Despite my sore-covered feet, I cannot resist going on one last Isle Royale hike up to Scoville Point via the Stoll Trail while I wait for the ferry back to the mainland. Since I plan to take photographs of the Isle Royale Queen IV ferry arriving at Rock Harbor near noon, I cannot waste too
Isle Royale Trip: Last Island Moments at Rock Harbor
My last Isle Royale morning starts dark, as many mornings do in mid-September. The rapidly encroaching clouds from the west fill me with a sense of foreboding as they slowly block out the once visible stars. The sunrise has yet to begin, as its ascension comes later with the approaching autumn. The day’s dreary beginning
Isle Royale Trip: Final Night at Rock Harbor
As I walk down one of the few paved roads on Isle Royale, the Ranger’s Station at Rock Harbor comes into view at the bottom of the hill. Just like at Daisy Farm earlier in the morning, the feeling of familiarity overcomes me, as if I am returning home after a long trip, despite having
Isle Royale Trip: Hiking back to Rock Harbor via Tobin Harbor Trail
My two-week Isle Royale adventure is quickly drawing to a close. For several days, I take note of the limited number of times each event occurs before my trip becomes a memory. Now I sit on a log at the intersection of the Mount Franklin and the Greenstone Ridge Trails, eating my final lunch on
Aside: A Thimbleberry By Any Other Name…
Common names of plants cause all sorts of problems. Common names are often regional, with identical species having disparate names in two different locales. The opposite case, where more than a single species share the same name in different areas is even more common. Differences in common names readily lead to misunderstandings. It is easy
Isle Royale Trip: A Squirrel, a Loon and a Camp of Bats at Daisy Farm Campground
The following is a description of a 19-day adventure to Isle Royale National Park. The trip includes driving more than 900 miles to Copper Harbor and back, a ferry over the rough water of Lake Superior and two weeks of hiking to one end of the 45-mile long island and back. Part four of the
Isle Royale Trip: Getting Oriented at Rock Harbor
The following is a description of a 19-day adventure to Isle Royale National Park. The trip includes driving more than 900 miles to Copper Harbor and back, a ferry over the rough water of Lake Superior and two weeks of hiking to one end of the 45-mile long island and back. Part two of the
Isle Royale Trip: Ferrying Across the Rough Waters of Lake Superior
The following is a description of a 19-day adventure to Isle Royale National Park. The trip includes driving more than 900 miles to Copper Harbor and back, a ferry over the rough water of Lake Superior and two weeks of hiking to one end of the 45-mile long island and back. Part one of the
Isle Royale Trip: My Original Backpacking Trip Itinerary
My trip to Isle Royale National Park last summer was unusual in many aspects compared to my typical backcountry jaunts. Most of my trips take me into the Adirondack backcountry; not only due to my love and lifetime relationship with the area but because of its close proximity; after two hours of driving I can
