June 29 - Off to Lane Cove
The calendar seemed to hurriedly flow through the month of June. It has been a busy month of travel, company and yard work. Even though all of it was fun except for the latter, I was excited about returning to my favorite place. Time always slows there and the long days after the summer solstice were in my favor.
I drove up to the area the night before and in the morning my brother drove me over to get the Ranger III to the island. Other passengers were eager to board and smiles were bountiful. The boat had a light passenger load as it was still early in the season.
I settled in and chose to sit on the back deck of the Ranger III. It was protected from the strong winds and really very pleasant.
I conversed with an older couple who were going to stay at the lodge and do some fishing, a solo kayaker on his very first visit, a couple who would be spending time on the island volunteering and a parent who was visiting her daughter who was employed on the island. This is a typical variety of people who visit the island..a place that can be enjoyed in so many ways besides backpacking.
I found myself revisiting some of my memories especially when someone asked if I had been to the island before.
This year would be different for me. I would spend some time solo as well as spend the majority of time both backpacking and canoeing with a friend who is a national park employee working on the island.
When the Ranger III docked at Mott Island (headquarters), I got off for the brief stop to meet with Jamie to finalize our plans for the second part of the journey. Tonight I would hike out from Rock Harbor to spend the night at Lane Cove on the north shore and then return to the south shore later tomorrow to be picked up by Jamie in his canoe.
As soon as the boat docked at Rock Harbor I set out to hike the 7 miles to Lane Cove. It was already after 3 PM and the temps were pleasant. There were still remnants of spring wildflowers like Iris and Wood Lilies, and wolf scat to boot.
I climbed to the ridge and then quickly descended the remaining few miles. Only one campsite was left so I creatively set up my tarp in less than ideal conditions. I skirted around the shoreline to find a better place to filter water as it was very shallow.
I had the small cove to myself! I decided to gather my dinner, and other necessities to spend the rest of the evening there. Mergansers and their brood, loons, and a bald eagle were spotted. The sky was rosy. It was good to be back.
June 30 - Rock Harbor Lighthouse and Moose Sheds
I lay in bed for a long while. There was no need to rise early, not that there ever is on such a journey. I wouldn't be meeting Jamie until 5 PM, and I knew hiking about nine miles would only take half a day at best.
The morning was so quiet and I could hear the horn on the Ranger III blow on the south shore as it was leaving port back to sail back to Houghton. I decided to gather my gear and head out in the next few hours before the sun got real hot. The climb back to the ridge always induces sweat and I was glad to take a rest for a bit when I reached the top.
I stopped again at Mt Franklin and was greeted by a familiar face of a woman whom I had met on the boat. We chatted and then I ambled on towards the Ojibwa Tower. I climbed it to get a better view before I descended to Daisy Farm where I would hang out for awhile. I walked barefoot in the water, things were pretty quiet there still.
It was time to head back east along the Rock Harbor Trail to find the designated spot where I would meet Jamie.
Soon we were off in his canoe to Mott Island. He gave me a quick tour of the island, we ate dinner and then we took a motor boat over to the Rock Harbor Lighthouse. We climbed the steps and to my surprise we walked around the catwalk. It was somewhat scary thinking how old the whole lighthouse was.....actually it was scary to be on the top out in the open...anyway I took very small steps and viewed the awesome surroundings!
We then wandered over to Rolf and Candy's cabin and viewed the mountains of moose antlers that were stored for research purposes. We visited with Candy who had just returned from her row to Daisy Farm. It was great to see her again and we reminisced about my family who Candy got to know through her volunteer work for hospice. It was after sunset before we returned to Mott Island.
It was truly a remarkable day. After about 15 trips to Isle Royale this was to be the first of many experiences on the water. I absolutely loved it...how could I not?
July 1 - Canoeing Siskiwit Lake
In the morning Buzz gave us a ride on the largest of the park work boats, the Beaver, to Malone Bay. He was heading to Sisikiwit to pick up trail crew and had to stop at Malone to check out some new signs. The new head ranger, Dan, was also along.
We stopped at Chippewa Harbor to bring supplies to trail crew there. It was a calm day on the lake and the ride was great. We soon were at Malone Bay with our backpack gear plus paddles and life vests. We would be borrowing a canoe from the park service for the day on Siskiwit Lake. We set up at a shelter and then hiked a short ways to Siskiwit Lake. This is the largest lake on the island and it measures over 7 miles long. I was excited about this adventure as I had only viewed it from shore before.
The day was chilly and lightly raining but our spirits were high. We witnessed a long series of calls by a loon that was remarkable. We paddled to the east end of the island and into Wood Lake. We took a break there out of the wind and wondered if our paddle back would be a bit more choppy.
We paddled by Eagle's Nest Island, Ryan Island, Tea Kettle Island and more. We stopped a few times to take a break. Instead of going straight back to the launch site we paddled west a bit but decided that we probably did enough for the day (9.3 miles). It's better to stop before the body reacts as we had many days ahead of us.
Later we brought Jamie's paddles and life vests over to the Ranger Cabin so that they could bring them back to Mott Island when convenient. On the way back we hung out at the ranger station for awhile and looked through books and log reports.
