 INTRODUCTION A trip to Isle Royale can be one of the best times of your life. HOWEVER, every year, people make decisions that contribute to them having some unpleasant experiences while on Isle Royale. I have personally made decisions which caused me to have some unpleasant times. And, I have witnessed other people who were having a less-than-wonderful time on Isle Royale (as a result of decisions that they had made). Here, in no particular order, are some ways to have an UNPLEASANT Isle Royale trip. 1. Fail to Research and Properly Plan It is important to research and plan for your Isle Royale trip--so that you will know what to expect. Isle Royale IS A U.S. NATIONAL PARK LOCATED ON AN ISLAND IN LAKE SUPERIOR AND THERE ARE MANY RULES AND REGULATIONS WHICH YOU MUST FOLLOW. You are not allowed to bring your motorized vehicles (or use wheeled devices) on Isle Royale. You can't bring any pets or animals with you (except for some actual SERVICE dogs--under VERY specific conditions and only if following strict rules). There is no bridge to the Island. The ferry boats (and seaplanes) DO NOT transport motor vehicles, RVs, and/or campers. You need to reserve your transportation to/from the Island in advance (oftentimes many months in advance). The National Park is open only in certain months of the year. The Lodge and cabins are often booked months (or sometimes, over a year) in advance. If you are a backpacker, camper, or paddler--many of the campgrounds have consecutive night stay limits. Campfires are prohibited at most of the campgrounds. All water in the backcountry needs to be filtered or boiled. THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE MANY RULES, REGULATIONS, AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR ISLE ROYALE. Therefore, you need to do your research and plan for these sort of things--or you may encounter some unpleasant surprises. I have personally encountered people who thought that they could drive to the Island (via some non-existent bridge) or who thought that the ferry boat would transport their car or RV to the Island. I have seen people show up at the dock expecting to bring their dog or cat with them. There are people who are totally unaware that the ferries (and seaplanes) require advance reservations and that they run on very limited schedules. Thus, these people show up (with no reservations) and truly believe that the next ferry (or seaplane) will show up in 15-30 minutes to take them to the Island. I have seen various individuals who (prior to the welcome lecture when they arrived on the Island) were totally unaware that you must filter or boil all drinking water in the backcountry (or that campfires are prohibited at most Isle Royale campgrounds). Thus, they found themselves having to try to buy water filters, more fuel, or camping stoves at the Rock Harbor or Windigo stores. (Which may--or may not--have had the items available for purchase). I have met people that were totally unaware that most Isle Royale campgrounds have consecutive night stay limits (such as only one consecutive night at Rock Harbor Campground). Thus, they show up with heavy and bulky gear--expecting to stay several consecutive nights at the Rock Harbor campground--only to learn that they will have to hike a minimum of 3-7 miles the next day--in order to get to a different campground. BOTTOM LINE: It is important to research and plan for your Isle Royale trip--unless you wish to encounter some very unpleasant surprises. Visit the official Isle Royale website (CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK) or read the Park newspaper --"The Greenstone"--(which is available on the official Isle Royale website). I also have links to much of this information (and much more) on my Isle Royale website -- THE ISLE ROYALE GUY. (Click here for a link) 2. Bring Too Much Stuff (and/or Stuff That Is Too Heavy) Bringing too much stuff--or bringing things which are too heavy --can negatively impact your Isle Royale trip. This is particularly true if you are backpacking on Isle Royale. However, to a lesser extent, bringing too much stuff (or stuff that is too heavy) can also negatively impact paddlers, boaters, and/or people staying in the Lodge, cottages, or cabins. Probably the most miserable and hurting person (that I have ever encountered on Isle Royale) was a man who had a full backpack that probably weighed 50-60 pounds. He had many items tied to the outside of his pack (and much of it was fairly loose and bouncing around as he hiked--negatively impacting his stride and his balance). He carried a big (and heavy) case for his camera and camera equipment in his one hand. He had a (full) 1-2 gallon plastic water container in his other hand. That is how he was hiking down the trail. I think that he was on Day #4 or Day #5 of doing this when I encountered him on the trail. He was absolutely miserable, exhausted, and experiencing some discomfort--and he freely admitted it. He vowed to never come back to Isle Royale ever again. I have seen