If you ever wanted to truly get in touch with nature, unplug (very minimal cell service unless you hike to the high ridges), have solitude and peace and quiet, Isle Royale is for you. From seeing the moose roam through the woods, to listening to the loons call, gazing at the stars (in the middle of the night), eagles soaring in the sky, looking at the beautiful wild flowers...these are all things that represent Isle Royale.
Isle Royale is an island about 45 miles long and 9 miles wide. There are approximately 400 smaller islands and islets which create long narrow channels and deep secure harbors. It is believed that Native Indians visited it in search of copper some 4,000 years ago. In the mid-1800s it was used as a base for independent commericial fishing. In the early 1900s it was used for vacations and recreational purposes. A number of steamers made it a port of call and in 1940 it was made a National Park. People come here to backpack/camp, canoe/kayak, motorboat/sail and there is also a lodge at Rock Harbor for those that just want to take in the beauty. There are several ferries that will bring you over from the mainland or you can come by seaplane.
We decided to forgo staying at anchor in the Apostles due to a rain delay (Sunday 6/27) and instead hiked the Brownstone trail when the rain cleared out in the afternoon.
Monday the lake was so amazingly calm (like a mirror calm), you might say it was superior! We headed straight for Isle Royale, 112 miles, and anchored in Washington Harbor near Windigo. We weaved our way around Isle Royale 10 nights, staying in Windigo, McCargoe Cove, Tobin Harbor and Chippewa Harbor for a total of 79 miles. The word harbor may make you think of a bustling area like NY Harbor or Buffalo Harbor. "Harbors" here refer to natural protected areas, (think cove or bay). We spent the days hiking, enjoying dinghy rides, talking to the rangers and hanging out in this natural beauty of an island.
If you ask what was the best part of these 11 days, I would have to say its a tie between seeing the moose and hearing the loons call. We were fortunate enough to see 7 moose total, a momma and her calf from our boat was the best or maybe it was the swimming bull or maybe it was just seeing them in the wild.
We spoke to several backpackers, many were hiking from one end of the Isle to the other over 6-8 days. They would hike anywhere from 7-13 miles each day, carrying a 40-50 lb backpack. I give them credit, we were good with 3-5 miles carrying our water and cameras. We did notice that the majority of the backpackers were younger then us, but there were a few hearty souls that were older. The park has great designated campgrounds with screened shelters or you can pitch a tent. The trails ranged from 1 mile to however long you want to walk, with many of the trails going to places of interest like caves, old mines, inland lakes and lookouts.
We were very fortunate with the weather, no rain, mostly light winds when we moved from anchorage to anchorage. The temperatures were a little cool most of the days (highs in the low to mid 60's, lows in the 40's) by the water and warmer when we hiked inland. We did enjoy a couple of days in the 80's. I think we remarked nightly how light it was at 10:30 pm (sunset was after 10 pm), it always felt as if we were going to bed before the stars came out.
We loved our time on Isle Royale and can totally understand why people come back year after year. Isle Royale is one of the least visited national parks in the U.S. (you need to come by boat or seaplane) and the most revisited. The people who have discovered it, keep coming back.
Great pictures!!
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