Minong Ridge Trail: It's Not For Everyone

1/17/2023

Every year, there are people who need to be rescued on the Minong Ridge Trail (MRT). Perhaps they become injured in a fall. Dehydration can sometimes be their major issue. They might become lost. There are many reasons why people might need to be rescued on the Minong Ridge Trail. And, because of it's remoteness, it might be very difficult for someone on the Minong Ridge Trail to reach out to anyone for help. Once help is contacted, it may still take that help many hours (or a day or longer) to reach you. That is why people should exercise extreme caution before hiking the Minong Ridge Trail.

Do the number of rescues seem to indicate that the Minong Ridge Trail (MRT) is a difficult trail? Perhaps. However, I think it also shows that (far too often) the "wrong" people are hiking the Minong Ridge Trail and/or they are not coming properly prepared (and properly equipped) for the special challenges that the Minong Ridge Trail presents. Personally, I have hiked many trails that are more "difficult" than the MRT.

WHAT IS THE TRAIL LIKE?
The MRT (especially between Windigo and Todd Harbor) IS NOT like some fairly easy trail at your typical State or County park. Frankly, the MRT is also not as easy as thousands of miles of trail in many National Parks. However, the MRT is also not as difficult as a Mt. Everest expedition nor like a journey through the Yukon wilderness. People tend to either over hype the difficulty of the Minong Ridge Trail --or they tend to (foolishly and dangerously?) downplay the special challenges that the Minong Ridge Trail offers.

There Are Essentially "Two Different" Minong Ridge Trails
You will hear different people share far different stories about their experiences on the Minong Ridge Trail (in regard to trail difficulty). Part of that is due to the Minong Ridge Trail (MRT) being a VERY different place --depending upon the recent weather situation and the trail conditions when a person hikes it. The drier that recent conditions have been-- the "easier" the MRT is to hike (generally speaking). If recent conditions have been very wet, you are definitely dealing with a FAR DIFFERENT Minong Ridge Trail.

In wet conditions, you will have many sections of the rocky trail that become slippery and almost treacherous. Sections of the trail will be underwater. (I have seen sections of the "infamous" beaver dams be under 5-7 inches of flowing water--or more). Stepping stones on creek crossings may be underwater and creeks may have overflowed their banks. Foliage may be wet and soak you from head to toe as you walk through overgrown sections of trail. In some places, the trail itself can become a "creek" with water flowing down it. So, weather and trail conditions, can play a big role in "which" Minong Ridge Trail you encounter. (Also, things like torrential rains and lightening on the ridges can cause you to hunker down in safer places for a few hours or even for a whole day--and that can impact the amount of time --and number of days--that it takes you to hike the MRT).

The Trail Can Be Hard to See/Find
The MRT is rugged and primitive. The trail is INTENTIONALLY not well marked. It is INTENTIONALLY less well-developed and not as well-maintained. It is definitely a wilderness area. You will only see actual signs at a few key places --like trail junctions and campgrounds. (Only about 6 or 7 signs in roughly 30 miles of trail). For people who are used to seeing painted "blazes" every few hundred feet on many major trails (like the Appalachian Trail)--there ARE NO BLAZES on Isle Royale--and especially not on the Minong Ridge Trail. In various places, the trail is difficult to see/find. In many places, you will find yourself navigating your way from one small pile of 3-5 rocks (a "cairn") to the next pile of 3-5 rocks. What will you do if a moose (or some "environmentalist" who wants no human-made things in the wilderness) knocks over a cairn or two? You have to be prepared for dealing with things like that.

"False Trails" Can Happen
You will also find places where (sometimes) a moose trail appears to be the actual trail. At times, there are places where multiple humans have become misdirected in the same places--and these disoriented humans have unintentionally created a false trail. If you are hiking on the MRT--you have to be prepared for things like that. Are your hiking and land navigation skills able to deal with such challenges? If not, please do yourself (and everyone else) a favor--and do not hike the MRT (especially between Todd Harbor and Windigo). You probably need more training and experience before hiking the Minong Ridge Trail. (And, that's perfectly O.K.)

It Is Rocky and "Hilly" In Many Places
The MRT is rocky in many places. These rocks are very slippery when wet--and sharp and jagged if you fall on them. Walking lots of miles on jagged rocks can take its toll on the feet, ankles, and knees of some people. There are also many ups and downs on the trail. You will hike up 50-150 feet and then hike down 50-150 feet many times during any given day. That too can take its toll on some people. Is your body up to that sort of hiking? If not, you should probably skip the Minong Ridge Trail--until such time (if any) that your body is ready for such trail conditions.

