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Let me begin, by stating that most/all Isle Royale hiking routes are good ones that are worthwhile to hike and they offer interesting things to see and do. THAT BEING SAID, it is my opinion that many people are overly eager (and overly quick) to want to hike across the Island from end-to-end between Rock Harbor and Windigo (particularly via the Greenstone Ridge Trail). Thus, they overlook many other great Isle Royale hikes that (in my opinion) offer more to see and do than hiking across the Island on the Greenstone Ridge Trail. Many of these other hikes are also simpler, less expensive, and wiser from a logistical standpoint.--than hiking across the Island from end-to-end. Thus, I would really invite people--especially Isle Royale "first-timers"-- to be more open to the great possibilities that exist -that DON'T involve a hike across the Island using primarily the Greenstone Ridge Trail. Let me reiterate. Hiking across the Island (using solely or primarily the Greenstone Ridge Trail) is a perfectly fine hike. (I did it again last summer and will probably do it again this summer). However, I find it to be one of the more boring and least scenic hikes on the Island (particularly between Chickenbone Lake and Lake Desor). There are very few great scenic views from the trail in that section of trail. I have attached an image from a report/study done in early February 2021 by Liz Dengate. She did a survey of people who have been to Isle Royale in the past. The survey asked people many questions. This particular chart shows people's LEAST LIKED campgrounds on Isle Royale. Please notice that most of the campgrounds that people stay at as they cross the Island between Windigo and Rock Harbor (using the Greenstone Ridge Trail) made the "least liked" list. Thus, while I am certainly stating my own personal opinion in this Facebook post--it would seem that there are other people who would concur that the campgrounds between Rock Harbor and Windigo (along the Greenstone Ridge Trail) are among their least favorite Isle Royale campgrounds. (Other folks LOVE these very same campgrounds). SOMETHING TO REMEMBER: If you hike from one end of the Island to the other--you also have to then figure out how you will get back across the Island to your starting point (or figure how to get back home from the other end of the Island). That involves more logistics--and oftentimes (but not always) requires more money for the cost of an additional ferry ride or additional sea plane ride). Then, let's imagine that your transportation TO the island is late--by a few hours--or by a day or two. Unless you have built some extra free days into your hike across the Island--you may now have to really hustle to get across the Island in time to catch your return transportation. It is frequently a lot less complicated--and less expensive--to just confine your hike to one end of the Island or the other. That way, if your transportation to the Island is delayed, you don't have to rush all the way across the Island (in a shorter time frame) in order to meet your return transportation Frankly, some of my favorite Isle Royale hikes are confined to only one side of the Island. If I had the time and money, I would hike the Feldtmann Loop several times each summer ... especially if you gave me the option to also throw in a day hike (or an overnight stay ) on the Huginnin Loop. (Both of these "loops" are on the Windigo end of the Island). There are also dozens of great "loop hikes" (that you can create) on the Rock Harbor side of the Island. You can tailor the distance and difficulty level of these self-designed loops to match your time schedule and skill level If you have the skill, experience, and physical conditioning--you can cross the Island using primarily the Minong Ridge Trail instead of the Greenstone Ridge Trail. PLEASE NOTE--there are several rescues done by the Park Service staff and/or the Coast Guard each year on the Minong Ridge Trail because inexperienced, unprepared, and/or poorly conditioned people try to hike the entire Minong Ridge Trail. If you have doubts regarding whether you are prepared enough or experienced enough to hike the Minong Ridge Trail--you probably aren't ready to hike it. HERE IS ANOTHER GREAT POSSIBILITY THAT MANY PEOPLE OVERLOOK: You can use the water taxis (or the Voyager II ferry) to drop you off --or pick you up-- at places other than Rock Harbor or Windigo. (I usually prefer to have them drop me off sometime near the start of my hike--instead of picking me up later in my hike. I don't like to wonder if storms or slowness in my hiking --will cause me to miss my boat and/or cause me to wait a day or two extra for it to arrive). I think one fun hike is to be dropped off at McCargoe Cove by the Voyager II (out of Grand Portage, Minnesota) and then hike from McCargoe Cove to someplace like Rock Harbor or Windigo, or even Chippewa Harbor or Malone Bay to be picked up. YOU NEED TO SCHEDULE AND BOOK ALL DROP OFFS AND PICKUPS IN ADVANCE. The boat may not even stop if they don't have someone scheduled to be dropped off or picked up that