Isle Royale National Park
It's said that more people visit Yellowstone in a day than visit Isle Royale in an entire year. With all of the planning required for a trip to the island it's easy to see why those that do choose to visit Isle Royale stay for an average of 3 1/2 days -- 22 times longer than the 4 hours averaged at other National Parks.

Background
Planning for our trip began in January 2006. I spent countless hours reading through trip reports, message boards, and books on Isle Royale. I was lucky to stumble across a very active message board [forums.backpacker.com] where many members were frequent travelers to the island. Our trip took place in mid-August 2006, a date picked based more on black flies than work schedules. Our group of six had various skill levels, some had been on several extended length trips, others had only experienced car camping. The months of planning paid off and we were rewarded with an experience that will be remembered for a lifetime. I sometimes fear that no other destination will quite live up to the magic that is Isle Royale.

Itinerary

Day	Date	Route	Trail Mileage
Saturday	August 12th	Belleville -> Copper Harbor	--
Sunday	August 13th	Copper Harbor -> Rock Harbor	--
		Rock Harbor -> McCargoe Cove	--
Monday	August 14th	McCargoe Cove -> Hatchet Lake	10.5
Tuesday	August 15th	Hatchet Lake -> Chickenbone West	7.9
Wednesday	August 16th	Chickenbone West -> Moskey Basin	6.4
Thursday	August 17th	Moskey Basin -> Rock Harbor	11.0
Friday	August 18th	Rock Harbor -> Copper Harbor	--
Saturday	August 19th	Copper Harbor -> Belleville	--

Day 1 - Belleville to Copper Harbor

After seven long months spent drooling over gear reviews and trip reports, and spending a small fortune at REI, the start of our Isle Royale adventure had finally arrived.

Our group of six included my husband, his brother, my brother, and two friends from college. All male of course, I really need to work on finding a few female hiking companions.

The six of us piled into two cars and began the eleven hour drive to Copper Harbor. We enjoyed scenic views of Lake Michigan and later Lake Superior while we made our way through the Upper Peninsula. It had been years since I was last in the UP and I forgot how gorgeous the area is.

We arrived in Copper Harbor at dusk and were treated to a beautiful sunset on the top of Brockway Mountain. The weather on Brockway was easily 20 degrees cooler than it had been during our photo stop at the Mackinaw Bridge. We began to wonder if we had packed enough cold weather gear. We were all so concerned with lightweight breathable garments that most only had a light fleece along for warmth. Being a female and eternally cold I at least had along a wool shirt in addition to my fleece.

We stayed Saturday night at the King Copper Motel. Rates were cheap and you couldn't get any closer to the ferry dock. We were a bit surprised when we arrived and found a note saying that the key was in the room. Definitely not something that would happen back home. The rooms, although old, were clean and in reasonably good shape, for $85 I really wasn't expecting anything more.

Left: Lake Superior | Right: Isle Royale Queen IV

Day 2 - Ferry to Isle Royale, Water Taxi to McCargoe

We departed on the Isle Royale Queen IV around 8am and had a pretty uneventful voyage over to the island. During our trip the weather changed from overcast and bright to looking like it was going to pour at any minute.

We docked in Rock Harbor around 11:30 and listened to the standard Park Ranger greeting and safety talk. I found it interesting to learn that moose have a pretty short memory and if one ever appears ready to charge you just move behind a tree and out of view and they'll likely forget all about you and move on.

While the guys waited for our gear to be unloaded I went into the office to register our group. I asked about the weather report for the next few days and was told that it was supposed to rain off and on for the next 3 days. Apparently it hadn't rained in close to two weeks. I tried not to dwell on the idea of hiking and setting up camp in the rain.

I found the rest of my group outside the office weighing their packs at the scale. My pack was around 29 lbs, the boys weighed in between 40 - 45 lbs except my brother-in-law who topped the scales at 67 lbs! Weeks before we left we tried to talk him out of bringing half the stuff in his pack, and were only successful at removing 1 (of 2) bottle of maple syrup and a large bag of flour. The rest including pancake mix, clothesline (complete with clothespins), and a ton of extra clothing all made the trip.

