This was an exciting week for me. I will begin sharing the videos from my most recent hike across the most remote place that I have ever backpacked. This is a real Jurassic Park experience. The place is of the northern shores of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The adventure begins with a 6-hour ferry ride out into the largest lake in the world – Lake Superior.
Early in the morning, I joined about 30 other passengers on the Ranger III. This ferry is owned and operated by the National Park Service. I didn’t know that the Park Service operated a fleet of boats like this. They have a couple of ferries that service the park where we were going, but the Ranger III is the largest with the main deck and 2 upper decks. The rangers were great! Hospitable, helpful, and knowledgeable, they made us all feel like we were in good hands.
Again, this is a 6-hour ferry ride across the lake that is known for the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald. More akin to a freshwater ocean than a lake, Lake Superior covers 31,700 square miles and holds 10% of the world’s fresh water. IT IS MASSIVE!
Our destination was an island, 99% of which is designated as wilderness. The non-wilderness parts of the island are 2 small harbors on either end where visitors enter and exit. These are Rock and Windigo Harbors. They are separated by nearly 45 miles of island interior that gives home to fox, beaver, rabbits, squirrels, moose, and wolves. It is a very remote and closed ecosystem where more than 1,500 moose eat from the trees and plants, and the wolves (the only apex predator on the island) cull the moose herd.
This amazing place is known as Isle Royale.
The history of the island and how it became part of Michigan is as fascinating as its ecology. Apparently, there was a fierce conflict between Michigan (while it was a territory of the United States) and Ohio. The point of contention was a strip of land along their common border. The conflict became known at the Toledo War. President Andrew Jackson ended the dispute over the Toledo Strip by declaring the land to belong to Ohio.
As a compromise, He gave Michigan the Upper Peninsula and Isle Royale. As one park ranger said, she believes Michigan got the better deal. I must agree. The UP is beautiful, and Isle Royale is a treasure of its own. This is a 45 miles long by 9 miles wide piece of land making it the 4th largest lake island in the world. The National Park Service says that it is the least visited national park in the lower 48 states of the United States. However, the rangers are quick to add, “but it is the most revisited.” I certainly look forward to going there again. I have some unfinished business with Isle Royale.
On the way over, we watched several videos about some of the wildlife on the island. There was a documentary about studies of the Moose and Wolf relationship. In addition to more than 1,500 moose, there are more than 25 wolves on Isle Royale. Not to worry though, the wolves are extremely shy toward humans, and you are much more likely to see a moose than a wolf. But as I discovered, that isn’t always accurate.
On the way over to the Island, I met a gentleman named Jack. Jack is a fellow Army veteran and we quickly became friends. Jack had been to the island several times before. He was one of those in the numbers of “most revisited” the rangers liked to point out. Anyway, Jack told me of a different trail that would lead me to my first campsite for the night. I wanted to hike 7 miles to Daisy Farm Campsite.
Jack said the most popular route to my campsite was along the shore. However, it was rocky and hard on feet and ankles. He suggested alternate path that was a little more inland and offered a glimpse of the island’s interior beauty. I am glad that I took his advice.
I was alone walking along this trail. It was a soft path leading me through beautiful trees and rock formations, along the southern bank of an interior lake. I paused to take in the sights when I saw 12 somethings swimming along the northern bank of that lake. They were low in the water, very distinct and in a line except for the last 2 which swam beside one another. Each looked like it was about 5 feet long, though it was hard to tell from the distance. I tried to record them on my GoPro, but I didn’t get a good video. Still, I walked along the trail to see if I could identify what this was. Soon they stepped up onto the far bank. I was in awe as 12 wolves emerged from the water. Nearly half the wolf population on Isle Royale in a single sighting on my first day here. Amazing!
I walked on toward Suzy’s Cave and sat inside the mouth of that cave for a snack. Continuing on down the trail, a pair of eagles flew from trees to show off their white heads and tails before disappearing deep into the forest.
When I arrived at Daisy Farm Campsite, I discovered an empty shelter where I sat up for the night. After eating dinner, I slept sound. Early the next morning, I took my coffee down to the shore of the inlet from Lake Superior and watched the sunrise to wake up the day, promising new wonders. Less than a day on the island and I was already in love with the place.