adult males -- in their late teens and early 20s (who were probably football players and in somewhat decent physical condition) who were struggling on their hikes (and adjusting their route) --because their backpacks and pack contents were too heavy. I have seen small persons--who were carrying loads that were too heavy in proportion to their small body size--and they were hurting with nearly every step that they took. If you are backpacking on Isle Royale, the weight and size of your full load can make a difference between having a pleasant hike and a miserable hike. If you are a paddler, there is a good chance that you will (at some point) have to make a portage or you will have to haul your gear up a hill from the shoreline to your campsite. Having a fully-packed load that is too much and/or too heavy might very well determine whether you will need to utilize one "trip" or two "trips" in order to portage all of your stuff (or to carry it all to your campsite). Imagine, for a moment, a portage that is one mile long. If you can carry everything in one "trip"--you will need to walk just one mile to complete the portage. However, if you need to make two "trips" to complete the portage--you will hike one mile with the first heavy load. You will then walk back one mile --probably carrying no load (or just some water). Then, you will pick up your second heavy load and hike the same one mile portage again. That's a total of THREE miles. That might not seem like very much when you are sitting at your computer planning your trip. However, I suspect that you will feel very differently when you are actually carrying those heavy loads up and over the Greenstone Ridge a couple of times. 3. Neglect Adequate Hydration The failure to stay adequately hydrated can lead to many challenges and problems on Isle Royale. Dehydration can contribute to things like heat stroke and heat exhaustion (which are often called "heat injuries"). A lack of hydration can lead to stomach and muscle cramping, headaches, confusion, disorientation, and blurred vision. A failure to stay properly hydrated can impact your energy levels, your balance, blood pressure, cardiovascular functioning ... and so much more. Thus, maintaining adequate hydration during your Isle Royale trip is EXTREMELY important. This is true--even if you are just stayng at the Lodge or at a cottage or cabin. I know that this next statement may be very difficult for some people to believe--because water seems to be "everywhere" on Isle Royale. HOWEVER, finding and accessing water to drink can be very challenging on Isle Royale. On a map (and sometimes in real life) it may seem that a water source is so close to the trail. However, oftentimes, it will be very difficult to actually access that water. It may be located at the bottom of a steep hill or cliff and very thick ground cover (and the cliff) may hinder your ability to access that water. A creek may only flow periodically--or it might have been dammed by beavers far away from the trail and not be flowing. You may encounter water at a bog, swamp, or beaver pond--but the water will be too nasty smelling and too nasty tasting to drink--no mater how much you filter it and treat it. The safest policy is to ONLY PLAN ON BEING ABLE TO GET WATER AT OFFICIAL CAMPGROUNDS. The fact that water is difficult to access also means that you will probably need to carry more water with you. In my opinion, two liters/quarts of water would be a bare minimum to leave camp with in the morning--and many people will feel that they want/need to have 3-4 quarts of water when they depart camp. How much water to carry is a very personal decision and water is "heavy" (2.2 lbs. per liter). However, I would much rather have water (and not need it) than need water (and not have it). I also make sure to drink a full liter of water before I leave camp in the morning and to drink water routinely throughout the day. If you want to be miserable (and maybe even have life-threatening problems) while on Isle Royale -- fail to stay properly hydrated. 4. Fail to be Properly Prepared Failing to be properly prepared covers a wide range of issues. Allow me to put some of them in a list format:
BOTTOM LINE: Be prepared --- BEFORE you come to Isle Royale --- unless you want to risk having a miserable time while on Isle Royale! 