TRIP REPORT: June/July 2022 (Part 4 of 4)

TRIP REPORT (Part 4 of 4). Day # 5 of Hiking. In Part Two, I told of Hiking Day # 1 & Hiking Day #2--and crossing the Island on the Greenstone Ridge Trail from Windigo to Rock Harbor on those two days. In Part Three, I spoke of hiking from Rock Harbor to N. Desor (via the Minong Ridge Trail)--on Hiking Day # 3 and # 4--and stopping at N. Desor on hiking day # 4--primarily because of approaching rain. (This was instead of hiking all of the way to Windigo late in the day in rough conditions and in approaching rain and eventual darkness.)

I spent the night (of Hiking Day # 4) at N. Desor. It rained off and on for much of the night and into the afternoon of the next day. I started out hiking in the somewhat early morning hours (of Hiking Day # 5) from N. Desor toward Windigo. This was my fifth time hiking the entire Minong Ridge Trail. Thus, I knew that today would be a long 13.5 mile hike --on a trail that crossed at least three beaver dams, There would also be hiking on the ridge early in the day--and lots of ups and downs (from hills and ridges down into the woods and back up to the ridge) for much of the day.

I disliked this particular day of hiking. It couldn't end soon enough (in my opinion). It was rainy, misty, hazy. Thus, there were no grand views to see. The rocky surfaces and the muddy areas were both very slippery....and they were a potential accident waiting to happen. I had to walk through wet, muddy, and rocky areas for much of the day. In short, it was a long, wet, miserable day, with no magnificent views--but with plenty of places to potentially slip, trip, or get injured.

I just wanted to get to Windigo and be done hiking for this day--but that didn't happen until mid to late afternoon. There are no fast ways to hike this section in the rain (when you are age 60 and have eyeglasses with a "complex" prescription). You simply have to hike slow and carefully watch where you are placing each step. And, EVENTUALLY you will get to Windigo.
Other than being wet, rainy and "miserable" for much of the day--a couple of other things stand out from this day. I saw a big "mattress bag"--with stuff in it--either abandoned or accidentally dropped on the Minong Ridge Trail. It was huge. I wonder what prompted someone to carry something that big. (See the photo).

The other big "event" of the day .... I got "lost". (I wasn't fully lost. I always sort of knew where I was--in a general sense). I was following a trail. I could clearly see the trail--but IN RETROSPECT--I believe that I somehow got on a false trail in the rain. (I ran into at least four other parties who also got off of the official trail in this same general area. --near the first beaver dam--coming from the N. Desor toward Windigo).

I started across what appeared to POSSIBLY be the first beaver dam area and quickly found myself bushwhacking through a swamp/bog. When i turned on the GPS on my phone--it showed that this false "trail" was about 1/8 of a mile away from where the actual Minong Ridge Trail was supposed to be. After exiting the swamp, I bushwhacked up and over a small ridge--following my GPS readings--and I easily rejoined the Minong Ridge Trail.

I got to Windigo (safe, sound, but wet) late in the afternoon. It had been a long, wet, dreary, and hazy day of hiking.
In five days of hiking (at age 60) I had backpacked from Windigo to RocK Harbor (via the Greenstone Ridge Trail) and from Rock Harbor back to Windigo--(via the Minong Ridge Trail). It had been roughly 85 miles of backpacking. I spent the next day and a half cleaning up me and my gear--and waiting for my boat back to the mainland (Voyager II). I also spent that time enjoying the people and sights of Windigo).