Back at the shelter the evening brought a bit of sun and warmth after a chilly day.
July 2 - Hot Climb to the Greenstone
The next morning was warm and we knew we were heading out into a hot day. We had a leisurely breakfast before hiking the Ishpeming Trail to the Greenstone Ridge. We took a few breaks before the top to cool down and arrived at the tower where we had lunch. We then headed west as our destination for the night was South Desor Lake.
I couldn't wait to get to the lake as I wanted to swim. We set up camp and then headed down to the beach for the evening with our dinner and cameras. I greatly enjoyed the water but as I returned to shore Jamie noticed a huge leech that was hanging out, although I may of been accused of bringing it in. We had seen none prior to that so it was a surprise but at least it wasn't attached.
The winds caused a tree to fall over not far away and earlier one had fallen close to camp. We stayed down at the beach well after sunset to view the marvelous colors over the lake and on the reflections on the waves of the lake. We both took a ton of pictures, compared them and ranted about our own :) - Just kidding!
July 3 - Quiet Night at Todd Harbor
It was quite windy all night..that made for restless sleeping on my part. We got on the trail much earlier today, we were heading to Todd Harbor, a distance of about 11.8 miles. We only saw one group of guys today...yesterday it was only one group of girls...unbelievably quiet.
The day was hot, very hot and I was definitely overheated once more. We cooled off with breaks and the wind helped while idle. No sign of animal activity the last few days, probably just too hot!
We arrived to an empty camp ground and it stayed that way through the evening.. jumped in the lake to cool and laid on the dock..hair and clothes dried quickly in the wind. Pale rosy colors colored the horizon at sunset.
July 4 - Celebrating the Fourth
The day started cloudy and hazy after a bit of rain last night. By the time we hiked to the ridge over Otter Lake the sun broke through. We took a long break there and I remembered my Dad. He would have loved this place. We explored the Minong Mine for a short time before we arrived at McCargoe Cove. Took a break before continuing our journey. Shortly after it started to rain. We watched two loons with chicks and a heron. We stopped at West Chickenbone and decided to camp there rather than continuing to Lake Ritchie. It was hard to say whether the rain would continue and we had planned to paddle on Ritchie.
The rain ceased and by evening we had nature's own fireworks...another gorgeous sunset to enjoy. This one was really vivid and a treat for the Fourth of July. We also reflected on how others are spending the holiday as well as how we did in the past.
Enjoyed the evening so much that once again I was setting up my bivy and sleeping bag as the mosquitoes went into full force. It's like there is an "ON" button as soon as it gets dark...they go into a full-fledged riot. They really haven't been bad most of the time though, so I can be thankful. I managed to get into my bivy without bringing in any mosquitoes but Jamie wasn't so lucky in his tent.
Just before retiring, I walked up the trail and almost stepped on a toad and then a snake....small creatures in the night!
July 5 - Hiking and Canoeing on Lake Ritchie
We awoke early but were in no particular hurry. Jamie asked me if I heard the wolves last night but alas I must of slept soundly.
Today we walked to Lake Ritchie but along the way we also walked the portage trails to view Lake Livermore and Lake LeSage.We picked berries along the way as we have been doing every day. Dewberries, raspberries, a few blueberries and thimbleberries were along the trails.
At Lake Ritchie we stowed our gear, retrieved a canoe and paddled out and around the lake and small islands. Our paddling was often stymied by loons and chicks and eagle watching opportunities galore. We stopped for a break at the Lake Ritchie canoe campground..very nice setting.
The day was again hot but it was refreshing while on the water. We returned to land and stashed the canoe and hiked onward to Moskey Basin. It was there that I bid Jamie a temporary good bye as he had to hike out and return to Mott Island to work tomorrow.
I set up in a shelter at Moskey midway along the the basin. I took a much needed swim, rested for awhile, watched the water for loons and chicks and just enjoyed hanging out. The sunny sky gave way to clouds in the early evening.
July 6 - Return to Mott
I awoke early to heavy fog shrouding the landscape. I went back to sleep and a few hours later the fog started to lift. I stayed at Moskey most of the morning to enjoy the quiet surroundings. I started hiking and after about two miles I saw a nice rock outcropping with a pine tree providing shade. I lay down and took a long rest. I also stopped at Daisy Farm which was completely quiet. I finished my walk several miles east of there where I would await Jamie's return after work via canoe.
We paddled back to Mott as I would be returning to Houghton from there the next morning. The lake was a bit choppy so we decided to just paddle back and do some hiking on Mott later instead of more paddling. I set up my tarp, headed to the shower, and enjoyed a real meal thanks to Jamie. We hiked over to East Caribou Island via the bridge that connects it to Mott Island and then walked the Mott trails. The south side of Mott is very rugged with a shipwreck located in the waters beneath the rocks. It was almost dark when we returned so I retreated to my tarp for the night.
July 7 - Until Next Year
The last day is always bittersweet. Jamie stopped by in the morning to say good bye and soon I would be aboard the Ranger III. Although I am never ready to leave Isle Royale, this trip seemed entirely too short.
What more could I have asked for though, it was my favorite place, I had a great companion and I had new experiences. I didn't want the trip to end but life is good and I always know that I will return to my favorite place on this earth.
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