Second pit at Minong Mine

The night at McCargoe Cove, Isle Royale is anything but a quiet one.

At some point in the night, a light rain falls. Light in the sense than it is not enough to soak the dry ground, but just enough to dampen the foliage and the seats of the picnic table. Unfortunately, it is hard enough to sound like a deluge on my tautly tied tarp.

In addition to the rain, several great horned owls engage in a hoot competition during the early morning hours. At one point they make enough of a racket to pull me out of light sleep. Between the owls and the rain, it is a wonder that anyone got any sleep around the tenting sites at McCargoe Cove that night.

Section Stats:
Date: August 31, 2011
Length: 1.6 miles (1.6 total daily miles; 18.4 total trip miles)
Difficulty: Easy

The red squirrels start chattering before dawn too. After the incident from the previous day, I find it difficult to fall back to sleep while they are chattering away. I keep picturing them closing in on my tarp, so as to prevent any chance of my escape. Who knows what hideous forms of torture they would be planning for my assault on their kin the previous afternoon.

My usual sense of urgency emerges, but I am successful in putting off acting on it until just before 7 AM. Then suddenly, I can wait no longer. I quickly un-entangle myself from my sleeping bag, and exit my tarp in an urgent need to find a place to pee. Thankfully, the red squirrels are quiet now, and I fail to see any in the area while I am vulnerable relieving myself.

The post-urination elation sends me back into my sleeping bag with the wishful thinking of grabbing a little more time in slumber time. However, thoughts of the day ahead keep me from getting even a few moments of sleep. Instead, I pack away as much as possible while still under the tarp. The packing proves to more difficult than usual as the large bag full of food keeps getting in my way.

Forcing down a quick breakfast of cold cereal, I finish packing and hike down to the dock by 8:30 AM. I hope to get a few photographs of McCargoe Cove before starting the Minong Ridge Trail. Unfortunately, the sky over the cove is overcast, the vegetation wet and overall the day is starting out gray and dreary. The weather provides for some dark photographs, as well as a downbeat beginning to my hike.

Rock outcrop at McCargoe Cove

McCargoe Cove dock at dawn

The Minong Ridge Trail starts off uphill, past shelter #6. The forest consists of straight aspens, with a rather open canopy. After reaching the top of the incline, the trail levels out some and the forest transitions to a more coniferous nature with spruces and white pines mixed together.

After a short while, a side trail appears on my right with a sign indicating the Minong Mine is just a short distance away. Despite the threatening sky, I decide to do a little exploring of the mines before heading on down the trail toward Todd Harbor Campground, my final destination of the day.

Beginning of the Minong Ridge Trail

Coniferous forest surrounding Minong Ridge Trail

The trail descends for about a tenth of a mile before arriving at the first pit. This pit is nearly vertical, with a small entrance. There is no evidence anyone ventures down into this shaft, despite its shallow depth. A wooden fence surrounds the pit, preventing the overly curious from stumbling down into it. There appears to be a horizontal tunnel at the bottom, but it is hard to be certain due to the poor lighting.

Following the trail further down slope reveals another pit. This pit is less vertical than the first one, and has a much larger entrance. No fence exists to impede the curious, and a well-worn yet steep path leads down into the shadows.

Unable to pass up the temptation, I drop my pack, listen for marauding red squirrels (I hear none) and then descend into the waiting pit. The roots along the path into the mine shaft are slick with the rain from the night before, but a young balsam fir growing near the entrance gives me some extra support before entering within the dark opening.

First vertical pit at Minong Mine

Fence around vertical pit at Minong Mine

As I stoop down and enter the man-made cave, I find myself immediately at an intersection with horizontal shafts going to my right and left. I can see light in the distance to my left indicating the shaft leads back to the first pit I encountered. The shaft to the right traverses an equal distance before opening back into a coniferous forest. On the floor of the shaft are two parallel metal railings, perhaps for a mining cart used many years ago.

Except for the light penetrating via the first pit opening, the left shaft looks dark, with a puddle of water present between my position and the vertical shaft opening. The shaft to the right looks drier and less claustrophobic, so I decide to use it to venture back into the forest.

Bending down, I step over the two railings, walking more like a crab than a man as I proceed through the shaft. No more than a few seconds pass before I am back out into the forest I left behind just moments before. The shaft opens into a narrow channel with steep rock walls on both sides. Balsam fir and paper birch trees grow scattered about within the channel, while some shrubs grow along the ground in several different places. Was the channel once a shaft that collapsed? Or was it the main entrance where rock debris was removed by rail cart?