5. Try to Do Too Much During Your Trip Another way to be miserable on Isle Royale is by trying to do too much during your trip. Many people try to cover too much distance while backpacking, hiking, boating and paddling. (See my blog post from last week for more on this topic). Many people make their schedule so full---that they can really encounter significant problems if they experience delayed transportation to the Island, bad weather, Illness, or injury. A few years ago, I encountered a group of co-ed youth and their adult leaders. They had covered nearly 50 miles by noon on their third day. They were exhausted---and taking a meal break and brief rest at a campground. Yet, their key leader wanted them to hike nearly seven more miles before sundown. Some of these kids were just 11 to 14 years old and were far from their mature body size. Some were carrying packs that weighed over a third (and nearly half) of their body weight. They were tired and miserable. Paddlers and lodge/cabin visitors (and even "day trippers") can similarly push themselves too hard to do too much ... in too brief of time. If you want to see more of Isle Royale and if you want to do more things while on Isle Royale--then plan to be on Isle Royale for more days--or spread things out over 2-3 trips. Being exhausted, sore, injured, and feeling rushed is probably not an ideal way to experience Isle Royale. As the old saying goes-- "Take time to stop and smell the roses". 6. Try to "Live Off of the Land" Periodically, I have encountered hungry persons (or other people have encountered hungry persons) who INTENTIONALLY brought very little (or NO) food with them to Isle Royale--because they planned to "travel light" and to "live off of the land" by eating berries and catching fish from shore. (Some people even planned on killing or trapping mammals--like moose and beaver. Please note: Killing anything other than fish is very illegal on Isle Royale and your chances of being successful is also not very likely). You cannot 100% count on catching enough fish to sustain you (especially if fishing from shore). Berries are not available during much of the summer. Thus, these "live off the land" types can sometimes get pretty hungry...especially if they don't have a watercraft to help them fish away from shore. Fortunately, some people usually find a way to pull together enough "extra" food to feed the hungry folks a meal--but that is just ONE meal. Please, please please -- bring enough food with you for your entire trip--and consider it a "bonus" if you acquire enough fish and berries to sustain you. 7. Leave Things Out and Unattended Foxes, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, and some birds (such as gray jays)--love to take advantage of people who leave things unattended on Isle Royale. You also ought to keep food and "smellables" sealed, "double bagged" --and buried deep in your pack (and then keep the pack inside of your closed tent or shelter). It literally takes only a few seconds for these critters to steal your food and gear. I was once camping near a guy (I think at Hatchet Lake) who took his trail runners off and switched to flip-flops while his dinner simmered 20-30 feet away. He got up to check his food--and a fox ran through camp and stole one of his unattended trail runners. I actually saw the fox run through camp and take it. The man never got his trail runner back. Thus, he finished his cross-island hike in flip-flops. I have seen people cooking at a picnic table at a shelter--and they stepped inside for a moment to get something. During that brief absence -- a jay or a squirrel or chipmunk will enter the scene and eat some of the food or steal it. They might run off with a lightweight spoon or other small object. It takes just a moment (and/or a turned back) for stuff to disappear. One person ate half of a granola bar or energy bar. They folded the wrapper over the top of it--and put it in an outside pocket of their backpack. They left their pack unattended while they did other things. A critter chewed through the outside backpack pocket to get to the open food. Another person left an open bag of trail mix in their zipped tent--and went away for a day hike. When they came back, a critter had chewed their way into the tent and helped themself to an open bag trail mix. Keep food sealed, double-bagged, buried in your pack, and inside of a closed tent or shelter. If you want to potentially lose things and be miserable--leave things unattended. 8. Do "Stupid Stuff" and Take Needless Risks Space limitations do not permit me to list all of the "stupid stuff" that I have seen people do on Isle Royale (and some of it was done by me). People do things like attach hammocks to dead trees, place tents under big dead branches (on a windy day), dive into shallow water, taunt and irritate animals, do risky things with fire and fuel, fail to filter or boil water before drinking it, hike on exposed ridges during lightening storms, get into wrestling matches in rocky areas, hike and/or use watercraft while very drunk or very high, do risky things with knives, hatchets, or saws. Some people go boating, paddling, and/or hiking beyond the limits of their equipment and beyond their own skill and experience levels. The list could go on and on. If you want to potentially have a miserable Isle Royale trip, do "stupid stuff" and take needless risks. CONCLUSION A trip to Isle Royale can be one of the greatest experiences in a person's life. However, making poor decisions has the potential to turn a great trip into a miserable (and sometimes dangerous) experience. Try to make good decisions and take steps to reduce your risks. Happy trails and wonderful waterways!
