Isle Royale Forums

First trip to IR. I had hoped to have gone four years ago, but didn't make it.

Mon: CH to RH to Daisy 7.1
Tues: Daisy to McCargo 8.2
Weds: McCargoe to Todd 6.7
Thurs: Todd to Little Todd 7.0
Fri: Little Todd to Hatchet 7.8
Sat: Hatchet to W Chicken 7.9
Sun: W Chicken to Moskey 6.2
Mon: Moskey to RH 11.0 (how hard is this trail?)**

** must be to the boat by 2:15, so this is cutting it close

Idea: We could cut W Chickenbone and to from Hatchet to Moskey for a 13.4 mile day (how hard is this trail?), then from Moskey to 3 Mile 8.3 miles and then 2.7 to RH on last day

You're doing a pretty similar itinerary to my plan at around the same time. I personally wouldn't choose to leave from Moskey on the last day. The trail isn't awful but that's not leaving any margin for error. It's rocky and muddy, but you know your pace.

Not sure what your hiking experience is...and Moskey to RH can be done in one day, but I wouldn't try it on such a deadline. Might consider doing W. Chickenbone to Daisy on Sunday...it'd give you a little more time on the Greenstone.


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If you went from Todd to Hatchet (skipping Little Todd), you could do Moskey to 3 Mile, and then 3 Mile to R.H. to catch the boat.

Itinerary looks good except, as noted by others, I would not want to chance the long walk from Moskey to Rock Harbor. It is not hard, but it is also not easy. There are a few difficult sections, especially if the weather is bad. I agree with Ingo, I'd skip Little Todd and the doubling back the next day and spend the last night at Three Mile for the short walk in to meet the boat.

Thanks everyone for your helpful replies!

I have done that trip before, but I skipped W Chickenbone (the Greenstone to Moskey is mostly down hill, get up early for a more relaxed pace). It is an ambitious trip but if you are fit you should be able to handle it, unless there is a small injury that slows you down. After my first trip, I have always gone from Moskey to RH. The hike isn't bad if your "empty" pack doesn't weigh much. last year two friends and I did it in the cold, rain and south wind in just under four hours, but we were head down and chugging along.

I plan for my last full day to be at RH. So I leave Moskey early, get a camp/shelter site, shower, restaurant(the pork tenderloin is worth the price), souvenirs for the peeps, then chill and chat with people. Maybe rent a boat and cruise the harbor. this is also my emergency day for injuries or if I decide to stay somewhere and extra day. I take the Ranger, so I leave early the next day. You could do a very leisurely Stoll trail and a lunch at the point your last day.