day. You can also do hikes (end-to-end) across the Island that involve using the Greenstone Ridge Trail JUST PART OF THE TIME--but then departing from the actual Greenstone Ridge Trail to see other places-- like the Feldtmann Loop, or the easier part of the Minong Ridge Trail from Hatchet Lake Junction through Todd Harbor to McCargoe Cove. You can leave the Greenstone Ridge Trailo to visit places like Malone Bay, Chippewa Harbor, Moskey Basin, Lake Richie--(and even Lane Cove--although Lane Cove is technically sort of located "on" the Greenstone Ridge Trail). My FAVORITE hike on Isle Royale is probably this next one. (It is long--but great). You can also do it in the opposite direction-- but I prefer this route. Note: This is just the hiking route and not the nightly stopping places, You can choose which camprgounds you wish to stay at or skip. You can also choose to stay at some campgrounds multiple days. Start at Windigo. Hike to Feldtmann Lake. (Do a side hike to watch sundown at Rainbow Cove "near" Feldtmann Lake). Hike from Feldtmann Lake to Siskitwit Bay, to Island Mine, to S. Lake Desor to Hatchet Lake. At Hatchet Lake, take the connecting trail to cross over to the somewhat "easier" part of the Minong Ridge Trail. Hike on the Minong Ridge Trail to Todd Harbor then to McCargoe Cove. Then, once you are at McCargoe Cove, you pick any route that you want in order to get from McCargoe Cove to Rock Harbor. You can get to Rock Harbor from McCargoe Cove in one LONG day--or in a few shorter days. (I sometimes like to try to see Mt. Ojibway and/or Mt. Franklin on my way back to Rock Harbor). You can even go from McCargoe Cove down to Moskey Basin--and then to Rock Harbor (or fro McCargoe Cove to Lane Cove (13 miles) and then to Rock Harbor the next day. BOTTOM LINE: I would invite people to be less eager to hike across the Island via just the Greenstone Ridge Trail--and be more open to considering many of the (in my opinion) far better hikes that Isle Royale has to offer. An additional note (creator of the survey) on how the original survey question was worded: "A 4 meant 'one of your top favorites' on the whole island, and you could select no more than three sites at number 4. A 1 meant that you would tell people to skip it and stay somewhere else. 2 was thus fair, and 3 was well liked. There was also an option to not rank any site that you were unfamiliar with". A FINAL NOTE: I am always open to giving people free route advice. (I like to do this through a back and forth discussion via Facebook private messenger (o email) --as my schedule permits). See my email address under the "Contacts" tab. 
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One of the questions that people sometimes ask each other on Isle Royale is: "Did you see any moose?". Sometimes, if I answer, "Yes"-- the person says something like "You're lucky! We haven't seen any." Then, they sometimes say some variation of "I wonder why we haven't seen any--when so many other people are seeing them?" I think one reason might be that some people are pretty noisy as they move down the trail. (And, they might not even realize it). Sometimes, I can HEAR individuals and groups 5-15 minutes before I SEE them (and my hearing is far worse than a moose's ability to hear). Some people are talking to their hiking companions (perhaps totally unaware of how far even "soft" and "quiet" sounds can travel outdoors). Some, are playing music or listening to podcasts. Some of these folks are using earbuds. Thus, they can't hear the moose rustling around and moving in the woods. (So, they miss seeing the moose that they might have otherwise seen). Others, are playing the music or podcast without earbuds--and everyone else (including the moose) can hear it. Other people just make a great deal of noise as they move about. Their trekking poles click, clack and rattle loudly. (I am sometimes guilty of that). They have items hanging from their packs that bounce, clink, and rattle with every step that they take. Some people hum and sing as they walk (and maybe don't even realize that they are doing it). If you are wanting to see moose (and other wildlife) it helps if you can reduce the amount of noise that you make while hiking (or paddling). I think many of us (including myself sometimes) are unaware of how much noise we are actually making. Just a word of caution: Try to not have anything important planned for IMMEDIATELY after your scheduled departure from Isle Royale. Seaplanes and boats can be delayed anywhere from a few hours up to 1-3 days because of weather. Such delays can really create a problem if you absolutely have to be at work, a wedding, a funeral, a reunion, an important meeting, etc. For this same reason, I would recommend that people bring 1-2 extra days of food, fuel, and medications. Don't count on the stores --at either end of the Island (or the restaurant in Rock Harbor)-- to have enough supplies for you. Everyone else is also going to want to use the same store and /or restaurant--and the business might run out of supplies. If the boat or plane can't pick you up--it also can't resupply the store or restaurant.
