Isle Royale National Park 2013 | Day Four

Siskiwit Bay to Washington Creek

(Map at bottom of post)

A rocky section of beach along Siskiwit Bay

We awoke on day four to a grey sky and fog encroaching on the bay and obscuring the trees across the water. If we were lucky, it would just remain foggy. If not, we were in for a rainy day. Our plan was to hike to South Lake Desor today. Just under ten miles away, Lake Desor is rumored to be a nice place to camp, with tent sites above the shore of the lake. Because it is tent-only, we thought about this likely scenario: hiking in the rain, arriving in the rain, setting up camp in the rain, and being unable to dry out. Dealing with rain is part of the experience, but we had left ourselves open to itinerary changes and we considered all of our options. 

Morning of Day 4 - fog crawls over distant ridges to the north across Siskiwit Bay

We had an extra day worked into our schedule, so we could stay one more day at Siskiwit Bay and wait out the weather, or we could also hike to Washington Creek. Washington Creek is the campground at Windigo, and it has several shelters. Siskiwit Bay is great, but I didn't feel like spending a third day there. We wanted to see Lake Desor, but it wouldn't be the worst thing to skip it in favor of a shelter at Washington Creek given the weather outlook. It was a difficult decision to make, but we decided to pass on Lake Desor. This meant we would be completing the Feldtmann Loop a day early.

Bridge over Big Siskiwit River

Washington Creek is 11 miles from Siskiwit Bay. We had spent so much time thinking about what we were going to do that we didn't leave until 11:45 am. This is a very late start, and we had a long hike in front of us. It was cold, so we put our rain jackets on for warmth and also as a weather precaution before heading out. Backtracking to the spot where the Feldtmann Ridge Trail ends, we set off on Island Mine Trail, which begins at Siskiwit Bay and runs north to the Greenstone Ridge. Island Mine Trail follows the edge of Siskiwit Bay for about 1 ½ miles and crosses the Big Siskiwit River by footbridge. The trail is technically inside the brush just off the beach, but it is possible to hike on the beach itself for much of the way. We walked on the beach as far as we could, but eventually had to return to the trail. The underbrush was so wet from the fog that we were quickly soaked from the waist down. We should have known better and worn our rain pants from the start.

Big Siskiwit River

We detoured onto a rocky stretch of beach in order to put our gear down and put on rain pants. During this time, a small National Park Service boat emerged from the fog out in the bay. As we balanced on the rocks, trying to get our rain pants on while refusing to take our boots off, we watched two park rangers put a canoe into the water from the boat. One person paddled to shore, where another walked out to meet him and got in the canoe. At first, we thought that they might be in the process of performing a rescue. Maybe a hiker slipped in the wet conditions and had been injured, and the park service had been notified. After a few minutes, this didn't appear to be the case, but given that it was not great weather to be on the water, they must have been up to official business of some kind as they paddled across the bay. It is unlikely they were out there for fun. (Do park ranges have time to do things for fun? Probably not.) They saw us watching them and waved, which made me feel bad for gawking. 

National Park Service Boat in Siskiwit Bay

The rocks along this section of shore are amazing. I picked up stone after stone and examined them while Craig finished getting his gear in order. Mostly red and all approximately the same size, some rocks were filled with fossils and crystals, while others were conglomerates containing pieces of other rocks that had been fused together over time. 

It began raining while we were on the beach, and it didn't stop for the rest of the day. Hiking in the rain can be fun at times, but the novelty wears off after a while. By the end of the first hour, we had enough of it. Island Mine Trail leaves the beach and turns inland where it follows the path of what had been a wagon road in the 1870s leading to Island Mine, where copper was sought after. There are no views during this two-mile stretch, and there is more of the tall vegetation to contend with. Most of the hiking on IMT was easy, and we were able to maintain a good pace without taking too many breaks. Unfortunately, because it was raining so much, I had to keep my camera tucked away, and we didn't do any exploring in the area of the mine. We saw an old well, but we didn't see the old steam engine that remains in the woods, or any other parts of the mine itself. It was wet and muddy, and we had a long way to go after getting such a late start.

