After thinking and doing research for about a year, I finally pulled the trigger and booked our tickets on the ferry. There are several options available for transportation to the biggest island (Isle Royale) on the biggest lake (Lake Superior). You can ride a ferry from Grand Portage, MN; Houghton, MI; or Copper Harbor, MI. You can also charter a sea plane or take your boat. After making lists, getting all the appropriate gear, and making arrangements we were finally all set to go. Note: If you are thinking of doing this, I highly recommend reading "Foot Trails and Water Routes" by Jim DuFresne.
We loaded up our packs and added an extra overnight bag for the night before in Copper Harbor, the ferry leaves early. We packed up the pup and dropped him off for a few days :( and hit the road. I think we both did a pretty good job packing light for the entirety of the trip. I won't go into details about gear, food etc. If you want to know more, let me know.
It was a four hour drive from Glidden to Copper Harbor, but it was a beautiful drive through the UP. I had never been to the Keweenaw before and after seeing it for just a few days, I know I will be going back. Once we arrived in Copper Harbor, we checked in to the King Copper and found food and beer (not in that order unfortunately). There was an awesome little microbrew, Brickside Brewery. They had great beer and a casual bluegrass quartet serenading its customers acoustically.. and barefoot which really added to the charm. I was even asked to dance by an older gentlemen ;) After enough beer, we needed to find some food before everything shut down. Well, our options were a bit limited due to the amount of fun we had at the brewery. Eventually, we found something and tried to get some sleep before embarking on our voyage.
I hardly slept. It was a combination of the bright light in the courtyard of the motel and my excitement. I had done plenty of hiking and camping, but never tried backpacking. The progression was natural and just seemed to make sense, right? I was nervous I had forgotten something, I was nervous we wouldn't be able to make the distance to our camp and get a site, I was nervous for this whole new adventure. I woke up well before my alarm and decided to get to it and take my last shower for the next 5 days. After we were both ready to go, we drove over to park the car in ferry parking. Then, we grabbed a coffee (for Nate), a hot cocoa (for me) and two thimbleberry scones! Mmm.. I love thimbleberries and couldn't wait to get more on the island. We snacked on our breakfast while watching the waves slam into the shoreline as the sun rose in the east. I decided I better take a Dramamine...
There were a lot more people than I thought there would be. The Captain explained that it was the centennial anniversary of the National Parks Service and more people were visiting the park this year. We stood in line to have our bags stowed up top and then hopped on the ferry. We sat with a couple who was only going out to the island for the day. Crazy! It is a 3.5 hr ferry ride and honestly, I don't think I would've gotten back on that boat. The waves were insane, or at least for Lake Superior. Thank goodness I took Dramamine. The boat was sick, literally almost everyone. One of the ferry line workers was handing out plastic shopping bags (barf bags). I stepped outside shortly after people began retching as the noise was less than pleasant. On my other boat experiences, it is recommended that you get to the outside and "feed the fishes". These people didn't even move from inside the cabin. I stayed outside. The entire ride was rocky and with the Dramamine I was able to fall asleep for most of it.
Finally, land was spotted. I watched it slowly come closer and closer. As we neared the dock it was time to enter the cabin to exit the ferry and boy did the entire cabin smell. All those people were holding their plastic shopping bags with vomit... ugh! Nice picture, I know. Be thankful you weren't there to smell it. Anyways, anyone backpacking got a little talk from the ranger and everyone else could walk to the resort. We met the ranger on the far side of the dock. He gave us a lesson on the Leave No Trace principles and we were set free to acquire our backcountry passes. I was second in line and gave the ranger our itinerary. You have to have a set plan so they know where to find you if you go missing ;)
Just as I secured my backcountry pass to my pack and went to the bathroom in a flusher toilet for the last time, it started to rain. The sprinkles didn't bother us one bit, excitement took over and away we went. Unfortunately, we were a little too excited and turned too early on not a trail. After returning to our starting point, we found the correct trail and moved our boots. That being said, a map is always good to have while hiking, I recommend National Geographic Isle Royale Map. It does come in handy.
We began on the Tobin Harbor Trail. Our endgame for day 1 was Lane Cove. It was a pretty easy trail to begin on. The trail was soft mud and fairly narrow. It was lined in beautiful pines draped in moss. There were shrubs and thimbleberries that lined the trail as well. There were SO many berries, you barely needed to stop to get one or two. Every now and then there would be some raspberries mixed in as well. As we walked, I was constantly on the lookout for MOOSE.
Side note- Science lesson! Isle Royale has the longest predator-prey relationship study documented between moose and wolves. Currently, the balance is off with only two wolves remaining and approximately 1400 moose. That is a lot of moose! For more info on the study check out this link. Naturally, you would think when the numbers are that high your chances of seeing a moose is pretty good.