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 I could pay for one or two trips to Isle Royale, if I had a dollar for every instance that a first time Isle Royale hiker said "it took me longer than I expected to hike to (fill in the blank)". That doesn't necessarily mean that Isle Royale trails are "difficult". It means that (for many people) their hiking pace is slower on Isle Royale than in other locations. Thus, when you are planning an Isle Royale backpacking or hiking trip, it is important to anticipate having a much slower hiking pace than originally planned ... and to adjust things (like your schedule and water supply) accordingly. SURVEY RESULTS In a 2021 survey of past Isle Royale visitors, conducted by Liz Dengate, 61% of the respondents reported that they covered under 2 miles per hour during their Isle Royale hikes (with 57% of the respondents reporting that they covered between 1 and 2 miles per hour). Another 29.5% said that they covered 2 to 3 miles per hour. There were just 8.5 percent of the respondents who reported covering over 3 miles per hour while on Isle Royale. WHY ARE THE TRAILS SLOW? Take a look at these photos of Isle Royale trails.... (You can click to enlarge the photos) Let me be clear, not all sections of all Isle Royale trails look like the places shown in these photos. HOWEVER, there are enough segments of trail that DO look something like what is depicted in these photos. It is sections of trail (like the sections in the photos) which will slow down your hiking pace. These segments of trail are not necessarily difficult. Yet, it is nearly impossible to hike through such sections very quickly.
Imagine hiking through areas (such as these) during a rainstorm or when these surfaces are wet. Wet conditions will usually slow down your pace even more. EYEGLASSES It has been my personal experience, that wearing eyeglasses (especially bifocals, trifocals, and other multi-focal lenses -- and/or wearing eyeglasses with prisms) will oftentimes slow down your hiking pace. It is one thing to walk on a smooth sidewalk (and/or walk on a level trail) while wearing bifocals or prisms. It is a totally different thing to try to hike quickly (across trails like those in the photos) while wearing bifocals, trifocals, progressive lenses, or lenses with prisms. When you wear eyeglasses, you tend to spend quite a bit more time looking down at your feet and down at the trail -- making certain where you will place each footstep. As you examine just a SINGLE FOOTSTEP, you might not even notice that you are looking down at your feet and hiking more slowly. However, over a period of many miles (or many hours)--and after taking tens of thousands of slightly slower footsteps-- the CUMULATIVE EFFECT of taking slightly slower steps begins to become very apparent. Eyeglasses can slow your pace. TREKKING POLES AND WALKING STICKS Using trekking poles (or a hiking stick) --or using no poles or sticks--is a very personal and individualized decision. However, I invite you to look at the above photos once again. I think most people can see the value of having trekking poles or a hiking stick (to help you maintain your balance) on the uneven terrain that is shown in the photos. THE TRAILS ARE PROBABLY LONGER THAN YOUR MAP SAYS Many people report that they believe the distances on the maps (and on mileage charts) are not accurate. We don't know if this is true or not. However, many people report that their GPS devices often report longer distances than are stated on the map. You will hear similar reports from people wearing pedometers or from experienced hikers who are timing their pace or using a pace count. It is entirely possible that the trail you THINK is 10 miles long--might be closer to 12 miles long. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS FOR YOUR HIKE
There are many reasons why you might experience delays on your Isle Royale trip. Thus, when planning your trip, you really ought to include a day (or two) in your schedule where nothing is planned--in case you need that day in order to address a delay.
 A large number of Isle Royale visitors will come to the Island and follow the same 3-4 variations of the same 2-3 basic itineraries and see the same 4-6 locations.
