Debbie and Bobs Isle Royale Adventure

We left Thunder Bay June 28th and arrived at Grand Portage in 45 minutes.  The Wenonah was waiting for us along with Captain Melford S. Johnson, his wife Monica and crew Tom. There was a large cart up at the road for our packs which was really nice, someone wheeled it down to the boat. I was glad to have my fleece with me as the wind was a bit cool. That was the last time I needed it.  The lake was pretty calm.

Windigo:  The Park Rangers are so very pleasant, I do love those American Accents.  Left a bag at the store with clean T-shirt, undies, soap and towel.  Bob needed some sugar for a cheesecake he was going to make so I picked up 4 packs from the store for him.  Upon getting back down the trail to the water tap, Bob said he needed more sugar then that so went back up to the store.  I had a really good drink of water and filled my Platypus.  We headed out.  Bob kept to the left.  Wrong.  We turned around and went back and off to the right of the sign.  The walk along the shoreline was beautiful. Then we climbed for about 100 feet, then into a planked bog and over a bridge. The trail is very easy, thank heavens as the heat was draining. I took numerous stops, in fact every downed tree that offered me a seat I took.  Bob and his long legs put him about ten minutes ahead of me.  When he came to a beautiful rest stop he would wait for me. I was always so happy to see him. Did I mention the heat?? I had lots of deet and used it, as the bugs were pretty bad. Bob was going to forge ahead and see me at the campsite. "Fine ", I said.  After awhile there was Bob, something looked different, no big blue backpack. "We're here" he said.  "Where?" I asked.  "The campsite, Feldtmann Lake". I was so happy. And being the great guy that he is he offered to take my pack.  I let him.  That red red face of mine probably scared the hell out of him and he said "she needs help". My heart was pounding.  The heat really gets to me.  Thanks Bob.  Normally I would never let anyone take my pack, in fact this was the first time anyone ever offered.  I would live to hike another day.

Feldtmann Lake:  Put up the tent and and organized ourselves.  Walked to the lake and soaked our feet.  It was lovely. Nice family next to us, Nick his wife and two daughters.  Nick was fishing from shore, but not having much luck.  Lots of blood suckers in this water.  The sunset was beautiful.  I brought a two liter platypus with handles which was great as we filled it up, brought it back to campsite, let it sit for awhile and then filtered. The only thing about the campsite that sucked was there wasn't really a good place to sit.  Oh well.  We had a good nights sleep, got up really early, we didn't have a watch, but must have been 7 at the latest.  Had a great
breakfast and off we went.  The sky was blue and no breeze. Gorgeous morning.

Feldtmann Lake to Siskiwit Bay:  This was a long but beautiful hike.  The climb up the ridge was the hardest part of the whole hike and it was not that bad.  From the top of the ridge we saw a very large moose feeding in the lake, he went down under the water and came up.  What a sight.  A group that was on the boat with us led by Larry also was on ridge and we all marveled at the sight below.  Larry, young daughter Anna and about eight others  were heading the same way as us.  Really nice people.  The wild flowers were just amazing. Queen Ann's Lace, buttercups, lady slippers, and many others that I don't know the names of carpeted the whole ridge.  The fragrance of the white and pink wild roses filled the air as we hiked the trail.  We took time to smell the roses, it was glorious and so very soothing to know we were enjoying such a simple pleasure.  Then the grass got really long and at times chest high.  The heat was awful and not much of a breeze now.  I kept a golf towel on the back of my neck or on my head all the time.  Thank heavens for the canopy of the trees.  This trail was going on forever, you saw it ahead and it just went straight, no end in sight.   Then finally I came upon another lovely meadow and I knew that just beyond that was Siskiwit Bay.  The butterflies where
everywhere.  Being a florist I love all this stuff, flowers etc...

