11 Jul 03     Travel Day
- Went to work early. Came home at about 1030 hrs. Packs were pre-loaded into vehicles last night so all I had to do was change clothes, put on my traveling shoes, and remember to grab my hiking boots. Grabbed a Burger King double whopper on the way to the VFW.
- Met at VFW parking lot at 1230 hrs….scheduled departure at 1300 hrs since all of the gear was preloaded. - Several folks were running late so didn’t depart the VFW until approximately 1330 hours.
- Stopped at rest area about 30 miles south of Duluth.
- Gas n’ Go  at the Two Harbors Super America.
- Arrived Judge CR Magney State Park at 1830 hrs. Reservations had been made 3 months before.
- Erected tents, then day hiked the 1 mile to the Devil’s Kettle.
- Had cracker barrel at about 2100 hrs…only ate half the food.  Bedtime shortly after.

12 Jul 03    Day 1
- Up at 0445 hrs…everyone else at 0500 hrs. Cooked a hearty meal of breakfast burritos, bagels, sunny delight on the camp stove and propane tank we had brought just for this one meal…only ate half the food. Seems that there is a lesson here !  Wiped off the frying pan and spatula…and put the dirty dishes into Doug’s van. - The wet garbage and trash into Rocky’s truck bed to ferment for 8-days.
- Departed Judge Magney at 0630 hrs.
- Arrived at Voyageur II dock at precisely 0700 hrs. We stacked our gear on the dock and checked in with the boat captain. The Army Worm Black flies were swarming badly on the dock. A look into the future for the next 8 days? Actual loading started at 0745 hrs.
- Teams Wolf and Ventures loaded gear on the VII. Team Wolf was traveling to start at Rock Harbor and end at Windigo.  For the VII the gear is stored topside…no need to separate fuel from pack but we had separated anyway. The Wenonah stores backpacks below deck so fuel is required to be separated. Since we were returning on the Wenonah, we still needed a plan to separate fuel.
- Turned car keys over to Team Moose (they will shuttle vehicles to Wenonah parking lot while waiting for  their Wenonah ride at 0930 hrs). Team Moose was heading to Windigo to walk the Hugginin and Feldtmannn Loops.
- VII departed at 0800 hours...boat was full. Winds were calm, skies clear. Could see IR immediately after leaving the Harbor….20  miles away…arrived IR 1015 hrs. From the boat as we approached the fueling dock (the main dock is under construction), we could see two Moose in the water at the mouth to Washington Creek. Good start of the trip.
- Turned in the Group Permit and the security of having guaranteed campsites (original plan was to have a group of 7), and re-registered for the liberty and risk of a small group. Filled all water containers (a full water load was needed for the first day) at the flag pole, next to the visitors center. My full load of water is 164 ounces.  Team picture at the Windigo sign near the main dock. Loaded packs at 1100 hrs and  ready to hit the trail. Scouts then decided to eat lunch (the plan was to eat on the VII). Ate lunch… finally departed to S. Desor at 1130 hrs. Total pack weight of 60 pounds.
- As we left, there was not a clear plan for the week other than going to S. Desor today.  I was fine with that. That’s what is nice with a small group of 6 or less…the freedom of choice. The general theme was a goal of an end-end-end trip (Windigo-Rock Harbor-Windigo), but a route had not been finalized. They seemed to be leaning towards a S. Desor to Todd Harbor  to L. Richie to Rock Harbor then return straight back down the Greenstone to Windigo. We had discussed doing the Minong on the return trip. But on the drive up, after reading the route description of the Minong in the guide book,  it did not seem they wanted to tackle the Minong from Little Todd to Windigo. I wanted to do the Minong but was willing to allow the scouts to lead.
- Trail was clear and easy. Skies clear, light breeze, not too warm, but got a good sweat going. Walking speed was 2 ½ to 3 mph  with loaded packs going up the Greenstone! After only a mile my left knee tendonitis started to flair-up slightly. Mentally I said “Uh-oh…80-something miles and 7 ½ days to go !” On the first break, took a Naproxen anti-inflammatory pill and the knee felt great…until the end of Day 6. I had developed, for the first time ever, tendonitis following a warm-up hike on the Superior Hiking Trail the month before.
- Everyone stayed together. Andy developed chaffing on inner thighs and dropped back to the back…but we were still in a line group. Concern for another 7 days ! (next day he was just fine and never had a problem again).
- Arrived S. Desor at 1630 hrs (with breaks, nearly 2 ½ mph average).Erected camp (small group site # 3 …trail to the left).Went for a swim at the public beach down near the group sites. Washed shirt , shorts, socks.
- Scouts abandoned plan to go to Hatchet the next day...they decided to pursue the 16 miles to W. Chickenbone. I wondered internally how this would change the overall plan and trip. I had my doubts (in them and mostly myself) but Hatchet Lake is the middle point so the final decision could be made there with no harm. I knew we could not go 16 miles without water resupply…I didn’t know if the Scouts  had discussed water resupply.
- Read a few pages from my reading book “ With Lawrence in Arabia “, Lowell Thomas, 1923. Went to sleep at sunset. Weather threatening to storm out of the NW. No bugs in camp.