This had been a well when Island Mine was functioning

We ate lunch in a cedar swamp, which had enough of a canopy overhead that it kept us from getting rained on too much. Aside from the section that follows the old wagon road, IMT is an interesting trail. It is unfortunate that it was raining so heavily; we were more focussed on getting through it without slipping in the mud or on wet rocks and tree roots than looking at the environment around us. Parts of the trail are somewhat rugged, with one steep climb and a few switchbacks, and it crosses a stream just before reaching Island Mine Campground. We reached the Greenstone Ridge shortly after passing through the campground, where a group of three hikers huddled under a tarp out of the rain. We couldn't tell if they were camping there, or if they had just stopped for a break and wanted to get out of the rain for a little while. From the trail intersection, we turned west; we had gone about five miles and had six more to go. This stretch of the Greenstone heading toward Windigo is all downhill and very easy hiking. Again, the rain prevented much looking around or picture-taking, and we basically hiked full-blast all the way to Washington Creek Campground. We arrived at 6 pm. 

Washington Creek - viewed from Shelter #1

We passed the group campground, which was shockingly loud. Kids were screaming, and we could hear people jumping into water, splashing and yelling. We would discover later that a school group was spending a week there. We followed the path down into the campground itself, and wound through the woods past all of the campsites, finally stopping at the very last one: Shelter #1. We had a nice view of the creek, but we were mostly concerned with getting out of our wet clothes and checking the contents of our backpacks to make sure nothing had been soaked. The covers that were made for our backpacks had done nothing to prevent water from getting inside, but we had also used garbage bags on the insides of our packs as extra protection, and all of the important things were safe. 

 

Wet stuff hanging in our shelter at Washington Creek

After 5 ½ hours of hiking in the rain, our rain gear had not proven very effective. We were both soaking wet. Our boots performed well considering the length of time we were in the rain, but they were still a bit wet inside. We hung our wet clothes inside the shelter, dried off, changed into warm clothes, and made dinner. We obviously weren't going to find dry wood for the twig-burning stove, and in order to conserve the small amount of fuel we had, we ate one of our cold-prep meals: Kickin' Chicken Hot Wings Wraps by Pack-it Gourmet. It rehydrated in 15 minutes with cold water and was a perfect, filling dinner.

It stopped raining shortly after we arrived at Washington Creek, but the thick fog remained. Although the creek was right there, the water wasn't very easy to access, so we walked to Windigo, which is about 10 minutes away, to get potable water from the spigot near the dock. We felt bad about skipping Lake Desor, but we were glad to be in a shelter and in a position to air out all of our wet clothing and gear after a full day of hiking in the rain. 

Washington Harbor - fogged in

It got dark early that night due to the lack of sunshine and persistent fog. We turned in at 9 pm and decided to play the following day by ear depending on what the weather chose to do. I could not fall asleep; my legs felt crazy. They tingled and were very restless, jerking around from time to time of their own accord. Though I had felt really good physically throughout the day, I think the long day of hiking much faster than I normally do in determination to get through the rain and arrive at our destination as quickly as possible had caught up with me. Something big got into the creek outside our shelter just after we went to bed, and we listened to it swimming around in the dark. We were both too tired to get up and try shining our headlamps outside to see for sure, but it was obviously a moose. It is common to see them along Washington Creek, and we hoped more would be around the following morning. 

To be continued in Day 5: ...?

Isle Royale National Park 2013 | Day Three

Another Day at Siskiwit Bay

As predicted, it had been a cold night with the surf pounding loudly all night long. Despite my 15 degree sleeping bag, I slept with my puffy jacket on for extra warmth. I had set an alarm so that I would not miss the sunrise, but I was hesitant to venture out into the cold when it went off. I didn't want to regret missing it later though, so I hauled myself out of my sleeping bag at 6:45 am and walked down to the beach in the dark.

Sunrise at Siskiwit Bay

The bay was rough as the wind blew relentlessly from the open lake. I watched the sky lighten and change color while waves crashed on the beach. I had gotten up just in time; by 7:15 the show was over, and I headed back to the shelter to make coffee. I appeared to be the only person up and about.

View of the bay from the path to the individual tent sites

We spent our third day on Isle Royale relaxing and exploring more of the area around Siskiwit Bay. Though it was late in the season, a few types of berries and wildflowers could be found around our campsite. I had seen a few clumps of blueberries near the fire tower on the Feldtmann Ridge the day before, but there were none here that I found. The last time we were here in September, thimbleberries were plentiful, but not this time. While thimbleberry plants and raspberry bushes were scattered all over, the berries themselves were harder to find.

There are a few apple trees at the Siskiwit Bay campground, which was surprising to me. I learned later from speaking with Ranger Valerie that they were planted there sometime in the 1930s when the Civilian Conservation Corps had a camp in that area. Apple trees can be found in a few other spots on Isle Royale where the CCC also had camps. Daisy Farm was one location, and there were one or two others that I can't remember now. We ate a couple of these small apples for the sake of doing it, but they were extremely tart. 

