Isle Royale Forums

Hi all,

I've been scrolling through your FANTASTIC advice for weeks now, as my husband and I (plus his best friend) prepare to hike I.R. the last week of August/first week of September.

This weekend, we went backpacking for our first time, using the Jordan River Valley in Gaylord, MI as our 2-day practice hike. It was hugely beneficial to experience what we used, how much, and what we didn't need to be carrying. We did the 8.5 mile segment of the trail Saturday, then the 10.5 mile section Sunday... each carrying 20% of our weight. We're not extreme athletes by any means, but are each in pretty good shape.

Has anyone else hiked both the Jordan River Valley AND Isle Royale? I'm interested in knowing how the route we hiked compares to Isle Royale in terms of difficulty/terrain.

Our planned route on I.R. is as follows:
Day 1 - Ferry on - Rock Harbor to Daisy Farm (7.3 Miles)
Day 2 - Daisy Farm to McCargoe Cove (8.2 Miles)
Day 3 - McCargoe Cove to Hatchet Lake (10.5 Miles)
Day 4 - Hatchet Lake to S. Lake Desor (8.1 Miles)
Day 5 - S. Lake Desor to Island Mine (5.5 Miles)
Day 6 - Island Mine to Windigo - seaplane out (6.9 Miles)

Thank you in advance for any feedback you can give!

I haven't done JRV, but it looks like a cool little loop. I'll have to file that away as a long weekend opportunity when I'm visiting a client up there.

One note on your proposed itinerary, S. Desor to Island Mine is clean, wide trail and it runs downhill into Windigo. Island Mine is like any other campsite in the woods to some. You might consider S. Desor to Windigo and spend the night at Washington Creek.

Rookie,
Welcome to the forum!

I've backpacked the Jordan River loop several times and all the Isle Royale trails that you list.

You will absolutely love Isle Royale.

In my opinion, you'll find the trails on Isle Royale more rugged; more rocks, roots and up & down. If it rains, the IRNP trails can get muddy & slippery. But your route is certainly doable. I like to include a rest day somewhere along the way but that's just me. And you can skip Island Mine CG if you feel like it.

You're wise to do a shakedown weekend. It looks like you're well prepared. I hope you have a great time.

Grandpa wrote: ↑Mon Jul 30, 2018 9:05 am In my opinion, you'll find the trails on Isle Royale more rugged; more rocks, roots and up & down. If it rains, the IRNP trails can get muddy & slippery. But your route is certainly doable. I like to include a rest day somewhere along the way but that's just me. And you can skip Island Mine CG if you feel like it.

I want to re-emphasize this.

It's a great idea to do a shakedown run! But -- I've done a lot of hiking across the lower peninsula, although I haven't done the Jordan River loop specifically. I also lived and backpacked in the Keweenaw for many years, which is a lot more comparable in terms of rocky, rugged, up-and-down trails. On my first trip, I was really surprised at how much more rugged Isle Royale is than anywhere else I'd hiked. The up-and-downs are especially tiring because they're constant. This is something you just don't experience hiking in the lower peninsula. Even the up-and-down rolling glacial hills in many parts of the state don't really approximate the hard, rocky, sharp ridges that you're going up and down.

I'd strongly recommend adding in a rest day if you can possibly manage it. It's well worth it. It will help you enjoy the island more, and take away some of the "too tired to care" that you can run into if you're hiking 8+ miles every day.

No matter what, you'll love it. The island gets into your blood.

I've not done Jordan, but have hiked all the trails on the island you've mentioned. If you are in averages physical shape you should have no problems. I'm heavier than I should be carry a 40+ pound pack . I'm also 48. I'd do the Minong over the Greenstone, but it is definitely a rougher trail. The views and campsites are definitely nicer on the Minong.

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I am quite familiar with Jordan Valley and have a few trips to IR under my belt. To be frank, Isle Royale is a lot harder...but oh so much more rewarding.

Your itinerary is reasonable, but keeping your pack weight as light as safely possible will be important. I’m guessing you are taking the ferry out of Houghton which means you’ll get a late start to Daisyfarm...should still be ok.

Also, study your map an know your water sources so you don’t carry more water than you need; it’s easier to take time to filter water as you go in my opinion.

Enjoy.


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Keep the packweights light (under 30 if possible) and you’ll be fine. I will echo the comments above that the trails are much more rugged than the JRP though. Take your time and work in an extra day if you can.