Isle Royale National Park | Day Seven

Huginnin Cove to Windigo / Washington Creek
(Map at bottom of post)

The sky over Huginnin Cove looked stormy when we got up at 7:30 am. We decided to skip breakfast since the hike back to Windigo was only about 4.5 miles along West Huginnin Cove Trail. We packed up quickly under the threatening sky and left at 8:30. We were sad to have to leave this wonderful place and would have loved to stay another day, but the weather continued to be consistent in its unpredictability, and we felt that heading back toward Windigo to be prepared in the event of more flight issues was the smarter thing to do. Anyone visiting the west end of Isle Royale should definitely visit Huginnin Cove; it's worth the short trip.

Stormy morning sky above Huginnin Cove

We departed the cove via West Huginnin Cove Trail, which heads south into the woods and is not nearly as interesting as its east counterpart. There are a few climbs and descents along this trail, as it traverses three different ridges. Like the east trail, WHCT eventually meets up with the Minong Ridge Trail, which leads back to Washington Creek Campground and Windigo. We were climbing a ridge near the intersection with the Minong, when Craig suddenly stopped in front of me and motioned for me to be quiet. A female moose and her two calves were slowly making their way through the brush a short distance in front of us, heading west along the side of the ridge we were climbing. We watched them through the thick brush, until they were mostly hidden in the woods off the trail to our right. Once we continued climbing the ridge, the cow moose heard us and then it was her turn to people-watch. We could barely make them out; the two small calves were hidden behind trees near their mother, who stood watching us intently. We continued on, happy to have finally seen our first moose of the trip.

Cow moose with 2 calves

We reached Windigo at 10:40 am and checked in with Ranger Valerie to see what the weather forecast had to say, and to see what the chances were of flying out today rather than tomorrow as planned. Neither of us really wanted to cut the trip short, but we also didn't want to push our luck given the weather and flying conditions of the last few days. It turned out that the plane was not flying, because no flights had been booked on this particular date. The decision was now out of our hands; we would stay another night at Washington Creek and attempt to leave tomorrow as originally planned. Whatever was going to happen would happen.

Someone at Windigo said that wolves were heard the night before by people camping at Washington Creek, which was exciting news. A fox trotted by us as we headed back down the path to the campground.

Inside Shelter #9 at Washington Creek

We settled in at Shelter #9, which had a good view of Washington Creek. It was cold and breezy; the sun tried to penetrate the clouds but was unsuccessful, and the heavy cloud cover remained all day. After making lunch, we watched ducks swim back and forth in the creek and then took a nap. Except for the occasional gust of wind or bird call, it was completely silent.

Around 6:00 pm, we took a walk to Washington Harbor. Earlier in the day at Windigo, we had seen a few park rangers looking like they were responding to something urgent. We now learned that a sailboat that was out in the harbor had started to sink – the Coast Guard at Rock Harbor was alerted, and the rangers we had seen at Windigo were heading out to help pump water from the boat and begin rescuing those on board. We would learn more details the following day from one of the stranded boaters. Peril on the high seas (lake)!

What is this fox doing?

On the way back to our shelter, we passed a small clearing just offshore, where a fox was having dinner. It had caught a bird and was sitting in the clearing eating it. It did not seem too concerned with our presence, and we watched it for a minute or so from around 10 feet away as it worked on its meal.

Oh, I have an audience.

Yes, I caught this bird. Now, if you'll excuse me...

Nom nom nom

It had been chilly all day, but the temperature dropped significantly as the sun went down. We went to bed at 8pm because it was too cold to do anything outside of a sleeping bag. Unfortunately, the weather forecast we had looked at earlier did not predict the temperature dropping to the mid-30s in the middle of the night. If we had known about this, we would have put our tent up inside the shelter to benefit from the retention of body heat. Instead, we hunkered down into our sleeping bags on the shelter floor, anticipating a chilly night in the 40s.

As we laid in our sleeping bags after dusk, the ever-elusive night-swimming moose returned to Washington Creek, splashing around in the dark just beyond our shelter. We wanted to see it, but neither of us wanted to get out of our sleeping bags and venture back into the cold to spy on it, so we attempted to get some sleep on our last night on Isle Royale. Maybe in the morning...

