Isle Royale

Trip pics, logs, and links.

2002 - Across the Inland Lakes

In 1998 I turned 40, and as one might expect, started feeling old and thinking about things I'd like to do before I got too old to do them. I wanted to do more sailing and camping and missed doing things with my 4 brothers and father, being 1000 miles away from the closest. So BOINGA '99 was born, with the brothers and Dad coming down to N.C. and sailing for 4 days. Karl took the lead for BOINGA 2000, sailing for 3 days in the Apostle Islands, though we missed Dan and Tim who were both moving.  When talk of BOINGA 2002 took a turn toward some sedentary condo or cabin thing, I floated Isle Royale as an alternative and they took the bait! Unfortunately we lost Karl to their move to Arizona, but we know he was with us in spirit. The results are what follow.

1979 - Summer on the Rock

Worked in Rock Harbor at the dockside store and working the docks.

2009 - North Side Paddle

After four long years, it was time to get back to the island.  It was all decided and planned in a little over a month, an exceptionally short time for me.  After confirming that a trip was on, Laura suggested she wanted to paddle from McCargoe to Rock Harbor via Blake Point.  I had been thinking about the same trip, since it had been a while since I had done that area, so it was easily settled (sans Blake Point).

2005 - Father/Daughter Bonding Trip

The original idea behind this trip was to canoe all of the major routes on Isle Royale and do all the portages in a single trip.  I knew this wasn’t Sherri’s thing, but she gave her blessing for me to go without her, and when I posed the idea to the girls Laura jumped all over it.  Once on the island things didn’t go exactly as planned, but it was a great trip nonetheless.

2001 - Belle Isle to Rock Harbor

This was my first trip back to Isle Royale after working in Rock Harbor during the summer of ’79.  Nathan and Missy got married in 2001 and I convinced Sherri and the girls to combine our trip to Duluth with an Isle Royale canoe trip. I had talked about returning to Isle Royale ever since I worked there in '79 and it finally happened.  Sherri was a little nervous about it, the girls were young, and so I planned an “easy” trip getting off the Voyageur II at Belle Isle and spending 4 days getting to Rock Harbor.  Portaging from Duncan to Tobin was a challenge, but everyone did great, even myself taking both canoes.

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2011 - Huginnin Cove

This was a last minute trip, added on to a previously planned trip to the cabin with Dad and the brothers.  It was kind of a test for me, being my first real backpacking trip, first solo trip, being middle aged and out of shape, and starting to get arthritic.  But mostly it was just to get back to the island, chill out, and hopefully get some good pics.  It was also my first time flying out on the seaplane, which was just a bonus.