It Is Wet and Swampy
The MRT is wet and swampy in places. Don't be surprised if your feet and clothes get wet on an MRT trip. There will be 3-4 places (particularly between N. Desor and Windigo) where you will walk on top of muddy and wet beaver dams. (In wet weather, these dams can even be partially underwater). You will have streams to cross that (when they are running) can only be crossed by stepping on rocks (that may--or may not--be fully above water) or by you actually walking through the creek. There are a couple of places where you cross a stream by walking on a single rickety old log. There are some narrow boardwalks and bridges (roughly 12 inches wide). In wet weather, parts of the trail will mostly be just thick mud--or even be underwater. If you hike the MRT--be prepared to get wet and muddy--and then be pleasantly surprised if that doesn't happen.

The Trail Can Be Overgrown
There are some places (and certain times of the year) when some sections of the trail can be mostly obscured by overgrown foliage. You will usually still be able to follow the trail--but it might be a challenge for some people. If there has been recent rain or heavy dew, walking through such sections can also cause you to get very wet. Pushing your way through an overgrown trail can also slow you down. That brings me to the next point...

The MRT Can Be a SLOW Trail
Given the types of conditions mentioned above, it is really not very surprising that many people report hiking only 1.0 to 1.5 mph --OR SLOWER on many places on the Minong Ridge Trail (especially in places like the section of trail between Little Todd Harbor and N. Lake Desor). Hiking slower means that it takes you longer to get from Point A to Point B. This means you are spending more time hiking and are likely expending more energy and getting more fatigued. You are also drinking more water--because you are on the trail longer. When planning your overall trip, and when planning the length of your individual hiking days (and when planning the amount of water you will need to carry)--you must remember that hiking one mile per hour may be all the faster that you are going to hike in some long stretches of the MRT... and that slow pace can make a big difference on so many different aspects of your hike. Plan and prepare accordingly and you should be fine. Fail to plan and prepare accordingly...and you may need to be rescued by the rangers and/or the Coast Guard.

HYDRATION ISSUES ARE NUMEROUS
You Will Likely Consume Lots of Water
Many people remark that they can't believe how much water they drink on the MRT. The hiking days are potentially long. The trails are somewhat challenging. The exposed rock ridges can be super warm or even hot. It is not uncommon for someone to say that they carried 3 liters of water and still had to maybe ration it and/or some people may have even run out of water when carrying 3 liters. I will repeat myself--THREE LITERS OF WATER MAY NOT BE ENOUGH WATER FOR SOME PEOPLE ON THE MRT Yet, water takes up a lot of room and it weighs a lot (2.2 lbs. per liter--or 6.6 lbs for 3 liters and 8.8 lbs for 4 liters). The extra weight --though necessary--can make the hike more difficult and tiring. Thus, you have to be in good backpacking shape and you need to have a pack and water containers that can carry 3-4 liters of water. Come prepared --both in terms of your physical conditioning and your gear.

Don't Plan On Finding Water Between Campgrounds
The chances are VERY good--that the water that you have with you when you leave your campsite in the morning-- will be the ONLY water that you have until you get to your next campground at night. THE MAP MAY SHOW THAT WATER EXISTS NEAR THE TRAIL --BUT DON'T BELIEVE IT! You may be only 50 -100 feet away from water--but cliffs, thick undergrowth, or other impassable conditions will keep you from getting to that water source.

You may indeed be near swamps, bogs, beaver ponds, and similar watery areas as you backpack on the MRT. Yet, that water will be so muddy and so full of "gunk" that it will be nearly impossible to filter (and it will very likely clog your filter numerous times--just trying to filter a liter or two). Even when filtered, the smell and the taste of such water may very well cause you to want to vomit. So, don't plan on it as a possible source for drinking water...even if both filtered and treated.

A creek that was there last year (or even earlier in the same summer) may have since dried up due to weather conditions---or been dammed up somewhere by beavers. YOU CANNOT COUNT ON ACQUIRING ANY WATER BETWEEN CAMPGROUNDS --even if that water source was there last year or earlier this year.

(A Special Note About Little Todd Harbor: If you plan to skip staying overnight at Little Todd Harbor--but still want to refill on water there--please remember that it is a 1.2 mile round trip hike from the Minong Ridge Trail to Little Todd Harbor and back to the trail). As an alternative, if it is flowing, there IS a creek that the Minong Ridge Trail crosses --just a short distance from the Little Todd Harbor trail junction. (The MRT crosses this creek roughly 0.5 miles "southeast" of the Little Todd Harbor trail junction-- between Little Todd Harbor and Todd Harbor on the MRT. My GPS app says it is located at 48.01058, -88.91931).