Over the next 4 days, I walked along the Minong Trail. This was a trail that one of the Park Service employees tried to discourage me from taking across the island. It is more rugged and less maintained than the Greenstone Trail that goes along the center ridge of the island. The Minong makes its way along the northern edge with many views of Lake Superior and off in the distance one can see Canada. After all, Isle Royale is more near Canada than Michigan.
My second day I was on the lookout for moose. I saw plenty of places where they had been, but no moose. There was a beaver dam near my final destination for the day, which was McCargoe Cove. It was time for a rest break, so I took off my pack and sat in the trees to watch to waters behind the dam. Soon, Mr. Beaver came out for his patrol duties and to swim in his personal pond. He swam for about 45 minutes before ducking under the waters and out of sight.
The evening was nice. I snagged another shelter for the night. There were some guys on a boat docked in the cove. The skipper was also Dan. Dan had grown up on the island when a few families lived here (before it became a national park). He had great stories of running along the trails and literally into the backside of a moose scaring both himself and the moose.
The next day I hiked through the rain to a place called Little Todd Campsite. It was a 12 and half mile walk along the rocky ridges of the trail. Beautiful, but still no moose. That night I camped right on the bank of Lake Superior. I had met a hiking buddy at McCargoe Cove, and we walked together for the remainder of the trip. She had her campsite just up from mine.
The next day was a shorter hike to North Lake Desor. Less than 6 miles, we were deep into the island and could feel the remoteness of the trail. The side trail down to the campsite was supposed to be ½ miles long, but it felt much farther. This looked like great moose country. I kept telling myself, “If I were a moose, I would live in a place like this.” However, I still didn’t see a moose.
Along the shore of Lake Desor, I saw and heard loons. There were otters playing in the water. I watched a dragon fly hatch from its shell, dry its wings on a rock in the sun, and fly away. I soaked my feet in to water. Ate my dinner. Walked back up the approach trail to the trailhead. Still no moose. The sunset was beautiful, and the night was cool. I slept well.
Early the next day, we struck out on our final full day on the island. Shortly after beginning, the rain startly falling. It was a cold and steady rain and soon we were soaked. Today was another 12-mile day to get us to Washington Campground near Windigo Harbor. We walked for several miles over the flat rocks along the ridgeline. Then we descended into a swampy section. The mosquitoes ate us up. My hiking buddy looked like the Charlie Brown character that has bugs swarming all over him. The mosquitoes were like a cloud around her. They weren’t deterred by the rain at all.
Ahead of us were the dreaded obstacles that we both had heard about – the beaver dams. I knew of two beaver dams, a small one and a much larger one. The rangers had told me the large beaver dam was treacherous and I would get wet crossing it.
However, no one had mentioned a third beaver dam. In fact, it was the first one that we encountered – AND the most difficult. We saw some ribbon tied to a bush at the beginning of the dam. It was hard to see a way across. I did slip off one of the tree branches the beaver had used in his construction and my leg went in up to my hip. I finally freed my leg and we continued. On the far side, there were no markings. There was a path going off to the right so we took it. I looked at the trail app (All Trails) on my phone and it showed us way off trail and going farther away toward the swamp. We began to bushwhack toward the ridge and after about ¾ of a mile, we climbed up the rocky ridge and were back on the trail.
Cold, wet, and a little tired, we began picking up the pace. The end was calling. We finished the 12 miles in really good time and arrived at Washington Campground. Still no moose. The campground was crowded my hiking buddy got a shelter and I walked on to one of the last tent sites. After setting up my tent, I walked on to the harbor to check things out for the next morning when I would board the Ranger III for my return. Some people said moose were often seen in the lakes around this place. If there were any, they had seen me coming and hide.
There was a store at the harbor. I sat with a group of folks. We shared stories and ate junk food from the store. I had a whole can of Pringles and a Dr. Pepper. It was like manna – heavenly. After 3 or 4 hours, I walked back to my tent – you’re right – still no moose. Crawled in my sleeping bag and slept.
The final morning, I struck camp and walked in the dawn toward the harbor. Trying to be quiet and see what I could see, there was an otter playing in the lake. At the harbor, the Ranger III sat majestically in the water and a beaver swam around her and the other boats. A fox, who was not shy, ran alongside me like a pet dog. But no moose. Yes, I have unfinished business with Isle Royale. I look forward to returning in search of one of those illusive moose.
Until then, Stay Safe, stay healthy, stay on the path! And let’s go walking – together.