Isle Royale Info

Isle Royale Journal - Spring, 2013

This journal details a trip to Isle Royale National Park, in the Spring of 2013, through words, pictures and videos.

This is a preliminary outline of what I hope to be a a full movie one day featuring videos, pictures and narration of the trip. This was truly a unique trip and, most likely, a once in a lifetime experience on the island due to the conditions.

Day One: Saturday, May 4th

Grand Portage 8:00 am:

We arrived at the dock, dropped off our packs and carried our canoe to the dock. The dock was snow covered except for a path on the right that Kurt had shoveled off, but the wood was icy and slippery. The Voyageur was covered with a layer of ice. Everyone gathered on the dock waiting to load up, but they had the engine covers open and the engines were not running. Turns out they could not get the boat started and had to run to "town" (the marina) to get some ether to start then engines. While we were waiting, we had someone take the traditional first boat picture that is usually taken by Jasper, but he had cancelled. A girl (Meredith) that was running late did not get in the photo.

We just pulled out of the dock. Don is the Captain on this trip, as the new captain he just hired will not be arriving until a week from Wednesday. We have Kurt and another guy as deckhands. I forget his name, but he was a boat captain and he was along to see what it was like. There are 12 of us onboard; Nancy, me and 10 people who are going there to work with Rolf and Candy. Everyone else cancelled. There was some hesitation in the engines and we stopped for a few minutes and drifted. Then, when we took off, the engines hesitated a few more times before they kicked in and started their normal roar. Maybe they were just cold. There was a very light mist falling, but it was not too cold. I would guess it was about 35 degrees. The outside decks of the Voyageur were covered with a thin layer of ice and were slippery. The bay itself was pretty calm, but when we hit the lake
proper, it kicked up a bit, but not bad considering the time of year.

10:15 am:
We are at the west of the island and are getting our first views of it covered in snow. This is the island like I have never seen it. It is also strange to not go into Washington Harbor and to Windigo through the North Gap and just pass it by heading towards the south side. As we were looking, we discussed how we were going to be able to paddle. Well, more like how we were going to land. It looked like all of the shorelines had a shelf of ice that might be difficult to get up on.
     
Based on talking to the other people on the boat, we might be the only ones in Rock Harbor. They are supposed to go to Daisy Farm, and if the dock is not iced in there, Don will be dropping us off at Rock Harbor and taking them to Daisy Farm. I sure hope that happens! Not even the rangers or any park service people will be there. What a trip! It is so weird to see the island covered in snow and all of the shorelines covered in ice pack!

11:05 am:
We are just west of Point Houghton along the south shore. The lake is pretty calm right now, but I think it may kick up after we go around the point.
Meredith is seasick and there is nothing we can do. Nancy has extra Dramamine (of course!), but it is too late now and it is in her pack. Talking to Meredith, she is from Arizona and she is used to desert not snow. She is an experienced backpacker though having hiked Zion and the Grand Canyon. She is here by herself and thought it would be an adventure working with the study team. I hope she survives the cold! Nancy is planning on giving her a Dramamine for the trip home.

11:36 am:
The waves are starting to get bigger as we are about 5 minutes from going around Point Houghton. It is cold on the boat. Perhaps the coldest it has ever been. As the trip goes on, the metal in the boat seems to be sucking the heat out. I have put a blanket on the floor to put my feet on to try and keep the heat in.

Passing by the Boreal Research Station (Davidson House) on Davidson Island, we then had a nice view of the Tookers Island dock, which we  thought would be a possible place to go to. It looked snowy, but possible to land at.

Rock Harbor 1:35 pm:
We are pulling into the dock at Rock Harbor. We are landing at the dock just east of the Ranger Station and store. Waiting for us at the dock was Ranger Rob Bell and the lone kayaker that had paddled there from Grand Portage.

Rob helped tie up the boat then he came on board and gathered everyone around him for what I thought was going to be the “leave no trace” talk. Instead it was a “winter safety” talk. He talked about hyperthermia, snow shelves along the shoreline and reminded everyone to sleep with their water filters so they would not freeze. He said no one has been into the interior, but the trails he did walk, had 1-3 feet of wet snow, and even with snowshoes, almost impossible to walk. He said that the Daisy Farm dock was clear right now so the Voyageur was going to be able to take everyone else there, so we were going to be the only ones in Rock Harbor because he and Marshall were the only rangers on the island right now and they were staying at Mott Island. Everyone in the group had been to the island before except for Meredith. He then talked to Nancy and I about what are plans were and I told him we were going to be paddling around the Rock Harbor area. Most likely going to Tookers and Caribou islands depending on the conditions and getting picked up by the Voyageur on Sunday to go to Malone Bay if the conditions improved. He said it was possible to get to Tookers for sure and Caribou was possible most of the time unless the ice pack drifted down from Moskey Basin. He asked if we had a radio and I told him we did and he said to give them a call if we needed anything.