Second shaft interior at Minong Mine

Shaft's lower entrance at Minong Mine

I walk to the end of the channel to find a narrow foot path leading both down and up slope. Uphill lies my backpack where I left it at the top of the second pit entrance, while downhill the trail continues on through the forest.

An interpretive sign stands nearby, illustrating the history of the Minong Mine. The sign includes a map indicating buildings, roads and even railroad tracks were once present in the vicinity. Now only the scattered debris remains. As I peruse the surroundings, I marvel at the swiftness in which nature reclaims her own after man is out of the picture.

After retrieving my backpack, I follow the footpath down to some rock debris piles, where rocks poor in useful minerals were deposited after being removed from the mine pits. There are many large piles of rock debris, some with scattered trees or shrubs, but many bare of any vegetation. The reddish rocks stand in stark contrast to the deep greens of the surrounding coniferous forest. Subtle paths can be seen running over and around these piles, evidence of many people choosing to explore the area.

Rock debris pile at Minong Mine

Rock debris at Minong Mine

Dropping my pack again, I carefully placing it on one of the more prominent piles. I make sure to leave my backpack out in the open, where mischievous red squirrels are less likely to venture beyond the cover of the surrounding forest.

The rocks are sharp, and hard on the bottom of my feet, even through the rubber soles of my hiking boots. When not on the paths, where the sharp rocks are worn down with the passing of many boots, the walking is brutal on my ankles, especially since I am wearing my lighter boots with less ankle support.

From one prominent pile, it is possible to view a wetland off to the northeast. A dam on the far side appears to be holding the water back. Judging by the trees growing in the middle of the open water, the pond is fairly shallow. A plethora of grassy vegetation lies around much of the border of the open water.

A single, very long rock pile juts out into the middle the pond. Although not as high as the many large conical piles, the location within the open water must provide some outstanding views. The temptation of these views outweighs any possible loss of time getting to Todd Harbor Campground, so I decide to make my way over to check it out. I say my final good-bye to the even slight chance of getting the single shelter at Todd Harbor now.

Rock debris peninsula at Minong Mine

Rock peninsula at Minong Mine

The trail leads around and over the many rock piles towards the rock peninsula. When I move out onto the peninsula, I notice a hooded merganser swimming around in the open water. As the merganser moves off to the opposite side of the pond, I spot a beaver swimming around in the water. Unlike the typical beavers found in my normal stomping grounds of the Adirondacks, this one does not slap its tail even once in the water. This is practically unprecedented in my experience with beavers. Obviously, the beavers on Isle Royale are friendlier than those found in northern New York.

Old moose droppings lay littered about on the rock peninsula. Even moose come out on these fascinating rock piles, perhaps as they exit the cool and enticing waters of this small pond. Even odder, there are numerous small, shallow depressions on the thin rock peninsula. They appear to be recently dug, given the stains on the rocks and lack of vegetation. What are these depressions? And who, or what, could have made them?

Upon returning to my backpack, I notice there are additional trails, with cairns, leading off the rock piles and to the west into the forest. I retrieve my backpack and head off to explore these other trails.

Pond at Minong Mine

Water-filled pit at Minong Mine

Off into the coniferous forest, I find debris left over from the mining operation of many years ago. Much of it is scraps of old, rusted metal, including old rails, oil drums, cans and even a metal wheel. In addition, there are even the remains of a log building. I wonder what other debris may lie in the denser vegetation where no sensible person would venture.

Another pit is present at the edge of the dense forest, this one full of dark and murky water. A green ring of semi-dried algae indicates this pool once was much larger than it is today. Obviously, the dry conditions impact even deep, murky pools as well as muddy trails.

Finally, the multiple trails peter out and I find myself with the choice of backtracking to the rock piles or just bushwhacking uphill back to the Minong Ridge Trail from my present condition. The way back is on a nice, open footpath, while the bushwhack out is a steep ascent up the eastern side of the ridge through mature coniferous forest.

What kind of bushwhacking fool would I be if I did not choose the later?

Metal debris at Minong Mine

More metal debris at Minong Mine

Locating a subtle trail up the hillside, I start my ascent to almost immediately lose track of what apparently is a herd path. I abandon all pretense of following this path, and just head upslope through the coniferous forest. The going is pretty difficult at first, as the slope is steep and there are many downed logs to either negotiate around or climb over.

When the forest gives way to an open, rocky ridge, I know I am getting close to the trail. And low and behold, the trail is at the very top of the open ridge. Luckily, one of the rock cairns that mark “The Minong” is located right near where I arrive, though given the trail’s location it is unlikely to have been missed.

After a brief break to enjoy a nice view of Canada, I begin hiking down the Minong Ridge along the trail on my way toward Todd Harbor Campground.

View from Minong Ridge Trail

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