Isle Royale Forums

Dear Isle Royale Forum, I never thought I'd be writing. I'm just a regular guy that's been longing to get to the island for many years. Two old guys took the Queen over on 6/15 returning 6/20. I just got home today. I intend to write more detail in the next few days geared toward first time visitors based on our first visit and adding pictures. But I wanted to get this out. We've done lot's of northern Wisconsin camping with scouts over the years. We've dealt with mosquitoes. We know the Isle Royale mosquitoes are legendary. We took the advice of the fine folks on this forum and treated all our clothing with permethrin spray. Granted the weather was cool, 40 night time with 60 in the day, warm away from the shore, but I did not use bug spray at any time during our stay. I never used a bug net. We would occasionally meet folks on the trail and could see the mosquitoes lighting on them with an intensity I'd expect in any Wisconsin State Park off trail. But none lighted on us. I had a few buzzing around me occasionally, but nothing to warrant getting out my DEET based spray. I'd have to credit the permethrin. Thanks to all for the info! Also biting flies and black flies were not out yet.

Here's the detail. Thanks to everyone on this forum. I signed on in 2008 and finally made it.
Spoilers if you want to just get the high points....
Copper Harbor has no cell phone coverage
Motels close offices at 10 PM
Permethrin treatment of clothing is very effective mosquito repellent
Eating well on the trail adds lots of weight
There are picnic tables and grills along the dock area at Rock Harbor
The trail from Rock Harbor to Three Mile is much easier along Tobin Harbor even if it is a half mile longer.
The trail from Daisy Farm to Moskey Basin is more challenging than it appears on the map.
The rocks get very slippery when wet.
You have to file a plan but you can change it on the fly as long as you are not reserving group sites
You can get Verizon cell service in spots on the south side of the island.
Note the days the Ranger arrives if you plan to camp at Rock Harbor, Three Mile, or Daisy Farm.
Use the showers when they are in active use so it warms up faster for you. [/list]