Some people will come as hikers and see Rock Harbor, Three Mile, Daisy Farm, Lane Cove, and/or Moskey Basin. A few might add McCargoe Cove into the mix. Other people will stay at the Rock Harbor Lodge (or the Rock Harbor housekeeping cottages) and do day hikes and short boat rides in the greater Rock Harbor area. There is nothing "wrong" with these itineraries. However, there is a whole lot more of Isle Royale to see! I would invite you to "think outside the box" and experience more of what Isle Royale has to offer! SOME INITIAL IDEAS For starters, I would invite "hikers" and "paddlers" to view Rock Harbor as being MORE than just a place to arrive and/or depart--and more than just a place to grab a cooked meal and a beverage. At Rock Harbor, you can hike the Stoll Trail out to Scoville Point and back. You can rent a canoe, a kayak, or a small motorized boat and explore the greater Rock Harbor area via water. (Learn more about the canoe, kayak, and boat rentals here.) There are also actual boat tours (on "The Sandy") to places like Lookout Louise, the Edisen Fishery, Rock Harbor Lighthouse, the summer headquarters of the Wolf and Moose Project, Raspberry Island, and/or Passage Island. Learn more about the sightseeing tours here. Here is a link to a pdf file "The Rock Harbor Area Guide". Heck, you can maybe even start or end your hiking trip (or paddling trip) with a night or two at the Rock Harbor Lodge or the housekeeping cottages --if there is space available. Think outside of the box! Far too often, people arrive at Rock Harbor and they immediately hit the trail (or the waterways). What if, at the beginning of your trip, you intentionally planned on spending the first night (and maybe even part of the next day) at Rock Harbor--and explored all that Rock Harbor has to offer? At the end of your trip, what if you spent the next-to-last night at Three Mile Campground--got up early in the morning--and arrived at Rock Harbor very early in the day--and spent the full day (and your last night) enjoying the Rock Harbor area? Think outside of the box! For the guests of the Rock Harbor Lodge and/or the housekeeping cottages (who are physically able and have the equipment and skills), imagine if you planned your trip in such a way that you could spend a night or two (at the beginning or end of your trip) hiking and camping at some of the campgrounds --or paddling to a destination-- and camping overnight at a campground? What if, instead of (or in addition to) staying at Rock Harbor, you spent a night or two at the more rustic Windigo camper cabins? Change can sometimes be good! Think outside of the box! One more point: Hikers should consider a paddling trip and paddlers should consider a hiking trip. Think outside of the box! CREATIVE USE OF WATER TRANSPORTATION Many hikers and paddlers will arrive at (and possibly also depart from) Rock Harbor and visit the same 4-6 campgrounds during their trips. Other people will choose to start at Windigo and follow some fairly predictable routes. Nothing says that a hike (or a paddling trip) HAS to start (or end) at Rock Harbor or Windigo. There are other options. WATER TAXIS: Weather and space permitting, there are water taxis out of Rock Harbor that can take you to various other places to start your hiking or paddling trip. YOU NEED TO RESERVE WATER TAXIS IN ADVANCE! Visit the water taxi page by clicking this link: (Water Taxi Link) THE VOYAGER II is a boat from Grand Portage, MN. You need advance reservations and some dates fill up fast! The Voyager II travels from Grand Portage to Windigo. Then, it departs from Windigo and travels to Rock Harbor. Between Windigo and Rock Harbor it will also stop at McCargoe Cove and/or Belle Isle--if someone has advance reservations to be dropped off or picked up at one of those two places. The Voyager spends the night in Rock Harbor. The next morning, it leaves Rock Harbor for Windigo (and back to Grand Portage). Again, if there are advance reservations for drop off or pick up, the Voyager II will stop at Daisy Farm, Chippewa Harbor, and/or Malone Bay. Why not use the Voyager to start/end your hiking or paddling at someplace OTHER THAN Windigo or Rock Harbor? The Voyager II will also drop off resupply packages at each of the stops that I have mentioned. The Voyager II website is here. (Grand Portage Isle Royale Transportation Line) BOTTOM LINE: Your hiking or paddling trip doesn't have to start/end at just Rock Harbor or Windigo! Think outside of the box and explore using the water taxis or the Voyager II to start/end your trip at places OTHER THAN Windigo and Rock Harbor. (Note: It is always wise to have a "Plan B" --in case the weather keeps the water taxis