Apple tree at the start of the path to the individual tent sites

I investigated the individual tent sites, which I had not seen the day before. Site #1 is great. It has a view of the bay, a picnic table, and a flat, shaded spot for a tent. This would be a really nice place to camp, and although I felt lucky to have scored a shelter the day before, I would have liked to pitch my tent here. Sites #2 and #3 were a bit further into the woods and away from the water, but also nice. They were both secluded, spacious and had good tent pads. On the other side of sites #4 and #5, which are the two shelters, site #6 is much further back in the woods and not as appealing as the others. The tent sites were all deserted early in the day, as everyone who had camped here the night before had moved on. 

View of the bay from tent site #1

Inside shelter #5

It was sunny for most of the day, but it remained windy and did not warm up much. The fox returned when we were getting ready to make dinner. An interesting animal and obviously a professional thief, it seemed to never stop moving. It didn't approach us or linger; it trotted through camp, efficiently assessing the situation to determine if anything could be easily pinched while seeming aloof at the same time. It was as if we were not even there. Later that afternoon, some hikers down by the fire ring reported that it came up to the picnic table while they were sitting there, looked all around them for food, but ignored them the whole time.

A fox trots through camp

The wolf that came through camp the night before did not make a repeat appearance. We walked along the beach at the end of the bay again in the evening to look for new interesting animal tracks, but didn't find any. The sky had become overcast earlier in the evening, and we learned from some fellow hikers that it was supposed to rain the following day. Without any stars to gaze at due to the cloud cover, we turned in early, wondering what the next day would bring.

To be continued in: Day 4 - Siskiwit Bay to...? 

Isle Royale National Park 2013 | Day Two

Feldtmann Lake to Siskiwit Bay
(Map at bottom of post)

Siskiwit Bay

Thunder and heavy rain woke us up at 5:30 a.m. By 7:00, the rain had stopped, and loons were calling across Feldtmann Lake. Not wanting to get up, we laid in the tent listening to our surroundings for about an hour. We made oatmeal and coffee for breakfast before packing up and hitting the trail at 9:30. We were disappointed to leave Feldtmann Lake without having seen a moose, but we still had 7 days ahead of us and a lot to look forward to.

Hiking on the Feldtmann Ridge

The Feldtmann Ridge Trail parallels the south side of Feldtmann Lake for about 1 ½ miles before arriving at the base of the Feldtmann Ridge. A steep climb that ascends about 240 feet leads to the top of the ridge and views of Feldtmann Lake from above. After the sweaty climb, breaking out on top of the ridge was welcome. It was overcast and windy, and the cool air felt wonderful. Hiking on top of the ridge is very pleasant, with knee-high yellow grass surrounding the exposed red conglomerate rock that the trail – and the ridge itself – is made of. It is interesting that this part of the island's rock is red, while the Greenstone Ridge and other areas to the north and east are grey. The openness of the ridge is a nice change from the woods and the thick, high vegetation encountered on much of this stretch.

The Feldtmann Ridge Trail enters a white birch forest

The trail does not remain out in the open along the entire ridge. It weaves in and out of the woods, at one point crossing a stream, as it slowly ascends to a fire lookout tower. The tower stands on top of the ridge approximately halfway between Feldtmann Lake and Siskiwit Bay, and it's where we stopped for lunch around 12:30.

Approaching the fire tower on the Feldtmann Ridge

I climbed up the tower steps as far as I could go before the structure is closed off near the top. From here, Feldtmann Lake can be viewed to the west, Lake Halloran and Siskiwit Bay to the east, and the Greenstone Ridge to the north.

Looking west from the fire tower on the Feldtmann Ridge

After resting and eating peanut butter and jelly tortillas, we resumed hiking. The trail leaves the open ridge just east of the fire tower and re-enters the woods. For much of the way from here to Siskiwit Bay, the trail passes through thick, high brush. Some of this section of trail had been a logging road in the 1930s and is now grown over. I love Isle Royale, but in the interest of truthful trip reporting, I do not want to overly romanticize the experience: this part of the trail kind of sucks. The vegetation is so thick that I could not see Craig hiking in front of me for much of the way, nor could I see the actual path below my feet at times. Although there is no easy way to get turned around, from time to time I wondered if we were on the right path. Branches scraped at our arms, and colorful, furry caterpillars hitched rides wherever they could latch onto us (actually, I liked that part). This stretch is tiring, not because the terrain is rough (it is actually pretty flat), but because it is long and tedious, with virtually no scenery to enjoy. 