Some time ago a friend approached me. We had met when our kids were in scouting. We had helped on numerous scout trips and he was now suggesting it was time for a parents’ trip. Thus was the genesis of the Big Adventure Discussion And Sports Society. Our first big adventure was this;
https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... trip=15009
Last fall it was a canoe trip down the Green River in Utah. This summer it was Isle Royale.
I went to school at da Tech in Houghton and longed to visit Isle Royale. I was jealous of those students that managed a week after spring or before fall classes. Their giant relief maps of the island posted like a big game trophy. So now is my chance over 40 years since matriculating from da tech. Our august body of adventurers is down to just two this trip. A third had to cancel at the last minute so it is Rob and me. Rob hails from NJ and has wanted to visit the island since seeing it on a map as a kid.
We left the Chicago area on Friday morning heading for Ft Wilkins State Park in Copper Harbor. We’d camp there and catch the Queen to Isle Royale. We got to Copper Harbor just before 10PM due in part to our late start and delayed by Bridge Fest activities in Houghton and Hancock. A balmy 67 degrees in Houghton gave way to 47, dark, and wet after recent rain in Copper Harbor. While the camp ground looked nice, we changed our plan and opted for a motel to do a better job of consolidating gear which was still badly needed. Unfortunately, it was lights out at 10PM in Copper Harbor. While the motels looked as if they would have rooms available based on cars in the parking lots, there were no office lights on. Complicating our search for lodging was that cell phone service drops off to nothing as you get into Copper Harbor. Fortunately, we found The Pines which had an active bar establishment and they were happy to set us up with a nice room. We spent two hours consolidating our gear in well-lit heated dry comfort.
Saturday morning, we got to the Queen dock at about 7:20. There were already a large number of people there. A smattering of back packers and a good size group of scouts but mostly lodge guests. We were told the boat would be full. We checked in the office for parking and got our packs loaded. Before getting in line for boarding I stopped in at Jamsen’s for a cup of coffee and one awesome cheddar, bacon, and chives scone. Sorry, no smoked fish until the end of June the sign said.
The boat left at 8AM. The seating is mostly two or three seats facing each across a table. You can purchase drinks and snacks. Some people played cards or slept. We chatted with a couple from Huntsville Alabama. The guy was a Tech grad from about 85 so we had some shared experiences. The boat has a nice binder of trail maps. I forgot who wrote it. It is very complete. I should have studied it more closely before leaving Rock Harbor, that would have saved me a great deal of pain.
The crossing was smooth and I should have opted to skip the motion sickness meds. I was a bit groggy even when we got to Rock Harbor. We got to Rock Harbor about 1130. Got our Ranger briefing and filed our camping permit. Out plan was to hike to Three Mile on Saturday. Sunday go up to Mt Franklin and Mt. Ojibway then down to Daisy Farm. Monday we’d go to McCargoe Cove. Tuesday to Moskey Basin, Wednesday to Three Mile, then Thursday to Rock Harbor and back to Copper Harbor. That was the plan. Before we started we ate our lunch along the harbor where there are picnic tables. There are grills there also. If you wanted, you could pack a nice lunch and grill it there before heading out on the trails. The 37 degree water kept the air temperature down and all the gear stored up top very cool. A natural refrigerator.
We never weighed our packs. I could lift it so I did not want to be intimidated. Packs were heavier than we planned initially because we had common equipment distributed between two hikers instead of the original plan of three. One hour down the Rock Harbor trail I am hurting. We learned later the route to Three Mile along Tobin Harbor is much easier than the Rock Harbor route thanks to an angel nameless solo hiker from Pittsburgh. The Rock Harbor trail to Three Mile is a jumble of roots and rocks like something out of Lord of the Rings. We got to Three Mile about 4:30 PM. We had no problem getting a shelter. A cool clear night. Temperatures got to about 40 degrees each night. We had 20 degree bags and slept with caps and polar fleece on. We were comfortable. We had no trouble getting shelters at any site during our stay.
Sunday morning, we changed our plan. Instead of hauling our packs up to the ridge then down to Daisy Farm, we’d go directly to Daisy Farm then dump the packs before hiking up to Mt. Ojibway. The trail to Daisy Farm was much easier than the trail to Three Mile. We left at 10 and got there about 2:30. We stopped often along the way. I dumped the knit cap and polar fleece before hiking and wore two long sleeve tech fabric shirts, long pants, and a baseball cap. This was my routine each day and I was pretty comfortable. We’d heat up especially going uphill but we’d cool off in the shade nicely. We had a nice up to Ojibway and back. I was able to get Verizon cell service about ¾ of the way up to the ridge. I got a nice happy Father’s Day from the family.
Monday we again left at about 10 and traveled to Moskey Basin instead of our original plan to McCargoe Cove due to our 1000 pound packs. The hike takes you up a ridge to about 750 feet MSL and there is a lot of up and down. It was pretty tiring. We stopped near the high point of the trail and had lunch. Closer to Moskey, a couple was heading in the opposite direction. They had mosquito nets on and cautioned us on lots of mosquitoes ahead. When we got to the more wooded areas out of the breeze we could see where there would be mosquitoes but our permethrin treated clothing seemed to be doing a pretty good job of keeping them away. We got to Moskey at about 2:30 PM. At 3:30 we hiked with just cooking and fishing gear to Lake Richie. Earlier a couple told us they portaged a canoe into Richie and caught 80-90 pike in a day. They said we’d have no trouble catching pike from shore. They were correct. Rob got a 24 inch pike on his third cast using the ubiquitous Dare Devil. The water temp where he fished was very warm. I estimated over 80 degrees. After a nice fish fry we got back to Moskey at about 9 PM. We had maybe an inch of rain overnight. Tuesday, we missed the awesome Moskey sunrise due to clouds but it was still an awesome camp sight. We were heading back to Daisy Farm or maybe Three Mile depending on how we felt. The rain picked up about an hour out of camp. Not heavy enough to warrant getting rain gear on we hiked on. The rain did cause us to slow down. The bare rocks were pretty slick and used caution particularly when descending. The caution was not enough however, and I took a pretty good fall. Fortunately, my now 500-pound pack acted like a giant air bag and cushioned my fall into a nearby tree. I got a bruised hip and a dented cooking pot to remind me of that event. We got to Daisy Farm at about 3 and opted to stay there shooting for Rock Harbor the next day. Daisy Farm was pretty busy. Everyone we met was very nice. The social ritual seems to be going out to the dock to filter water and chatting it up with whomever happens to be there. A full Ranger arrived that day and there were people getting into a full Daisy Farm still at 9PM. I cooled my feet in the water on the end of the dock. I could manage only 30 seconds at a time. I’d have reservations about canoeing this water at this temperature. If you swamped, hypothermia is a real threat in moments. Still, I saw a young woman swimming in it.
Wednesday we got our earliest start of the week at 9AM. We met a lot of people that arrived on the Ranger the day before. We stopped close to Three Mile for lunch and then headed over to the Tobin Harbor trail to get to Rock Harbor. This trail was much easier than the segment on the Rock Harbor Trail to Three Mile. It is also very scenic with the islands in the harbor. But still no moose sightings. We got to Rock Harbor at about 3PM. I splurged the $6 for a shower. Yes $6 for 5 minutes of a very fine mist spray. 2 minutes of which are cold. I think I’d wait to take one until others have been using the showers and it might warm up faster. You have to buy a token for the showers so don’t think you have to carry a pack full of quarters around. I thought the beer and wine prices were very reasonable. I head back to the shelter and as I’m writing notes, here comes a moose. I make sure the kids with the family next to us get to set it. A great capper to an awesome week.
Thursday we packed up and hauled our gear to the dock. I finally weighed my pack. 43 pounds at the end of the trip. I’m sure I was pushing 60 at the start. But we ate really well. We did a final hike to Scoville Point which is stunning. The ride back was smooth. The surface was mirror like. I did not think Superior could ever be that calm. We got to Copper Harbor about 6:20. We stayed in Houghton and I checked out what has changed there and remained the same over the years.
Friday back to Chicago with wonderful stop and go toll way traffic at 4 PM. I miss the Island already.
The biggest lesson learned from the trip is to go lighter on pack weight. We saw solo hikers and they were much lighter than us. Also, I wouldn’t be apprehensive about hiking solo here. There are enough people even in June to help you out if needed particularly on the east side of the island.