Probably No Water If you Camp Off Trail
Sometimes, people will express that they have a desire (or an actual plan) to camp "off trail" somewhere on the Minong Ridge Trail --at a place other than an official campground. (This is called "cross country" camping on Isle Royale. It requires a specific permit and is governed by specific rules. See the link here). The biggest challenge for doing this--in addition to finding a safe spot that fits all of the requirements set forth in the regulations--is not having any water source at this "off trail" spot. This means that you might possibly need to carry TWO DAYS worth of water with you when you start out on that two day section of trail.

MY PREFERRED DIRECTION
The MRT officially runs between Windigo and McCargoe Cove. I prefer to hike the MRT from McCargoe Cove to Windigo. The biggest reasons are (possibly) having an "easier" first day when you hike it in that direction. I also think that the last day is far easier when you hike from McCargoe Cove toward Windigo.

Many people begin their time on the Minong Ridge Trail (when coming in from the east) by either hiking to McCargoe Cove from somewhere else on the eastern (Rock Harbor) end of the Island or by getting dropped off at McCargoe Cove by a boat (such as the Voyager II). This automatically means that --on Day # 1--you have the choice of staying overnight at McCargoe Cove or you can hike "just" 6.7 miles from McCargoe Cove to Todd Harbor.

Conversely, if you start out on the MRT at the Windigo end of the MRT--your hike to N. Desor on Day # 1 is roughly 12.6 miles. It is somewhat uphill for much of the way. You will walk over the top of 3-4 beaver dams (potentially already getting your feet wet and muddy in the very first half of Day # 1). Your pack weight will likely be at it's heaviest if this is your first day. Also, if you (foolishly?) try to hike this section of trail on the same day that you arrive at Isle Royale---you automatically get a somewhat late start to the hiking day--even if you are on one of the first boats or planes to arrive that day. (If you really plan on hiking the MRT from Windigo to McCargoe Cove, I highly recommend spending the first night enjoying Windigo and Washington Creek Campground--THEN starting out on the MRT very early the next morning).

If you are hiking the MRT from McCargoe Cove to Windigo, the last day of your hike (12.6 miles from N. Desor to Windigo) will be with your lightest pack weight. You can start the long (12.6 mile) hike early in the day--just as the sun is coming up and before the sun on the ridges gets too hot. The general elevation trend will be downhill throughout most of the day. If you get wet and muddy at the beaver dams--it will be in the last half of your last day on the trail. You will most likely be done hiking for this trip and you won't need to hike any more in that wet and muddy footwear once you reach Windigo, You can clean up your footwear a bit and let it start to dry. The store, showers, and laundry capabilities also await you in Windigo.

This is why I prefer to hike the MRT from McCargoe Cove to Windigo--instead of the other way around.

AIM FOR SHORTER DISTANCE DAYS
In my opinion, the MRT is more fun--and less challenging---if you stay at EVERY campground along the way. (McCargoe Cove, Todd Harbor, Little Todd Harbor. North Lake Desor, and Windigo/Washington Creek). When you skip one of the campgrounds, not only do you miss out on some great experiences, you also potentially push yourself to hike too far in one day. Some of the distances between campgrounds on the MRT are rather short--but the short sections can sometimes physically and emotionally kick your butt.

One such section of trail is between Little Todd Harbor and North Lake Desor. It is only around 5.7 miles in length--but they are possibly the toughest and slowest 5.7 miles on Isle Royale. It is not uncommon for some people to hike this section at a pace of just 1 or 1.5 mph. Some folks might even hike that section more slowly than that. So, for many people, hiking that one short section of trail is going to take 4 to 6 hours. If you then add to that 5.7 mile distance--the 7 miles between Little Todd Harbor and Todd Harbor-- you now have nearly a 13 mile day of hiking some of the toughest miles on Isle Royale. It will be a very long day--and if you don't start early in the day--you may not get to your campsite before dark.

It can be a similarly long and hard day if you try to hike from McCargoe Cove to Little Todd Harbor in one day (13.5 miles). I tried that in 2012--after being dropped off by the Voyager II at McCargoe Cove in the early afternoon. It was not fun. My hiking partner and I hiked into Little Todd Harbor after dark. We were hiking roughly the last mile with headlamps and creeping our way down the trail one very short and slow step at a time. We had to set up camp, filter water, and prepare a meal in the dark (after hiking 13.5 miles on the MRT and after the long boat ride from Grand Portage. MN to Windigo to McCargoe Cove). In many ways, we were reckless idiots. (Part of the issue was--the boat was over an hour late getting us to McCargoe Cove and we failed to shorten our planned hiking day accordingly. We should have stopped at Todd Harbor instead of pressing on to Little Todd).