Moose and wolf scat on the Feldtmann Ridge Trail

We reached Siskiwit Bay at 3:30 p.m. The campground here offers 2 shelters, 4 individual tent sites, and 3 group tent sites. The shelter at site #5 was open, and we collapsed into it gratefully. I changed out of my hiking boots and into Crocs and didn't move for about a half-hour. Shelter #5 has a view of the bay and the standard picnic table out front. The day had become sunny and beautiful, and we were happy to be spending the next 2 nights here. Suddenly, trekking through all of that brush felt worth it.

Siskiwit Bay

Since our tent had been packed away wet after the morning's thunderstorm, I laid it out to dry in the sun, and we walked down the path to the bay to check things out and collect water. The path from the shelter curves through tall yellow grass before descending to the shore, where a community fire ring and a couple of picnic tables make a nice gathering area next to the dock. The beach here consists of smooth red stones and pebbles, and a breakwater made of boulders shields the dock from rough water. It is very quiet here, and I looked forward to waking up early the next morning to watch the sun rise over the east-facing bay. 

From the dock at Siskiwit Bay. The fire ring and picnic tables are on the shore between the dock and breakwater. Shelter #5 is at the top of the grassy hill at the edge of the woods.

The water was cold, but not so cold that we couldn't get in, and we both spent some time cooling off in the bay before returning to the shelter to make dinner. We used the twig-burning stove, which was challenging since most of the twigs we found were wet from the morning rain. After a few false starts and a bit of smoke, we had a small cooking fire burning in the little contained stove. Because twigs burn away so quickly, this type of stove needs constant feeding and supervision in order to prevent the fire from burning out and having to start over. Before long we were happily eating cheesy noodle casserole at the picnic table. A fox trotted by while we were cleaning up, looking around briefly for anything interesting to steal before moving on and disappearing in the tall grass.

Dinner prep

After dinner, Craig walked down to the group fire ring to dispose of the stove's ashes. By now, people had started to gather there to talk and absorb the sun. While Craig talked to fellow hikers down by the water, I read a book at the picnic table and had my camera on-hand in case the fox came back through camp. 

And then this happened: 

Left: Hanging out at the shelter picnic table.   Right: An unexpected visitor.

I saw movement and looked up to see an animal walk across the path and disappear into the grass. I stared dumbly for a few seconds, not believing what I was seeing, before picking up my camera. It wasn't the fox returning for a visit; it was a wolf. It turned around and emerged onto the path leading up to our shelter, around 30 feet away. I looked beyond the path to where Craig was talking with other hikers at the fire ring. No one but me could see what was happening because of the tall grass. The wolf looked from side to side, then started walking up the path toward me. 

I stood up, thinking that it might not realize I was there. It seemed focused on the grass in its immediate vicinity, and it kept walking toward me. This was really exciting, but how close should I let it get? I knew it was wrong, but part of me wanted to just stay quiet and see what happened. The more sane part of me knew that would be inappropriate for a number of reasons. It took a few more steps closer, then I clapped my hands and yelled at it like I was scolding my dog for being on the couch. It sounded stupid to me, and the wolf was not very impressed either. It stopped walking and looked at me for a second or two, but it seemed unconcerned. Then it turned around and slowly walked away, turning left where the path forks off and leads back toward the main hiking trails. 

Not wanting it to leave altogether before Craig had a chance to see it, I walked down the path and waved my arms to get his attention, while trying to keep track of the wolf's whereabouts. After a few frustrating minutes of Craig not understanding why I was waving frantically and not saying anything, he realized that there must be something to see and everyone walked up to meet me. The wolf was standing on the path a short distance away, it's coloring allowing it to blend into the grass nearly perfectly. We watched it as it looked around, observed us watching it, then turned and walked away for good. I took a video of it during this time, but the quality is very bad.

Wolf track on the beach at Siskiwit Bay

At dusk, Craig and I walked to the trail junction where the Island Mine Trail begins. We followed the trail to where it leads out onto the beach at the end of the bay. This is known to be a good place to spot animal tracks, especially in the early morning. We thought this may have been the direction in which the wolf had traveled, and we were right. Its tracks were clearly visible down the length of the beach. We walked along the beach for a while and returned to camp as it was getting dark. 