We then got off the boat and Kurt and the other deckhand had already unloaded our canoe so we got it and our bags and put them on the shore. Don called me in and had me fill out a “permit” which was a very old form that they had used years ago, as the park service had never given him any of the current permits. As I was filling it out Don said to put “snowmobile” under “mode of transportation”. We had joked with Don about bringing his snowmobile to the island the previous night. After filling out the so-called “permit”, I got off the boat and went to stand by Nancy. Rob untied the boat and we watched it back up and start down the harbor. Then Rob got in his boat and pulled away and Nancy and I were alone on the shore of Rock Harbor with our canoe and bags. How strange it was!

2:00 pm:
So there we were, sitting all alone in Rock Harbor. There was a path plowed from the store along the dock towards the east, but other than that, everything was snow covered. We loaded the canoe in the rack along the shore and gathered up our first load and started walking towards the campground.

The snow was generally around 5-6” deep with some deeper drifts around 12-18”. The kayaker that had been there had broken the trail so we could walk in his footsteps, but it was still hard walking as the snow was slippery, and carrying the pack, it was tiring. We followed his footsteps right to shelter #1 and decided to stay there in lieu of breaking a new trail to anywhere else. Why not, we were going to be the only ones there.

After dropping off the first load, we rested for a bit then went down and got the rest of our stuff. We emptied out our packs and setup the tent before going out and relaxing on steps of the shelter. We sat and stared at the snow in the forest and listening to the water drip off the shelter for about 15 minutes before walking down to the harbor to scoop up water to bring back to filter.

4:26 pm, 39° outside:
We are back at the shelter with our water all filtered and set for the night. I ate some beef jerky and made a cocktail while Nancy blew up both of our mattresses then she ate some cheese curds and Pringles.

The shelter is constantly dripping and the snow is very wet which makes it hard to keep things dry. The air is also very damp which makes it all the more important to keep things dry as it is going to be a cold night. There is absolutely no wind so the moisture is just kind of hanging in the air, but that also means there is no “wind chill”.

We went in and both put on our warm and dry “comfy” clothes. Our other clothes were pretty damp from all of the moisture and the little work we did. Walking in the snow is not easy even for a short distance.

5:35 pm, 37° outside

6:50 pm:
I am going for a walk down to the harbor. Nancy is going to stay here as she now has warm, and most importantly, dry shoes on and she wants to keep them that way. I left my boots on and put on my new Sealskin dry socks so I am all set.

7:20 pm, 36° outside:
I am back at the shelter and we are heating up water for our dinners. We are both having Mountain House tonight. I am having beef stew and Nancy is having chicken and rice.
     
When I went down to the harbor I walked on the big dock. It was windier down there. I would guess gusts of around 5 mph with calm in between. It looked fine for paddling. After leaving the big dock, I walked along the marina and saw and heard a loon swimming in the harbor right by the dock. How often would that normally happen? Except for the occasional gusts of wind, lapping of the water and the loon, it was dead quiet. Once again, how often does that happen? I then walked to the amphitheater to check it out for a possible fire, but the snow was about 2’ deep there. There was plenty of wood, so if you got a fire going, you could make a nice one, but I did not feel like digging out the fire pit and we are both tired from all the cold and the journey. I do not think we will be up late tonight. The sleeping bag is already sounding good. If we decide to stay here another night, a fire is a possibility. It would be cool to sit in the harbor, in the snow, by ourselves at a nice bonfire.

We just finished hanging the other tarp on the front of the shelter to keep as much heat in as possible, or I should say, to keep as much of the cold out as possible. We also draped the fly over the tent for the same reasons. It is time to take off my wet boots and put my sandals on.

8:25 pm:
We are eating our dinners inside of the shelter while sitting in our sleeping bags. We are both having some wine too. A loon has been calling off and on ever since we started. The dinner is warming my body from the inside out. I imagine sitting in the sleeping bag is helping too.

9:44 pm, 36° outside, 29.55”:
We are still sitting in the tent. I brought the watch in around 10 minutes ago and it still says 36 degrees. Nancy is all tucked in and her door is all closed. I am about one quarter or less closed. What a wonderful experience this has been and it is only day one. It is so different and everything is in a state of flux. Not knowing what to expect and it could not be any better! Maybe it is the best!
     
The loon is still calling, but it sounds like there may be two now. Good for them. Some would call us two loons sitting here in Rock Harbor in the snow, but there is no place I would rather be.
     
Thinking about it, I think I’d like to go to Tookers Island tomorrow. That will get us away from here. If not, I will always have it in the back of my mind that “they” could come at any time as I know they need to get things up here pretty quick. Plus, no one will bother us there and we can move a table into one of the shelters for sitting if we need to. I think we can do it tomorrow and spend two nights there. We will have to see how the lake is in the morning, but I believe it will be possible.
     
I am going to be signing off. All and all, it has been a great day. It has been perfect so far and it is only day one.