We turned on to the Greenstone Trail from Tobin Harbor. On the rocky ridge, there was more elevation and blueberries. As we hiked higher up the trail, you could see more. The view over Rock Harbor was quite nice, even if it was raining harder. As we reached the junction of the Greenstone and Lane Cove Trails we took a break to soak in the beauty. After a water break, we descended onto the Lane Cove trail. This trail was marked moderately difficult. There were trees to climb under or over and more elevation in a short distance. I didn't think it was too bad. I do like to stop a lot and look around though.
The short Lane Cove trail had some beautiful birch groves and a beaver dam like I've never seen. As we crossed over a pond on a single board plank bridge, the water that the beavers had dammed up was at eye level. Incredible! Beaver are so important to wetlands ecosystems and are a keystone species. Most people find them a nuisance because they dam up water, alter its flow, and flood roads etc. but beavers do a lot of good for organisms living in wetlands and for humans too! Beavers create habitats (especially for threatened or endangered species in a wetland environment), recharge groundwater, decrease the risk of damaging floods, aid in decreasing erosion, provide food, help maintain streams, and the moose like to wallow in the water they dam up. I could go
Lane Cove, so peaceful and serene. We were welcomed to the area by the calling of loons. We quickly scurried to find a campsite and discovered they were all taken. We ended up sharing a campsite with two other couples and some men with three boys. We made it work and shared some nice conversation over some camp coffee and a sunset. It was nice to hear about their experiences and what they have seen already since being on the island. I slept pretty good that night, seven miles and not a good sleep before will do that. I did wake up to a wolf howl which I was very excited about. I woke Nate up to share my excitement, he wasn't as excited when I accidentally hit him in the head and explained "wolves" in a whisper. His response was less than enthused because "we can hear those at home". He had a good point, however I look at it as hearing 50-100% of the wolf population on the island.
The next morning, we awoke to a light pitter-patter on the tent. We decided to just get to it. It was our first full day on the island and we had 11 miles to cover. Next destination- Moskey Basin. I had done a lot of reading and really wanted to go here. It was recommended to us by the girl at Erehwon where we bought the map as well. Moskey Basin here we come! I changed into dry clothes, packed up and traveled out the way we came back up the Lane Cove Trail and onto the Greenstone. As we continued so did the rain.
I can do my best to describe the beauty, the quiet, the sacredness of this land but I don't think it will do it justice. As I was walking, always searching for moose, I was trying to take mental notes and pictures. Tall trees of many species that spiral up to the sky, rough ragged rocks hugged by lichens and mosses, muddy footprints ahead and behind and the occasional passerby with a smile. Even as we reached the lookout tower in driving rain, I even had a smile- well until I fell. I was determined not to stop going up to the tower, I kept pushing on. Step by step, I was doing just fine until all of a sudden I slipped and then rolled.. and rolled. I stopped after a few turns and just laid there for a minute reflecting on what had happened. My knee was throbbing pretty good and my pride was hurt a little. Nate came running over and helped me up. I limped up to the tower for some cover so I could inspect the damage.
I had read all about Mt. Franklin and how the views were supposed to be amazing. When we reached the top we couldn't see anything. It was raining sideways so we took a quick break- mostly so I could investigate my knee movement. It was all fine, except for the rip in my pants. Other than that I was good to go. With a smile we continued down the Mt. Ojibway Trail to Daisy Farm where we contemplated staying t here for the night while we ate lunch in a shelter. Ultimately, we decided it was only noon and we were already soaked so why not keep going. Some lunch fuel to power us up for the four miles or so left to Moskey was just what we needed. Little did Nate realize, he left his glasses in the shelter.
Approximately two miles down the Rock Harbor Trail toward Moskey Basin, Nate abruptly stops and pats his head and chest while quietly yelling "Oh, Nooooo, my glasses". Yep, forgot them in shelter- pouring rain- not going back now. We will check tomorrow on our way to Three Mile. The Rock Harbor Trail was not terribly challenging, however there were a lot of areas where you had to be careful of foot placement. The rocks are VERY slippery when wet, which I already experienced the hard way. I was more tentative and bit a slower on the last stretch with all the rocks to step over. I was constantly looking down to make sure that I was stepping good, but also looking for moose. I felt some of the clearings were perfect for moose, but the moose didn't think so. I did see moose poop so, maybe at some point!
We finally arrived at Moskey Basin early afternoon. All the shelters were full so we set up our tent in the rain under a tree. Then, we tried our best to wear some dry clothes and air out a bit. We sat in the tent, made come camp Irish coffee and some food while listening to the rain and watching slugs crawl all over the outside of the tent.
Eventually, there was a break in the rain! I was really hoping for a clear night to view the Perseid Meteor Shower or some aurora, but no such luck. During the break in the rain, we walked around Moskey and discovered an empty shelter. Man, were we lucky. We moved everything into the shelter and had an opportunity to dry it out- everything. We had the very first shelter with a private rock outcrop on Lake Superior. From the outcrop, the dock was in view with a ranger boat. We made our way down to the dock and saw one lone very fat otter making his way home for the night. We also met a nice couple from MN!
