Isle Royale National Park
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My trip to Isle Royale National Park was perhaps the first time I realized the expansive opportunities and vastness that is available in the outdoors. Isle Royale is a massive, undisturbed, raw natural landscape.
We drove from Chicago north to Duluth and along the eastern shore of Minnesota, almost to the Canadian border. We took the ferry from Grand Portage. After arriving in Windigo on the west end of the island, it resumed along the northern part of the island and dropped us off in McCargoe Cove campground. This is the eastern terminus of the Minong Ridge Trail, a volcanic ridge running east-west along the northern part of the island. It is the most challenging trail on the island. It was a very pleasant evening in McCargoe Cove. It was the most vibrant, bright, night sky I have ever seen. We each had a Heineken beer as we spoke into the night.
Day Two we headed west along the Minong Ridge Trail. Having been formed by volcanic activity, it was a series of ups and downs on solid rock. The pitch was steep in both directions and good footing was very important. We arrived in Todd Harbor during the early afternoon. The sun was shining, and it flickered off the Lake Superior water. We laid on the dock and even dipped in the cold water. It was a wonderful afternoon. At night, foxes stole one of my sandals. I hope they enjoyed it.
Day Three was a short day to Little Todd camp. The weather was starting to turn for the worse. By evening, the clouds were overcast and the wind picked up. Fortunately, there was an outhouse at this camp. Going to the bathroom in a pouring rain is no fun.
Day Four was a challenging day. We had to go from Little Todd Camp back to Windigo, about 15 miles. It was still raining during the day, and our previous warm weather was now cold. I was very worried about hypothermia, and suggested we not stop for snacks. After the heavy rain, our already challenging trail was even more difficult. At the bottom of all these up and downs were pools of water. We also encountered several full beaver dams that will spilling over the top. The trail had you walking across the top of these dams. All of these happened while we were cold and wet. A tough, tough, day. Even now, one of the toughest days I’ve had. Finally, around 4pm we arrived at Windigo Camp. We were fortunate to obtain a three-sided wood shelter. This allowed us to get out of the rain and attempt to dry off. After putting on dry clothing and climbing in our sleeping bags, we still couldn’t warm up sufficiently. Only after starting hot meals were we able to restore our temperature. And on top of that, another Heineken beer for the three of us that I was hauling along went down pretty nicely too.
Day Five we expected to board the ferry and return to Grand Portage. Unfortunately, the previous storm made crossing Lake Superior hazardous, so we would stay another day. At this point in my camping excursions, I still packed more food that was needed, so we skimped by another day. We saw a moose and baby moose in camp, who were not concerned with us at all.
On Day Six, the ferry arrived and took us back to Grand Portage, with the three of us sleeping most of the way back.