to Windigo, Grand Portage) pickups at Malone Bay happen only on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.

I've portaged short distances, nothing as far as 1.2 miles. Do you have some tips?

Ingo wrote:Incaroads makes two good points: if you're not accustomed to portaging the kayaks and gear you may find that to be the hardest part of the trip--and take longer than you might think. So plan accordingly. And also check the Voyageur II schedule (http://isleroyaleboats.com) and adjust accordingly (unless you're coming from Mich and using the water taxi).

Bugs are likely to be significant the end of June. I would pretreat all my clothes with permethrin, bring plenty of bug dope, and also headnets (cheap and lightweight insurance). In general the skeeters come out in force when the sun goes down, so you don't want to be starting supper at dusk, although the days will be rather long that time of year. In general they will be worse on the inner lakes (Chickenbone/Richie/Intermediate), probably not quite as bad at Wood, and least bad on the Lake Superior sites (McCargoe/Malone). Of course, you never know until you get there ... Just be prepared.

The first portage to Chickenbone used to start up the creek, but now you must start at the dock. Some maps and charts have not been updated, so be aware that it is >1 mile even if you see something that says less. It is a gradual uphill all the way. The next three portages have initial climbs out the lakes, but otherwise there's not too much notable about the portages. At Malone Bay the campground is about 1/4 mile from the dock and it's easiest to load up the boats and paddle over versus carrying it.

Assuming 5 nights (e.g. Sat -> Thurs) I'd suggest something like this:
Day 1: Stay at McCargoe. Hike to the Minong Mine. Paddle the cove.
Day 1: Alternative: Head to Chickenbone off the boat, in order to shorten Day 2. I like Chickenbone, but McCargoe more.
Day 2: McCargoe -> Richie. This has 4 portages, which will make it the longest day, but certainly doable. The narrows in Lake LaSage is great lunch spot. The Lake Richie canoe campground is very nice. Make sure everyone is aware that the portages intersect/join the Greenstone Trail, and knows where they're going.
Day 3: Richie -> Wood Lake. 2 portages, not too bad. Wood Lake is one of my favorite campgrounds. Watch the sun set over Lake Siskiwit.
Day 4: Wood Lake -> Malone Bay. You can stop at Ryan Island, the largest island on the largest lake on the largest island on the largest lake in the world. Obviously a big lake and SW winds can create significant waves.
Day 5: Layover, TBD along the way, probably dictated by bugs. My 1st choice would be Wood Lake, but ending with 2 nights at Malone Bay and exploring the islands there would be nice too.
You certainly could do this trip in 3 nights if you had to (McCargoe -> Richie -> Malone), but for the effort to get there I would suggest more.

There aren't really specific photo spots along this route, just a lot of natural beauty. Best advice is get up early for the sunrise when the lighting is best. That time of year, probably about 5am. I use a Nikon 7000 and with the 18-300DX lens which allows me to go with 1 lens and cover about everything. If you don't have a polarizing filter, they're great for reducing water reflections and bringing out the color in landscapes. I started using Picaridin instead of DEET for bug dope because it doesn't interact with plastics, something I'm particularly concerned about with my camera. It's probably not quite as effective as 100% DEET, but usually is good enough.

Have a great trip!

Thank you! Lots of helpful information.

johnhens wrote:I have portaged a 17' kayak on some of the inland routes on IR. One thing I found helpful was a canoe yoke that I would strap across the cockpit coming to portage the kayak unless you plan on carrying the kayak with 2 people. We also used Granite Gear portage packs to transport the gear on the ferry and to do the portages. Take time when going over the Greenstone to hike down the Greenstone to get pics from the ridge. A trip to the Ojibway tower is worth the time. Keep an ear on the weather particularly for paddling Siskiwit. It is a big lake and can kick up quickly with west winds. I don't think you mentioned fishing, the lakes are great fun to fish.
A VHF is good to have for weather and safety. Enjoy your trip.

Thank you! More great tips. I will look into a yoke and portage packs. We will be fishing too so thank you for mentioning that. I've been investigating a VHF and will invest in a good one.

I agree with all of the previous information, but would emphasize John's warning about Siskiwit Lake. There are numerous days when this lake cannot be safely paddled. I have been stuck at Wood Lake campground for 2 days unable to leave due to lake conditions. Since this is the last leg of your trip, you will have to adjust your trip based on conditions you expect on this lake. This might mean skipping the beautiful campground at Wood Lake and going straight to Malone if conditions allow. A VHF radio is a must to help you determine when you can paddle this lake. Conditions on Siskiwit lake can change quickly as it is large and deep yet, contained in a relatively small space so it turns to short choppy white caps quickly. I've started out on a flat lake and had it change to white caps in a matter of minutes. It is also best to get an early start on it as it tends to stir up with the heat of the sun.

On the rest of your route the lakes are not a concern and can be paddled on any day. The trip you have planned is a nice trip enjoy!

MikeT wrote:I agree with all of the previous information, but would emphasize John's warning about Siskiwit Lake. There are numerous days when this lake cannot be safely paddled. I have been stuck at Wood Lake campground for 2 days unable to leave due to lake conditions. Since this is the last leg of your trip, you will have to adjust your trip based on conditions you expect on this lake. This might mean skipping the beautiful campground at Wood Lake and going straight to Malone if conditions allow. A VHF radio is a must to help you determine when you can paddle this lake. Conditions on Siskiwit lake can change quickly as it is large and deep yet, contained in a relatively small space so it turns to short choppy white caps quickly. I've started out on a flat lake and had it change to white caps in a matter of minutes. It is also best to get an early start on it as it tends to stir up with the heat of the sun.

On the rest of your route the lakes are not a concern and can be paddled on any day. The trip you have planned is a nice trip enjoy!

Thank you!