One of the raves about Moskey Basin is that the sunrises are memorable and some of the best people have ever experienced. I got up early for the sunrise, not early enough. I missed most of it, or perhaps it wasn't as stellar because of all the cloud cover. Either way, I still snapped a picture and went to pack up and hike to Three Mile (with a side stop at Daisy Farm to look for some spectacles). It wasn't raining for once and it was nice to take a bit of time to stop and look around for moose, gather berries, or just breathe in the fresh clean air.
As we arrived at Daisy, we looked at the map to try and figure out which shelter we lunched in the day before. After searching several shelters and talking to several people, we located the shelter and there the specs were right where Nate left them. Happy Nate (although his feet not terribly happy at this point) and I headed toward Three Mile for our last night on the island. We had roughly one more day to locate a moose and maybe even some sunshine. The Rock Harbor Trail led us to Three Mile. It hugged the shoreline and was a very easy hike. Views of the NPS headquarters on Mott Island and the Lighthouse were visible. Isle Royale used to be inhabited by miners and fisherman. There was even a school on the island at one point. The Rock Harbor Trail carries its travelers through some of these remnants.
We arrived at Three Mile quite early. We secured a camp site on Lake Superior (again) and set up on the picnic table to eat and relax awhile. Upon our arrival, the sun began to peak through the cloudiness of the day. It was nice to feel the sun and it definitely helped dry out our everything. We took a walk around the area and visit the dock where we met our friends from MN again and Nate took a dip. After some relaxing conversation, we went back to eat. Shortly after, our MN friend came to our site, "guys... MOOSE". We bolted. My shoes weren't even on. Sure enough... not one but two. I saw the calf first. The calf was in the water drinking out of Lake Superior. The cow was almost on the trail. I didn't see her at first, but eventually after looking in the right direction and listening to her chomping on vegetation I found her.
Three Mile is a pretty busy place to camp. It is very close to Rock Harbor, one of two drop off sites. People just arriving and people getting ready to leave the next day are frequent visitors of this location. I was surprised to see two moose right in the camp, but I'm not complaining. We must've watched them for about 20 minutes or so. Then, she started coming closer to the people. As she moved, everyone backed up. Well, not everyone. There was this kid- maybe 13 that decided instead of backing up like everyone else he was just going to stay sitting by a tree stump. Dumb idea. The moose was ridiculously close to him. I'm not sure if he moved or if the moose moved but I heard a stick snap and mama moose went running. Thankfully, she ran away from the 30+ people who were watching her on both sides. One of the things they tell you- never get between a mama and her baby (which you think would be common sense). The two stayed in the area for awhile but we went back to camp. I was happy, I saw my moose.
The next morning we got up fairly early, packed up camp and headed to Rock Island for our ferry ride home. We were doing good. Nate's feet were a little less happy however and he modified his shoes for the hike out. In fact, the shoes never made it home. They were a little too small and caused a few toe nails to go MIA.
On our hike out, we reached a rocky outcrop with a great view of Lake Superior and many little islands. Out came a red fox!!! He was so beautiful! Nate called him over and he came, obviously tame and used to people. Another hiker came up behind us, I pointed and he reached in his pack for what I hope was a camera. The fox must've thought it was food and went running over. When he pulled out nothing, the fox scampered a short distance and went to pout. He put his face on his paws just like Kobi does. I wanted to take him home. We left the fox and continued on our way. We were less than a mile away from Rock Harbor when the skies opened up and it rained harder than we had seen in weeks. We figured we were almost there, no need to stop and put on a rain fly... and it came down harder!
Wet, soaked to the bone, dripping even, we powered it into Rock Harbor. At this point it didn't even pay to step around the puddles. There were rivers going through my shoes... We arrived in Rock Harbor and went right to the laundry room. I stripped down to an acceptable amount of clothing left and rushed to get quarters. Best two dollars spent ever! We rung out socks, layers, jackets, etc. and threw them in the dryer. Within an hour, we had dry clothes to go home in :) In the mean time, we went to the little restaurant and indulged in many cups of hot beverages followed by a nice big burger!
We waited around for the ferry chatting with our MN friends, making new ones, and watching a chipmunk raid some unsuspecting hikers pack. I took more Dramamine for the ferry ride home and after a three hour nap we were back on land!
This is hands down one of the best, most challenging and most rewarding experiences ever. Being surrounded by nothing but trees, rocks, wildlife. Listening to loons all night long and not even worrying about not sleeping great. Watching waves lap up on the shore for hours. Drinking clean, clear, pure Lake Superior. Meeting other people who are fairly like minded and appreciate the same amazing things on this earth. Spending time with no cell phones, computers, wifi, anything. Hiking. all day. Breathing clean, fresh air. Everything smells better, tastes better, looks better, feels better. I recommend this 110% and I can't wait to do this again!
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