Isle Royale Forums

I have this sinking feeling that transportation to the Island will be a roll of the dice come May.

I hope we can go hiking and or camping this summer.

I think that being spread out over the least visited national park is an excellent social distancing strategy.

Yes, if you can get there in a private boat. Public ferry or seaplane are both close-distance contacts

Getting to to IR is the issue. If you have to fly there forget it and then lodging night before if not camping then what ever ferry you take. Not gonna happen. Then comes the biggest issue. All the folks that work for the NPS and concessionaire. WE and I use that term loosely can not expect them to work even though lots and lots of people have to. I am retired so I am lucky in that respect, but am over 65 so not so lucky. My guess is the parks will get shut down. I think it is the right path to take until or when this pandemic is under control. Its a brave new world.

The park page has addressed it and says this:

Impact on Isle Royale National Park Summer 2020 Island Visitation
At this time, Isle Royale is moving forward with full Summer 2020 Island visitation operations

That and much more info here.
https://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

Still wonder how they would run ferries to the island under the current CDC guidelines.

Fingers crossed, restrictions will ease up in 8-12 weeks. We'll see.

Just made backup reservations at Voyageurs for June under the theory that since that doesn't require public transportation, or any interactions for that matter, that they would be the last to close. Still assumes it's OK for me to drive up from NC and share a tent with my bro...

I’m not that optimistic about May, but hoping for August. Several national parks have announced “closed until further notice”. Yosemite was one, can’t remember the other one I saw.

Ingo wrote: ↑Sun Mar 22, 2020 1:35 pm Just made backup reservations at Voyageurs for June under the theory that since that doesn't require public transportation, or any interactions for that matter, that they would be the last to close. Still assumes it's OK for me to drive up from NC and share a tent with my bro...

Ingo , I understand that Voyageurs is pretty remote and you certainly would be practicing social distancing while there, but you need to get there, gas, food, people and god forbid what happens if you get sick deep in wilderness or get hurt and need help? Not a tough call......

chief54 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 23, 2020 6:43 am

Ingo wrote: ↑Sun Mar 22, 2020 1:35 pm Just made backup reservations at Voyageurs for June under the theory that since that doesn't require public transportation, or any interactions for that matter, that they would be the last to close. Still assumes it's OK for me to drive up from NC and share a tent with my bro...

Ingo , I understand that Voyageurs is pretty remote and you certainly would be practicing social distancing while there, but you need to get there, gas, food, people and god forbid what happens if you get sick deep in wilderness or get hurt and need help? Not a tough call......

Yep, won't do anything that's irresponsible. As someone who studied a little epidemiology and such back in the day, I'm not terribly optimistic, but just keeping options open for what hope I do have.

Ingo, I hear you and totally understand. At this point I am not very optimistic either, We all need to come together on this and it does not look like that is happening,

I reluctantly cancelled our plans for May. Even if this comes to an end in April, work is complete chaos right now and there's no way I could be unreachable for any length of time. It will take months before we can get things back to "normal", whatever that may be after this. We're discussing the status of a week long paddling trip on the Upper Missouri in September and thinking it might not work either.

The advantage to the Upper Missouri is that you can drive there in your own vehicles and stay isolated to just your immediate companions. For Isle Royale, you can’t avoid the other visitors and staff of the transport mode, unless you have your own boat. If the pandemic has lessened, and your concern is being out of cell phone coverage, yup that’s a problem either place.

Bobcat1 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 25, 2020 7:50 pm The advantage to the Upper Missouri is that you can drive there in your own vehicles and stay isolated to just your immediate companions. For Isle Royale, you can’t avoid the other visitors and staff of the transport mode, unless you have your own boat. If the pandemic has lessened, and your concern is being out of cell phone coverage, yup that’s a problem either place.

Once again a good idea to stay isolated but you still have to get there. You can not stay isolated unless you can get there and back on a tank of gas. Then do not get hurt, sick, lost.