First trip to Isle Royale N.P.
Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 5:23 pm
Name: jerry
e-mail: jerome.pesch@sinclair.edu
Hometown: Dayton, Oh
Arr. date: 6-30-01
Dep. date: 7-1-01
Via: Grand Portage/Wenonah
Notes: In 2001 I retired at the end of March. A friend talked me into going around Lake Superior. We drove up from where we live in southwest Ohio. The first evening we camped at Wawa, Ont. A bear came thru the campgrounds and upset some trash cans. We decided to drive all the way to Grand Portage, Minnesota to camp the second evening at the Marina. Early the next morning (June 30) we asked if the Wenonah had space to take us out to the "King's Island". It was a nice trip out and the temperature was near 80 when we arrived at Windigo. Heard the ranger's orientation and I was made a part of the Q&A session. After getting our two day permit, we dropped our gear in a Washington Creek shelter and headed to the Minong Overlook determined to see a moose or two. We saw plenty of tracks or droppings along the trail, but no moose.
By mid afternoon we were back at our shelter. My friend said he was going to take a nap, but I saw some movement down the creek in some lilly pads. So I told him to get up and get his camera. There were two young males about one or two hundred feet down the creek from us. Do all that walking and they are right near our shelter, go figure. A few minutes later we heard some splashing from our right, heading downstream. The cow and it's calf stopped near our shelter. She could smell us, but not see us. Her ears told us she wasn't happy with us. The hair on the back of my head stood up. After what seemed like hours (I sure it was only 5 or 10 minutes) they moved downstream. The mother made a sound and the two guys ran up a hill and left the lilly pads to her and her little one. That's when I knew I liked Isle Royale.
A ranger warned us that we needed to keep an eye on any fox that we would see. One of those hanging around Washington Creek had a nickname of "Steely Dan". He chased another fox through a ranger's presentation about Loons that evening. A cold front came in over night. It never rained but the winds were strong and that was the coldest I think I've ever been in the summer (and I grew up in Minnesota).
The next morning we hiked out to the Feldtman Overlook and when the boat headed back to Grand Portage we were treated to 5-6 foot waves. Some folks had a problem, but luckily I was almost my usual self. I was ready to make another trip to Isle Royale when I reached Minnesota.
Jerry
e-mail: jerome.pesch@sinclair.edu
Hometown: Dayton, Oh
Arr. date: 6-30-01
Dep. date: 7-1-01
Via: Grand Portage/Wenonah
Notes: In 2001 I retired at the end of March. A friend talked me into going around Lake Superior. We drove up from where we live in southwest Ohio. The first evening we camped at Wawa, Ont. A bear came thru the campgrounds and upset some trash cans. We decided to drive all the way to Grand Portage, Minnesota to camp the second evening at the Marina. Early the next morning (June 30) we asked if the Wenonah had space to take us out to the "King's Island". It was a nice trip out and the temperature was near 80 when we arrived at Windigo. Heard the ranger's orientation and I was made a part of the Q&A session. After getting our two day permit, we dropped our gear in a Washington Creek shelter and headed to the Minong Overlook determined to see a moose or two. We saw plenty of tracks or droppings along the trail, but no moose.
By mid afternoon we were back at our shelter. My friend said he was going to take a nap, but I saw some movement down the creek in some lilly pads. So I told him to get up and get his camera. There were two young males about one or two hundred feet down the creek from us. Do all that walking and they are right near our shelter, go figure. A few minutes later we heard some splashing from our right, heading downstream. The cow and it's calf stopped near our shelter. She could smell us, but not see us. Her ears told us she wasn't happy with us. The hair on the back of my head stood up. After what seemed like hours (I sure it was only 5 or 10 minutes) they moved downstream. The mother made a sound and the two guys ran up a hill and left the lilly pads to her and her little one. That's when I knew I liked Isle Royale.
A ranger warned us that we needed to keep an eye on any fox that we would see. One of those hanging around Washington Creek had a nickname of "Steely Dan". He chased another fox through a ranger's presentation about Loons that evening. A cold front came in over night. It never rained but the winds were strong and that was the coldest I think I've ever been in the summer (and I grew up in Minnesota).
The next morning we hiked out to the Feldtman Overlook and when the boat headed back to Grand Portage we were treated to 5-6 foot waves. Some folks had a problem, but luckily I was almost my usual self. I was ready to make another trip to Isle Royale when I reached Minnesota.
Jerry