East and West Huginnin Cove Trail Marker

To be continued in Day 8: What will the weather bring?

Isle Royale National Park 2013 | Day Five

Washington Creek / Windigo

Fog in the trees along Washington Creek

Washington Creek was amazingly silent when I got up around 9 am. Yesterday was a turning point in the weather, and we were in for a period of dreariness. Again, fog blanketed the trees and obscured the sky. We ate breakfast, then walked to Windigo to see if weather information was posted and to kill some time. Once at the visitor center, I talked to Ranger Valerie, who had already heard about our wolf sighting at Siskiwit Bay a few nights ago. I filled out a wolf sighting report, which is eventually passed on to the wolf-moose study team. 

Washington Harbor

We walked around the Windigo area for a while looking at Washington Harbor, which looked very cool in the fog. There was a group of five or six guys hanging around the dock. They had been scheduled to leave the island on the sea plane the day before, but the plane had been unable to fly due to the fog. They were now on their 2^nd day of being stranded, and it did not look like they would be leaving today either. The weather forecast was not promising; there was a 50% chance of rain, and the fog was not going anywhere. The stranded hikers were sticking close to the dock in the event they got lucky. If the fog cleared and the plane flew in, at least some of them would be able to go home. 

Windigo Visitor Center

The Windigo store had closed the day before. We hoped that the stranded guys had some extra food with them. This was one of the scenarios that we had prepared for when planning this trip, and we were glad we had a few extra things with us in case we ended up in the same situation. The owner of the store was in the area taking care of things and preparing to close up shop for the season. Although the store was closed, she let us buy a few items. We grabbed a few snacks (I felt like I had hit the jackpot with a small box of fig newtons), and now that we had some extra room in our packs, we decided to buy one of the large canisters of fuel that was left on the shelf so we didn't have to be so conservative with our fuel supply in light of the lack of dry wood available.

Washington Harbor

It was still early in the day, and we had yet to decide whether to hike to Huginnin Cove or stay put due to the sketchy weather. I was really looking forward to seeing Huginnin Cove and was hoping for good weather while we were there since we would be staying in our tent close to shore. The weather forecast for the following day claimed a 40% chance of rain – no guarantee, but a little more promising, and we decided to hold out another day and keep our fingers crossed for a rain-free tomorrow.

Washington Harbor

The Voyageur II, the small passenger ferry that sails from Grand Portage, MN, showed up in the early afternoon with a few new visitors. Out of desperation, all but one of the stranded hikers decided to leave the island via this boat. The problem with this is that Grand Portage, MN is a very tiny town near the Canadian border without much in the way of helpful resources for people who were supposed to be flying back to Houghton, MI – approximately 7 hours away by car. The town does not appear to have a car rental facility (please correct me if I'm wrong, Grand Portagers); we have no idea what these guys planned to do once they arrived. They must have needed to leave badly enough that they decided they had no choice and would figure it out. 

The only moose we saw this day - Windigo Visitor Center

Barely 30 minutes after the Voyageur II sailed away from the dock, the sky suddenly cleared. Within minutes, the sea plane flew into the harbor. The Voyageur's passengers likely heard it, as they probably were not yet far enough away to be out of earshot of the small plane's distinct sound. What a kick in the nards. The plane landed and took off immediately after picking up the one fortunate guy who had held out. The clear sky was short-lived. The fog quickly returned, once again preventing the plane from flying for the rest of the day.

The sun breaks through, but just briefly around 8pm

We spent the remainder of the day around our shelter, relaxing and watching for moose. No luck there, but I saw what I think was an osprey dive into the creek to catch a fish. We ate Backpacker's Pantry Spinach Puttanesca for dinner and watched the sun struggle to pierce the clouds over Washington Creek. Rabbits were very active after dark, jumping on top of our picnic table and bounding through our site.

To be continued in: Day 6 - Washington Creek to Huginnin Cove

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 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