Our next stop was the Rock Harbor Lodge where I had reserved a Water Taxi to take us over to McCargoe Cove. The taxi would help us to beat the crowds out of Rock Harbor and also enable us to see more of the island. Due to weather (the rain was now coming down pretty hard) the taxi was running behind so we were left with several hours to spend in the Rock Harbor area. After stowing our packs under an overhang we enjoyed a nice lunch at the Rock Harbor Lodge followed by a few short hikes around the harbor area.

The ride over to McCargoe took a little over an hour and was pretty choppy. Luckily I was sitting at the back of the boat over the engine so at least one part of me was warm.

We arrived at McCargoe to a full house and ended up taking Group Site #2 as all the other tent sites and shelters were taken. As it would later turn out, the group sites worked perfectly for the 6 of us and we were lucky enough to snag a group site most nights.

Setting up proved to be a muddy experience with the constant drizzle and we ended up rigging a slightly unstable sheltered cooking area over one of the picnic benches. After dinner we headed down to the community fire pit near the dock and got to meet a few of our fellow islanders.

Left: Water Taxi | Right: Dinner at McCargoe Cove

Day 3 - McCargoe Cove to Hatchet Lake

The next morning we woke to crystal clear skies the color of sapphires. It was even more of a treat after hearing the weather forecast from the ranger the previous day. We headed to the dock to fill our Nalgene and CamelBaks using our First Need water filter and took plenty of pictures.

Left: Clear Skies | Right: Filtering water

 

We started the 10.5 mile hike to Hatchet Lake around 10 and after a half hour came across the Minong Mine. There were some pretty substantial scrap rock piles and some decent caves and we also saw remnants of the mining era in the form of old rail tracks, tools, and mining equipment.

Cairn at Minong Mine

 

After leaving the mine area we began the ascent to the Minong Ridge. Once atop the ridge we were treated to stunning panoramic views of the island and Lake Superior. It was a brilliantly clear blue day and we were able to glimpse Canada in the distance.

45 minutes after leaving the ridge we came into a low swampy area. We were passing a marsh when my brother made the comment that this would be the perfect place to see a moose. Seconds after the words were out of his mouth I spotted a female moose munching in the swamp. I immediately stopped and whispered excitedly to the rest of the group and we spent 10 minutes snapping photos. About this time I was wishing for a better zoom lens.

Moose

 

We arrived at Todd Harbor campsite on the shores of Lake Superior around 5pm. When planning the trip I wasn't sure how much distance the group would be able to cover each day so I tried to make sure we always had alternate campsites on the route. We decided to push on from Todd Harbor but the dock area made a great stop for a late lunch.

Dock at Todd Harbor

 

The remaining hike to Hatchet was pretty steady and we were in the trees most of the time. Less than a mile outside of Hatchet the lake appeared through the trees and provided much needed motivation to reach our destination for the night.

We arrived just before 8 and managed to set up camp with barely enough sunlight left for a quick wash and a few loads of laundry.

The night spent at Hatchet was full of the sound of loons and other wildlife. This was the first time I'd heard loons in the wild and they really are unlike any animal I've heard before.

Day 4 - Hatchet Lake to Chickenbone West

The next morning I woke early, grabbed the camera and headed down to the shore to catch what promised to be a gorgeous sunrise. I made a quick cup of hot tea and enjoyed a stunning sunrise over Hatchet Lake.

Left: Sunrise over Hatchet Lake | Right: Laundry

 

I returned to camp and heard my brother-in-law talking excitedly. I went to investigate and learned that while visiting the outhouse a moose and her calf had walked right past the door. Thinking it was the rest of us pulling a prank he opened the door slightly to see what we were up to. Imagine his surprise when he saw the two moose walking by. He said they looked at him briefly then continued on their way. Never a camera when you need it!!

We got on the trail around 11 and began the 7.9 mile hike to West Chickenbone. We were all carrying full water as we knew this would be a dry day spent mostly on the Greenstone Ridge with little water available. The climb out of Hatchet up to the Greenstone Ridge was grueling to say the last. We stopped for a short break at the junction of the Hatchet Lake and Greenstone Ridge trails where I sucked down a pack of Chocolate GU Gel for much needed energy.