Thanks for the great (and wonderfully photo-captioned) report on a triumphant first* trip! It's a great relief to hear that I'm not the only one who presses my backpack into service as an airbag.

*Surely you need to return with the entire Big Adventure Discussion And Sports Society!

Great report! Thanks for sharing it.

I love the Daisy Farm dock. It's the social center of the whole place, plus the swimming is pretty good. I know others think the whole campground is unpleasant, but the dock is lovely. I once got to hang out there and listen to a banjo that I swear someone had packed in -- you never know what you'll find.

Great trip report. You and torpified should rest well knowing that I too do the "reverse turtle" maneuver with my pack plenty often.

Thanks for the great report. I'm not quite Big Adventure Discussion And Sports Society material. I'm default leader of the Week-End Activities Kibbutz. I like to see a more - ah - human-scale trip report like this.

I thought if I read one more I-Got-My-Base-Weight-Down-To-Eleven-Ounces-Using-Spidersilk-and-Air report, or heard another Twenty-Three-Miles-Per-Day-is-A-Okay travelogue, I'd gouge my eyes out and cancel my trip.

Nice work, and thanks again.

DM, thanks for the kind words. There's nothing wrong with taking it slow or even struggling from time to time. We are ages 64 and 70. 4 miles a day baby! We have the freedom of no longer worrying about trying to be cool. When our group hiked the Grand Canyon we saw numerous Rim to Rim runners. One runner commented that next time he was doing what we were doing because he had no time to savor the experience. The mules passed us. We hiked on. (By the way, if you can hike Isle Royale, you could do the Grand Canyon)

Every inch of the island is scenic and special. I thought the most scenic portion was our last hike out to Scoville point and back. A very doable hike for many with or without gear.

A big adventure can be many things. As I've posted on this forum previously, it can be a trip to the big box store where your 4 year old can climb on all the lawn tractors, maybe ice cream afterwards. I think everyone that frequents this forum is a part of the Big Adventure Discussion And Sports Society.

Again, as Tom Petty put it,
"I need a big weekend. Kick up the dust.
Yeah a big weekend.
If you don't run, you rust."

or maybe as Arnold put it in Terminator Genesis
"Old but not obsolete"

TM

I like the way you think, TomM. We're taking it slow when we disembark from the Ranger in August.

DM,
Have a great trip. A couple two tree tings to relate if I may.
If you stay in Houghton the night before the trip, I recommend the Super 8. I've stayed there quite a few times in the last few years. A great deck out back with tables and chairs. You can bring your favorite liquid refreshments. But note there's an MTU alumni weekend 8/1-3. Also, new freshmen show up 8/25 with classes starting 9/3 so book soon for any location in town if you are near those dates.
I recommend taking a nice leisurely walk to the Ambassador for dinner then a slow back track to the Keweenaw Brewing Company and sample their wares on their back patio, followed by a short stop at the Douglass House. Hit the Suomi Bakery and Restaurant for breakfast before departure instead of the free hotel breakfast. It's worth it. I got there just after the Ranger crowd departed so note it could be busy. They also sell frozen pasties.
If you've been to Houghton before, then you know all this.
TM

Tom: Not been to Houghton before, and appreciate all the recommendations.
I looked for reviews for Houghton lodging on these forums, and ended up booking at Julie's Motor Inn. So, sadly, will be a bit outside walking distance for much of the in-town establishments. Thanks for the breakfast advice - most important meal of the day, and all that. No matter where we eat breakfast, I know where we're getting our pre-boarding coffee: Mrs. Moon loves her some Biggby Coffee. Which, a Google street-view discovery tells me, there's one within spitting distance from the dock. Hope it's still there.

Let me repeat and amplify the recommendation of Suomi for breakfast. It's where the locals eat, and it's fantastic. (Get the Pannukakku.)

The Biggby is still there as of May, but I also recommend 5th & Elm.

Suomi it is, then. Maybe with a Dramamine chaser, depending on the forecast.

Duffy Moon wrote: ↑Fri Jun 28, 2019 2:44 pm Suomi it is, then. Maybe with a Dramamine chaser, depending on the forecast.

Suomi Bakery & Restaurant is very good. Full disclosure, I used to work at the Suomi Restaurant as the janitor a few decades ago. But IMO the best pasties in town are now at Roy's, also in Houghton, right on the water, just a couple of hundred yards west of the lift bridge.

Got it, Ed. Suomi for breakfast, then Roy's Pasties to go! Sounds simple enough. That, plus Mrs. Moon's Biggby Coffee, and we should be set.