Back at the dock, we watched river otters swimming near shore. The couple we had flown with were camping here also, and they joined us at a picnic table where we traded hiking stories. Suddenly the fox appeared, and we watched its silhouette in the dark as it trotted around us for a few seconds before disappearing once again. Billions of stars shone in the black, moonless sky. It was going to be a cold night.

Day 2 route

 To be continued in: Day 3 - Siskiwit Bay Part Two (no hiking day)

Isle Royale National Park 2013 | Day One

Windigo to Feldtmann Lake
(Map at bottom of post)

Feldtmann Lake

After debating what route(s) to take this time – Hike the Greenstone Ridge from one end of the island to the other? Explore the west side of the island, which we hadn't seen before? Return to the island's east side, but hike to places that we didn't get to last time? – we decided to visit Isle Royale's western end. We opted to travel by sea plane this time, and we booked an 8:00 am flight to ensure an early arrival at Windigo and plenty of time for hiking the first day. 

A freighter on Lake Superior

Our plan was to hike the Feldtmann Ridge/Island Mine loop, working in a stop at South Lake Desor. Once back at Windigo, we would then hike the short Huginnin Cove loop, spending a night on the island's north coast. We had eight days; this was a lot of time for what we were planning, and it ensured we would have an extra day or two to spend in places we really liked. We planned to spend two nights at Siskiwit Bay, and maybe an extra night at Huginnin Cove depending on how everything went. Anything could happen once we were there, so we were open to winging it a little. 

Feldtmann Lake viewed from the sea plane

In addition to fewer people and fewer bugs, going after Labor Day also allows visitors to stay extra nights in places that have stricter limitations during peak season. On the flip-side of that coin, however, going late in the season also means the camp store is either low on supplies or closed for the season altogether. Visitors must arrive prepared with everything they will need; relying on the camp store to have essential items is not advised.

8 days' worth of food for 2 people. The squeeze tubes were eventually filled with peanut butter and jelly.

Because we took the sea plane, we were not able to bring fuel with us for our camp stove. This made for some strategic planning when it came to food. We brought an Emberlit twig-burning stove (given the restricted nature of campfires on the island, we confirmed pre-trip that these are ok to use) and a tiny Snow Peak isobutane stove with us, as well as several meals that could be made with cold water. The camp store at Windigo would be open the day we arrived, but it was closing right after. If it had fuel left, we would buy it for the Snow Peak. If not, we would make do without. In addition to the fuel situation, we brought a little extra food with us in the event we were unable to leave on our scheduled departure day. The sea plane does not fly in dangerous weather – especially fog – and Lake Superior's weather is famously unpredictable. 

 

Flying over Isle Royale's western end

We arrived at the Houghton County Airport by 7:30 am. It was dark, and we were the only people there. We hung out in the Royale Air Service waiting area until the pilot appeared and led us outside to the small plane. In addition to the pilot, the sea plane seats four passengers, and another couple from the Metro Detroit area of Michigan soon joined us as we got ready for departure. On busy days, the pilot flies back and forth to the island all day, picking up and dropping off at both Windigo and Rock Harbor. Because of this tight schedule, there is not much room for tardiness, and we left promptly at 8:00. The weather was questionable; it was starting out overcast with a high probability of rain and thunderstorms later on. I had checked the weather outlook before leaving home, which was absolutely pointless, but it made me feel better to see that the week was supposed to be partly cloudy with barely any rain predicted. This was, of course, completely subject to change. 

 

Coming in for a landing in Washington Harbor

The flight lasted around 30 minutes, and it was smooth sailing over Lake Superior. Approaching Isle Royale and flying over forest, bays, and inland lakes was exciting, as was the fast descent and landing in Washington Harbor. The pilot maneuvered us to the sea plane dock, where Ranger Valerie was waiting to greet us. Before leaving, Craig asked the pilot about the likelihood of being stranded due to weather. He responded that it was definitely possible since things tend to get exciting in September weather-wise. He told us that if we got back ahead of schedule and wanted to leave early in the event bad weather was coming, we should hang out by the dock and come talk to him when he flies in. If he could get us on the plane early, he would. This seemed ominous and hopeful at the same time.

We walked a short path up a hill to the Windigo visitor center, where Ranger Valerie registered our itineraries and talked to us about the island and good practices for our visit. We learned that there are currently around 975 moose on the island, and the current wolf count is eight. This is depressing, but in addition to the eight confirmed wolves, the small pack that lives near Siskiwit Bay is believed to have recently had two pups. Because of this, there is a lot of communication going on amongst the members, which means that their howls are being heard often. Ranger Valerie confirmed that rain was guaranteed in the forecast, and she cautioned about slippery conditions on the trail, especially on the protective boardwalks. I had forgotten how slippery these foot bridges can be, and we would likely encounter many of them due to the swampy nature of the island's southwest corner. 