We passed through stunning birch forests and around 3pm we finally broke out of the trees and were treated to beautiful views of the island and Siskiwit Lake. The ridge was hot and dry and the sun was beating down relentlessly. We stopped atop a ridge with gorgeous views but our break didn't last long with the strong sun and little shade. One good thing did come from the hot sun; our damp laundry from last night finally had a chance to dry.

Left: Birch Forest | Right: Ridge Walking

 

We continued along the ridge at a slow pace constantly aware of how little water some had left and how hot the sun beating down on us was. Our group of six naturally broke into two smaller groups based on pace. Of course I fell right in the middle and had the choice of pushing myself to stay with the first group or walking at an unnaturally slow pace to stay with the second. Several times I found myself somewhere in between and usually ended up pushing myself hard until the first group was in site.

One of the guys in the second group ran out of water and started to get pretty flushed in the cheeks. We decided to lighten his load and redistribute some of his gear to our own packs. We also made sure he had plenty of water and refilled his Camelbak and Nalgene from what we had left in ours.

West Chickenbone was probably the least scenic of all the campsites we visited on Isle Royale. It's not to say that it wasn't nice compared to other places we've been, but more to point out that Isle Royale has some truly stunning campsites, especially those on Lake Superior. We stayed in one of the group sites towards the middle of camp, not too far from the water. Access to Chickenbone Lake was down a pretty steep hill but we made the trip several times to filter water. One of our group also discovered that the lake was home to some nice hungry leeches. Our campsite was also home to a hollow log full of active mice.

Left: West Chickenbone campsite | Right: Chickenbone Lake

Day 5 - Chickenbone West to Moskey Basin

We woke the next morning to the sound of a crazy squirrel flinging pine cones from the top of a tree.

We made the trek down to Chickenbone Lake one last time to filter water for the day. I noticed several twigs floating in my Nalgene full of freshly filtered water but didn't really give them a second thought.

Fully filled up with water we started the 6.5 mile hike to Moskey Basin. After the day we had yesterday we all agreed that a shorter hike was in order for the day. We followed the Indian Portage trail to Lake Richie and then the Lake Richie trail all the way to Moskey Basin. During the day we walked on several sections of planking and crossed at least one good sized stream where we stopped to filter water and grab a quick bite to eat. This is also where I discovered a large patch of ripe Thimbleberries. They were delicious. That day we stopped for lunch at the Lake Richie campsite.

Left: Thimbleberries | Right: Lake Richie

 

The first group arrived at Moskey Basin and managed to snag us the very last shelter at the campsite. This turned out to be everyone's favorite site of the entire trip. It felt like we had our own private beach. The basin is lined with shelters but the way the shore curves in and out means that almost all of the shelters and their beaches have complete privacy. We all took a much needed wash in the lake and did some laundry. We were glad to have arrived with enough time to enjoy relaxing at the campsite.

View of Moskey Basin from our shelter

 

While filtering water for dinner I discovered more sediment and twigs floating in the freshly filtered water. I decided to do a dye test on the filter by using a few drops of blue food coloring in a cup of water and passing it through the filter. The water came out bright blue. When I tested it at home before we left not a drop of blue coloring came through the filter. Somewhere between home and Chickenbone the filter must have become damaged. Luckily we had two other filters in the group so it didn't cause a problem. Also luckily, no one in the group seemed to suffer any ill effects from drinking the unfiltered water.

That night we were treated to some of the best nature calls of the entire trip. It started with a pack of wolves howling followed by the eerie sound of the startled loons. It went back and forth like that for what seemed like hours. We later learned from a group at Three Mile that the wolves had taken down a moose in our vicinity that night.

After dinner the boys lit up some cigars that they had packed in. I read until the light gave out and at dusk we enjoyed a show put on by the dragonflies feeding on the mosquitoes. It was the first time on the trip that we encountered biting insects and we considered ourselves lucky that the dragonflies were taking care of the pests for us.

Day 6 - Moskey Basin to Rock Harbor

We woke the next morning to a beautiful sunny sky over the basin. We left the campground around 9. We had two options for the day. We could hike the 8 miles to Three Mile campsite or push on and hike 11 miles to Rock Harbor. The added motivation of warm showers and "dinner on a plate" helped us push on to Rock Harbor.

We continued to hear the occasional howl during the first half of our day. My left knee also began to hurt this day, the only real ache I felt during the entire trip. When we arrived at Rock Harbor my knee was actually quite swollen but after a few days of rest it went back to normal.