I am getting excited about my upcoming (June 29th to July 7th) Isle Royale hiking trip. It will be my 17th overall trip and the first of two planned Isle Royale trips in 2022 (canoeing in August). Last night, I practiced setting up my Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape. It is both my rain gear and shelter. Weighs about 10.5 ounces. If you see me on the Island, feel free to say "Hi". I will be the old, fat, hiker with a mostly white beard. Years ago, during the "Welcome Talk" on the dock, the ranger giving the presentation made two interesting points. He stated:
A NOTE ABOUT EYEGLASSES: It has been my personal experience (and confirmed by the experiences of some other people) -- that things like bifocals, trifocals, progressive lenses ("multi-focal lenses"), and/or prisms in your eyeglass lenses can POTENTIALLY slow down your hiking pace in a place like Isle Royale. So, it might be helpful to be prepared for this possibility when planning how long it will take to to travel from Point A to Point B on the Island.
Hiking (or portaging) the trails at Isle Royale is different than walking across a smooth and level room or parking lot. Many people (especially those with bifocals, trifocals, etc) discover that they find themselves looking down fairly frequently at the trail and somewhat carefully selecting their next step on the uneven terrain and trails of the Island. This type of careful walking tends to slow you down. You might not even notice this slower pace over the short term--but over the course of an entire day it definitely adds up and can be rather significant when planning travel times. I recommend trekking poles for all Isle Royale hikers--but I especially recommend them for persons with bifocals, trifocals, progressive lenses ("multi-focal lenses"), and/or prisms in their eyeglass lenses. Trekking poles definitely help you keep your balance on the uneven trails --and on things like narrow boardwalks. I found this on some weather site a couple of years ago--and it seems to be fairly consistent with my own Isle Royale experiences. Some people pack and prepare for the "average" temps and precipitation. I come prepared for the possibility that a new record temperature could potentially be set while I am on the Island... especially a record low temperature. Let's use August for example. The average LOW temperature is 52 degrees. Well, the "record" low for August is 34 degrees --and I have seen a small thermometer (that I had with me) show a reading of 32 degrees one August morning. When you are hiking and carrying everything on your back--it sure feels nicer and lighter to be prepared for an average low of only 52 degrees. HOWEVER, on an early August morning,--when your thermometer reads 32 degrees--you will be mighty glad that you brought the right layers (that you can combine) --and the right sleeping bag or quilt--to help you deal with the reality of that 32 degree temp.  A FOLLOW-UP POST to my earlier post regarding average and record temperatures on Isle Royale.
BEING PREPARED for all types of weather, doesn't necessarily mean that you have to pack lots of different clothes--in order to deal with all of the possible weather conditions. You can still PACK FAIRLY LIGHT WEIGHT and be prepared for nearly all weather conditions. The key is having an overall LAYERED SYSTEM --in which all of the various clothing items can be used TOGETHER to help you be prepared for all conditions. VERSATILITY is the key. EXAMPLES: I pack long ("convertible") pants--where the lower part of the legs are attached by zippers (which allow me to remove the lower leg portion and convert them to shorts). If I wear one pair of these--and pack another pair--I have either TWO pairs of long pants or TWO pairs of shorts--or a combination of the two. I don't pack 4-5 pairs of pants/shorts. I might pack a long sleeve base-layer top, a light micro-fleece top, and/or a semi-light puffy jacket. None of those things--alone--would prepare me for 30 degree temps. HOWEVER, if I wore all of them at the same time (and maybe threw a rain suit jacket or poncho over the top them in the nastiest of windy and misty conditions) I am ready for some pretty low temps and/or nasty conditions. (Especially if I add a "wool beanie" and a light pair of gloves). I don't need to pack a light jacket AND a parka and seven other complete changes of clothing--designed for different temperatures and conditions. I just need to be able to use 2-4 things TOGETHER to achieve the desire effect. You don't necessarily have to bring a 15 or 20 degree sleeping bag (or quilt) when the average low tenp might be 45 degrees-- but you can bring a roomy enough 40 degree sleeping bag in which you can also perhaps wear your puffy jacket inside your sleeping bag and/or along with some other layers. Then, if the low temp hits 28 degrees--you will probably do O.K. The key is having items that you can use IN COMBINATION with each other to be prepared for all weather conditions. What do you do in order to get ready for your Isle Royale (and other) Spring and Summer outdoor adventures?