Siskiwit Bay Shelter Five:  What a nice place, is there anywhere that isn't lovely on this island?  We are going to stay two nights here.  The floor of the shelter was covered in a reddish dust, must be from the copper in the ground, we swept it out but it was all over our stuff.  It was nice to cook in the shelter, but would have been nicer to have used the table in front.  It was taken over by about one million flies, little buggers.  Bob was making his cheesecake.  He pulled out his bag of sugar, a pretty big bag, lots of packs, I counted 94.  That was a lot.  The cheesecake was delicious, he used the cold water of Lake Superior as the fridge.  Bob used 4 packs of sugar.  He was going to have to keep carrying that sugar out unless someone needed sugar.  It was nice to stay there two nights.  The dock was great to lay on and read.  Walked on the beach and saw lots of moose tracks but no moose.  Larry, his daughter Anna and the gang went swimming, so did Bob.  Not me, it was just too cold for this old girl.  It is what we call "nipples north" cold.  Sleeping on the hard floor in the shelter was a bit rough, I had only brought my blue foam, left my inflatable earth mattress at home, a weight thing.  One early morning  Nick's young daughter came up to me and said she wanted to share something with me, she continued to recite a passage from the bible, about giving thanks to god for this lovely day and all that we have.  I nearly cried.  I am not religious and having this young girl, someone that doesn't know me, come up to me this morning and give me this gift, I nearly cried.  "Right On" I thought.  Thank God for this Isle Royale.  I think Nick is a minister.  Nice family.  Bob made chocolate and banana pudding the last night, mmmm good.  We had backpacker's meals which were really very good.  I find them so very easy to carry and very tasty.  And now off to Island Mine.

Siskiwit to Island Mine:  The first part of the trail was rather hard to walk on due to the soft sand.  Found it easy on the harder packed beach.  Thank heavens for the planks over the bogs and swamps.  You must be sick of me saying how lovely this place is but, it is.  This was a long and gradual climb up.  The large sugar maples must be a sight to behold in the fall.  I was alone, Bob was off on his own hike.  Crossed pretty little streams and always soaked my little golf towel that was now permanently on my head.  Still hot.  I wouldn't even mind some rain.  Got to that big flat rock and rested for awhile.  Island Mine not far now.  The terrain seemed to change in here.  It was so quiet and still.  Bob was at the campsite and waiting for me.  I had heard this was not a nice campsite, but I loved it.  Lots of places to sit, and the ground was soft.  Fire rings and the stream had enough water in it to scoop up and bring up to site to filter.  That night Larry and his gang sang around the campfire, it was so very nice.  Their voices were like angels and we so enjoyed their songs while we lay in our tent.  It was spooky here, must be because it was so very still.

Island Mine to Windigo:  The next morning we left early again.  Larry and the gang were just getting ready for breakfast when we left.  We thanked them for the songs last night.  The hike to Windigo was again, lovely.  All down hill after the little climb at the beginning.  Bob was ahead of me and gone.  I was just taking my time, looking deep into the woods.  Even some of Larry's girl's passed me.  My feet had developed a few blisters  on the heels and on the toes from the long long up and down the trails.  Lots of pressure on those spots for along time.  I fixed them up with mole skin, so I wasn't in too much pain.  Just had to suck it up.  Was really glad to reach Windigo.  Got my little bag from the store and had a nice hot shower.  Feet stung like crazy.  Had a turkey sandwich and a coke.  Nice to have some bubbles going down my throat, ah the little things in life that you miss.  We had a few hours to kill before the boat left so laid on the dock, took some photos and chatted up with lots of nice people.  Ride home was a little rough, a few "green faces" found them selves up at the front of the boat.  Larry's group had T-shirts with this written on them, "Adventure is a Violation of Logic", sounded pretty cool to us.  Bob wanted to buy one of them, Larry gave him one, nice guy.  All nice people we met.

I will never forget my first trip to Isle Royale and will return one day, hopefully this fall.  Bob is back in Winnipeg, Manitoba and I am back home with my man Sandy.  I will admit I was tired for days when I got back but, oh so happy.  I had hiked 30 miles, the longest hike I have ever done.  Not bad for a Granny.

Written by Debbie
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