This day was definitely the most rugged terrain that we encountered during the entire trip. There were no real steep climbs or descents, just a constant up and down over very rocky terrain.

We reached Daisy Farm around 11:30 and stopped for a quick rest and enjoyed a nice talk with two women who had come over in their boat from Minnesota.

Left: Rocky terrain | Right: Daisy Farm dock

 

After leaving Daisy Farm we enjoyed occasional views of Rock Harbor through the trees. This was another stretch where I fell in between the two groups and after racing along for what felt like an hour I finally decided I wasn't going to be able to catch-up with the first group so I sat down on a boardwalk and waited for the second group. While I was waiting two men walked by and mentioned that there was another group just on the other side of the boardwalk that had stopped for a break. I rushed across the boardwalk and caught them just as they were getting ready to move on.

Rock Harbor Trail

 

The second group caught up with us at the Siskowit Mine where we enjoyed a short rest. As we neared Mott Island home to the Park Headquarters the boat traffic picked up considerably. We saw the MV Sandy and several Coast Guard and Park Ranger vessels. When we reached Three Mile the dock area was packed with hikers enjoying an afternoon swim and we learned from a ranger that all sites at Three Mile were booked. Good thing we had decided to press on to Rock Harbor. He checked and told us that all the group sites in Rock Harbor appeared to be free.

We took the Rock Harbor trail out of Three Mile (as opposed to the Tobin Harbor trail) and it turned out to be a great decision. The scenery along the trail was some of the most spectacular of the entire trip. The trail hugged the Lake superior coast almost the entire way and offered spectacular views of rocky ledges dropping down to Lake Superior. In many places the trail was only feet from the shore. We arrived at Rock Harbor around 6 and found that there were many sites still left available in the campsite. We picked two sites that were close together just at the end of where the shelters were located. We quickly made ourselves presentable and treated ourselves to "dinner on a plate" at the Rock Harbor Lodge. The food was excellent and it was a nice change to enjoy fresh vegetables and salad and other food that didn't come from a foil pouch.

Along Rock Harbor Trail

 

After dinner we set up camp, gathered a few loads of laundry, and headed for the showers. The showers at Rock Harbor are coin operated and you get 5 minutes for a couple bucks worth of quarters. Before I put my tokens in the shower I made sure I had everything ready to go, shampoo opened, soap out, towel ready. I put in my token and took the fastest shower I've ever had. I managed to get everything done in the 5 minutes but was left with a soapy bandanna I didn't have time to rinse. I returned to camp and my brother-in-law was just bringing back a load of fresh laundry. It felt wonderful to slip into really clean (and completely dry) clothes for the first time in days.

We spent a few hours hanging around Rock Harbor, reading under the lights by the visitor's center, and laying on the dock in Tobin Harbor staring up at a million stars.

Day 7 - Ferry to Copper Harbor

The next morning we had breakfast at the snack shop inside the Rock Harbor Lodge. They actually have really good prices for burgers, breakfast sandwiches, etc. The ferry was scheduled to depart at 2:45 so we spent a few lazy hours lounging around Rock Harbor, reading, shopping, and enjoying our last day on the island.

Isle Royale Queen IV

 

They ferry departed on time and we were treated to yet another uneventful voyage. The water was a bit choppier than the trip over to the island but nothing too bad. We talked to a few folks on the boat who said the ferry that left the day after we arrived (Monday) had terrible weather and a lot of people were sick the entire ride over. I was glad we didn't get to experience that.

We pulled into Copper Harbor on time and were treated to a fine welcome from the staff at the Harbour Haus. It took a half hour or so for our gear to be unloaded and during that time we purchased a few gifts from the souvenir store and then piled into our two cars. We drove a few hours that night to Marquette and stayed at the Country Inns and Suites. The hotel appeared brand new and we got a great room for a pretty decent price.

Day 8 - Return to Belleville

The next morning was pretty overcast so the views weren't nearly as nice as the ride up. We stopped in Mackinaw City right across the bridge to get a few more souvenirs and treat ourselves to some pasties.

The rest of the drive home was pretty uneventful and of course we ran into construction and the last hour of our trip took closer to two.

Lake Superior