Today, after a totally exercise-free winter, I begin training for my two trips to Isle Royale in 2022. (Hiking in June and canoeing in August). I find that, at age 60, (more than ever) I need to be in better shape before I begin these sorts of adventures. Sadly, Central Illinois winters are not great for outdoor activities--and I live 20+ miles from a gym. So, I fall out of shape in winter. That is a TERRIBLE thing to do each year. (And, as I age, each year it takes me longer to get back in shape). Some of the things that I will be working on: 1) Losing body weight. People worry about grams and ounces of backpack weight--but then carry 10 to 50 pounds of extra body weight. After a fall and winter of having some really bad eating habits, I am resuming healthy eating choices and smaller portions as of today. 2) Increase my leg "conditioning" and my cardio health and endurance. I will start out with light walking for a couple weeks--and then progress to doing a combination of jogging and walking. (I am also hoping to enter a half-marathon this summer). I will start out with some shorter walks and jogs--and then slowly increase the daily distances and pace. I will eventually start adding my backpack (and increase the pack weight) as I get closer to summer. I will have to find some good hills and steps to go up and down (somewhere in the midst of the extreme flatness of Illinois farm country) --in order to work on those particular components of conditioning my legs for the countless uphills and downhills of Isle Royale. (Training only on flat walking surfaces or only on a treadmill doesn't really prepare you for the stepping up and down motions that you make while backpacking on isle Royale. I also plan to do leg exercises like "squats". 3) Do exercises to strengthen my "core" and do things like yoga and stretching of my muscles and tendons. As I have aged, I have discovered that injuries are more common without having good core strength--and good flexibility (stretching). Once I got into my late 40s--I started doing daily stretching before starting a day of backpacking. I also start my hikes at a very slow pace for the first 15 to 30 minutes--in order to "warm up" and loosen everything. (Unlike when I was was in my teens, 20s, and 30s, I can no longer just hit the trail at full pace in the morning--without doing some type of stretching and slow warm up). 4) Work on my upper body strength. I'm age 60. I lead a fairly sedentary lifestyle for half of the year. I have not done a big canoe trip in 40 years. I have until mid-August to get ready for that. Until things warm up --and I can start canoeing in my local area--I will be doing exercises to strengthen my arms and upper body. What things will you be doing to get ready for your Spring and Summer activities--and your trips to Isle Royale? (Any suggestions for this old guy?) Did you ever notice that four different people can describe the ease/difficultly of THE EXACT SAME section of Isle Royale trail in VERY different ways? (One person will describe the section of trail as relatively flat and easy. Another person will describe the same section of trail as being "pretty rough and filled with lots of ups and downs"). How can this be?
Let's pretend it is mid-August 2022, and you come to a Facebook seeking advice regarding your upcoming September 2022 hike of the Feldtmann Loop. Four people offer you advice. You look at their past posts in this group (and their Facebook profiles) and you discover: PERSON #1: Has been to Isle Royale 22 times. She is a middle aged female (with a self-acknowledged somewhat sedentary lifestyle). She states, in an early 2022 post, "I hope to hike on the West End of Isle Royale one day." PERSON # 2: In Late September 2021, this roughly age 40 year-old male, posted photos of his "recent" hike on the Feldtmann Loop. He also mentions that this was his sixth trip to the island (and the 4th time that he had hiked the Feldtmann Loop). PERSON # 3: Mentions (in former posts) that he had worked as a Ranger at Windigo for a few years in the mid-1980s and LOVED hiking the Feldtmann Loop as often as possible on his days off. He also states, "I hope to get back there some day. I haven't been to the island since 1993". PERSON # 4: In mid-August 2022, this male (who is probably in his mid-20s) posts photos of his recent and VERY FIRST trip to Isle Royale. He had hiked the Feldtmann Loop on that recent trip. He also mentions that he is from Colorado and he prepared for his Isle Royale trip by running in half-marathons. Is it any wonder that these four people would describe the ease/difficulty of hiking the Feldtmann Loop in VERY different ways and give you VERY different advice regarding a trip to Isle Royale? All four have valuable advice and wonderful insights to share. But, their advice is probably going to be most helpful if you do a bit of your own research and check out who is giving you the advice. |
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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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