Inside Windigo Visitor's Center

After orientation, we walked a little further up the hill to the camp store. On the way there, a fox trotted out of the brush and onto the path to observe the newcomers. After a few seconds, it returned to the woods uninterested. The store had one small canister of fuel left, which we bought. There were also a couple of very large canisters of fuel on the shelf, and various food and snack items that would seem like heaven at the end of a trip, but were not necessary at that moment. 

 

The Feldtmann Lake Trail follows Washington Harbor for about a mile

At 9:30 am, we began hiking the Feldtmann Lake Trail. The sky remained overcast, and the temperature felt like somewhere in the mid-70s. The trail runs along Washington Harbor for about a mile, then it turns inland and climbs a ridge. Once at the top, the trail breaks out of the woods, offering a view of Grace Harbor and Lake Superior to the west, and providing a nice place for a break after the steep climb. The trail leaves this ridge and re-enters the forest. From here to Feldtmann lake there is not much in the way of views. There is a lot of thick vegetation on this part of the island, much of it shoulder height or taller, and it can be tedious to hike through. On the bright side, the hiking is fairly easy. At one point I spotted a moose track in the mud, but we saw no moose on the trail. The area was thick with thimbleberry plants, but few berries. Around 12:30 we stopped for lunch and ate peanut butter and jelly on tortillas with a solo hiker we had met who is also from Metro Detroit. 

 

View to the west

We arrived at Feldtmann Lake at 2:15 pm. This area is known for being a good place to see moose, and my hopes were high. The trail runs right along the lake through the campground, with all but one campsite located across the path from the lake. Site #2 is right on the lakeshore and is a really nice spot. This site was already occupied, so we chose #4, which had a view of the lake and good water access. Feldtmann Lake is tent only; there are no shelters here. Each of the sites has its own section of lakefront, and although it was still overcast, the lake was pretty, with the surrounding trees mirrored on its surface, and views at the far end of the Feldtmann Ridge.

Looking through clear water at the rocky bottom of Feldtmann Lake

We set up our tent and spent some time wading in the lake. The narrow beach is made up of red sand and tiny red pebbles, eroded versions of the rocks on the lake's bottom and the red rock we had been seeing all day during our hike. A few garter snakes were hanging out among the roots of a tree on our path to the water, and they slithered into hiding every time we walked by. I had been walking around in knee-deep water for a little while, when I looked up to discover a great blue heron casing the beach about 20 feet away. I watched it walk quietly into the lake, looking intently for fishing prospects. It walked around for about 10 minutes before unfolding its huge wings, taking flight, and gliding just over the lake's surface. It relocated further down the beach, where tall grass near the shore must have looked like a more promising location.

Great Blue Heron in Feldtmann Lake

I returned to our campsite for dinner, which consisted of the heaviest things in our food bag that we wanted to get rid of first – a foil pouch of salmon for Craig, and tuna for me, which I ate on a tortilla with mayo. Another thing that makes Isle Royale unique is its lack of bears. Typically, we would refrain from bringing such interesting-smelling food with us on a

Section of trail lined with red stones

backpacking trip simply to eliminate any unnecessary attraction to our stash. Without that concern, there is a little more freedom to bring food we might otherwise leave at home. Campers at Isle Royale are actually advised to keep their food in their tents, a practice so inherently wrong to most northwoods hikers that it can be hard to get used to. The biggest threats to a hiker's food on Isle Royale are the red fox and the red squirrel, a smaller version of the mainland squirrel and a subspecies unique to the island.

As soon as we finished eating and got everything put away it started raining. We passed the time by napping in the tent. The rain did not last long, but the sky never cleared, and it started getting dark early without the sun. A spur trail from Feldtmann Lake leads to Rainbow Cove about ¾ of a mile away. Facing west across Lake Superior, this is known to be an excellent place to watch the sunset, and I was looking forward to walking there later in the evening. Unfortunately, a visible sunset was not on the horizon that night, so we spent more time on the beach of Feldtmann Lake before turning in at 9:00. We didn't see any moose. I read for a while and listened to fish jumping in the lake before drifting off to sleep.

Campsite #4 at Feldtmann Lake

Day One Route

To be continued in: Day 2 - Feldtmann Lake to Siskiwit Bay