and/or Voyager from traveling). CREATIVE HIKING AND PADDLING ITINERARIES Many people stick to fairly common and pretty predictable routes. Think outside the box! Whether you are on the trails or on the water--consider mixing and matching the standard routes and creating a route of your own. (I will use some hiking examples). GREENSTONE RIDGE ALTERNATIVES: Many people will get on the Greenstone Ridge Trail (at either Rock Harbor or Windigo) and hike fairly directly to the other end of the island using primarily just the Greenstone Ridge Trail. What if you took a longer and more INDIRECT route across the Island? What if (between Windigo and the Island Mine Junction) --you you added a couple days and hiked the majority of the Feldtmann Loop instead of hiking directly between the Island Mine Junction and Windigo via the Greenstone Ridge Trail? What if (instead of hiking a direct route on the Greenstone Ridge Trail (between Chickenbone Lake and Hatchet Lake) --you took a couple day "detour" that passed through McCargoe Cove and Todd Harbor (using the Minong Ridge Trail for part of that detour)? Both at Hatchet Lake and at Chickebone Lake there are trails that connect the Greenstone Ridge Trail and the Minong Ridge Trail. Why not use them? What if, you left the Greenstone Ridge Trail for a day or two and dropped down to stay at places like Malone Bay, Chippewa Harbor, Moskey Basin and/or Lake Richie? NOTE: Between Lake Richie and Rock Harbor, you can hike that entire section relatively close to Lake Superior and entirely avoid the Greenstone Ridge Trail between Lake Chickenbone and Rock Harbor. My absolute favorite route across the Island is a long one. Where I choose to stay each night varies--but the actual route goes like this: Windigo to Feldtmann Lake (with a sunset side hike to Rainbow Cove)--Feldtmann Lake to Siskiwit Bay to Island Mine--to South Lake Desor to Hatchet Lake to Todd Harbor to McCargoe Cove. Then, from McCargoe Cove to Rock Harbor, I hike either via Lane Cove or Moskey Basin or Daisy Farm and/or Three Mile. There are many possible route choices between Rock Harbor and McCargoe Cove. The Bottom Line: If you choose to hike across the Island, there are many creative routes--which do not require you to confine yourself exclusively to the Greenstone Ridge Trail (or solely on the Minong Ridge Trail). Think outside of the box! STAY ON ONE SIDE OF THE ISLAND: You can also design creative "loops" that will keep your entire hike on either the Windigo half (or on the Rock Harbor half) of the Island. Some of the best Isle Royale hikes DO NOT involve crossing the Island. On the Windigo end of the Island, I like hiking the Feldtmann Loop Trail. An added bonus to hiking the Fedltmann Loop is to also hike the Huginnin Loop as an overnight hike or as a day hike. On the Rock Harbor end of the Island, there are many great loops (especially if you want to hike one or two big mileage days). My biggest loop on that side of the Island takes me from Rock Harbor to Lane Cove to McCargoe Cove (passing through Mt. Franklin and Mt. Ojibway). Then McCargoe Cove to Todd Harbor to Hatchet Lake to West Chickenbone to Lake Richie to Chippewa Harbor to Moskey Basin to Daisy Farm to Three Mile and back to Rock Harbor. A shorter variation of this route is to skip Todd Harbor, Hatchet Lake and Chippewa Harbor and go from McCargoe Cove (through West Chickenbone) to Moskey Basin and back to Rock Harbor via Moskey Basin, Daisy Farm, and Three Mile). CONCLUSION: Four big things to remember: 1. There is much more to Isle Royale than is to be found in a 10 mile circle near Rock Harbor. 2. The Rock Harbor area DOES offer much to see and do. Hikers and paddlers should spend more time exploring all that the greater Rock Harbor area has to offer. Rock Harbor is more than just a place to spend a few hours at the beginning and end of your trip. 3. You don't have to begin (and end) your hiking or paddling ONLY at Rock Harbor or Windigo. You can use water taxis and the Voyager II in very creative ways to increase your potential beginning and ending points. 3. Whether on the trail --or on the waterways-- you have COUNTLESS OPTIONS beyond the 3-4 options that most people choose to use. 4. You can always reach out to me via Facebook private messaging or via email ([email protected]) to ask me for some FREE route advice. Remember, I am not an expert. I am just a guy who has been to Isle Royale quite a few times. Think outside of the box! |
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Jon Prain ("The Isle Royale Guy") has made 18 trips to Isle Royale. He shares his insights and opinions in this blog. Archives
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