So, I speak from personal experience. I have hiked long days and short days on the MRT. At age 60, I hiked from Rock Harbor to Windigo in slightly under 3 days --going via the MRT. I covered the distance from McCargoe Cove to Windigo in under 48 hours. I have also taken 4 days to hike from McCargoe Cove to Windigo. Trust me, the four day option was much easier and a heck of a lot more enjoyable. Every campground on the MRT is wonderful. I don't like missing any of them.

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION
I would strongly encourage people hiking the Minong Ridge Trail (in addition to bringing a map and compass) to also carry a GPS device or GPS cell phone app (that works off of satellite signal and not cell tower signals. And, be sure to download the proper Isle Royale maps BEFORE your trip). ALSO BRING SOME SORT OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATION DEVICE. Remember, you will very likely NOT have a cellphone signal on Isle Royale and will not be able to place a phone call for help. I discuss such communication devices on this page of my website. (Click this Link)

SOME VIDEOS
My favorite set of Minong Ridge Trail videos was created by Donna WIlson. Her YouTube Channel is called "Some Bold Adventure". Episodes 4 thru 11 of this particular video series are the episodes which cover Donna backpacking on the Minong Ridge Trail between McCargoe Cove and Windigo. In my opinion, her videos (regarding the Minong Ridge Trail) give the best depiction of what hiking the MRT is really like. I have personally hiked the Minong when trail conditions were BETTER than they were when Donna hiked the trail. I have had times when the Minong Ridge Trail conditions were WORSE than they were when Donna did her hike. So, this video series is a fairly good representation of "typical" hiking conditions on the MRT. Here is the link: Donna Wilson (Some Bold Adventure) Minong Videos

CONCLUSION
The Minong Ridge Trail IS NOT for everyone. It is indeed a challenging hike and it does have some risks. The biggest risks (in my opinion) occur when the "wrong" people (who are not yet ready for a MRT hike) come poorly trained, poorly equipped, and poorly prepared and they still try to hike the MRT anyway. They are essentially an accident and a rescue that are just waiting to happen.

In my opinion, the MRT IS NOT a place for beginners and rookies. You really need to be an experienced backpacker who is is well-versed in things like land navigation and outdoor survival in tough conditions (in the event that you encounter some problems during your hike). It is important to have some past experience in dealing with backcountry situations where unexpected things (like bad weather or damaged gear) have occurred. Frankly, even with people who are well-versed in backpacking, ideally hiking the MRT should not happen on someone's first Isle Royale trip. (I would encourage them to get some prior Isle Royale backpacking experience before attempting to hike the Minong).

A person (ideally) needs to be in "better than average" physical condition when hiking the MRT. The hiking days are often long and a bit challenging. A person would be well-advised to carry 3-4 liters of water on the MRT--which means having a heavier pack weight (while hiking a somewhat challenging trail). Not everyone is physically able to do such things.

In my opinion, the Minong Ridge Trail is not particularly difficult (unless trail conditions are super wet). The big problem is that people --with too little backpacking experience (and too little backcountry experience)--attempt to backpack the entire Minong Ridge Trail. They try to hike the MRT and hike daily sections that are probably "too big and too long" and they don't allow enough time to hike any particular section of trail. They carry too little water. They are not well prepared to deal with a minor first aid emergency--much less deal with a major first aid emergency. They are not easily able to find any trail --unless that trail looks almost like a super highway--and is wide and has big signs. Their land navigation skills are virtually non-existent. Their physical conditioning is poor. In my opinion, such persons should not be on the Minong Ridge Trail. It is safety issue

The problem is not so much that the Minong Ridge Trail is "difficult". (To a certain extent, the MRT IS somewhat difficult). The problem is that some people try to hike the Minong Ridge Trail --and they have planned their hike poorly or incompletely. They are poorly trained. They are poorly equipped, They are in somewhat poor physical condition. And, they are lacking in very basic backcountry and wilderness experience. They aren't yet ready for the Minong Ridge Trail. Oftentimes, the hiker is more the problem than is the "difficulty" of the Minong Ridge Trail.

Backpacking the Minong Ridge Trail can be a great (and possibly life-changing) experience on Isle Royale. However, backpacking the Minong Ridge Trail is not for everyone. You have to be properly prepared and you need to have the proper experience, equipment, physical conditioning, and a proper plan.