13 Jul 03   DAY 2
- Started raining during the night…not hard but steady. Tent inside bone dry, Eureka Apex 3XTA with a 2 mil ground sheet.
- Due to rains night before and the first miles of the trek, slept in to about 0615. Prepared breakfast. Had red squirrel a foot away begging/looking for food. No sun to dry out tents,  so loaded  wet tents and moved on. - Put on gaiters due to wet vegetation.
- Departed for W. Chickenbone 0730 hrs.  As soon as hit the trail, skeeters attacked in force. After about 30  minutes stopped and applied 100% deet (on August 2001 trip never used bug juice once). Next stop was Ishpeming Tower. No bugs, light breeze, weather was cool and nice.
- Scouts debated to abandon end-end-end plan and go to Malone Bay as a change in itinerary. After debate, stayed the course.  Original 30 minutes break stretched to 1 hour break at Ishpeming Tower. Great place for it! Back on the trail, bugs were gone, and sun started to shine. Spotted a moose partial skeleton…back bone intact and some ribs.
- 2 hour break for lunch and water at Hatchet Lake Spur/Greenstone. Boiled water and ate lunch. Left packs at the Greenstone-Hatchet Trail. Removed gaiters. Went down to the Lake with Pur Hiker filters, water bag, and water bottles. Filled all bottles and walked the mile minus back to the packs. I thought, “I’m glad I don’t have a pack up this hill…but Team Wolf will in a few days when they cross over from the Minong”.
- Sometime during this day , David started reporting having heel blisters forming. They ended up as silver dollar blisters and red raw. He ended up using duct tape, big band aids, mole skin, and surgical tape. By the end of the week, the heels had lost their redness and were feeling and looking much better. Worse injury and problem we had on the entire trip but he was still moving strong.   Tom and Matt start to lag behind a few hundred yards. Andy, Hank , and David were still moving fast. I maintained a middle position.
- The miles are taking their toll, everyone is starting to slow down. Instead of walking for an hour and breaking for 10 minutes….we start breaking after 30-45 minutes. At one of the breaks we do a little map and compass. We shoot a back azimuth from the end of Lake Siskiwit to determine our location on the Greenstone.
- Arrived W. Chickenbone about 1700 hours. Took the next to last open small site…an hour later all sites were full. Our site barely had room for our 2 tents. There was fresh red fox scat so I reinforced the idea of hanging the packs and packing everything away.  Too tired to eat or move for a while. Finally ate dinner but reported to Andy that he had brought me to one of the finest fishing lakes on the island but I was too tired to fish ! Did recover about 1930 but still didn’t fish. There was a moose  later in the evening out in the lake.
- Left the tent fly rolled back for a little breeze. Read a few pages.
- Rain drops at about 1:00 am ! I  got up to roll down the rain fly and put in a few stakes. By the time I’m done the rain has stopped and never rained again.

14 Jul 03    DAY 3
- Up at 0500 hrs..the Scouts a little later. During breakfast, I hear brush rattling and I turn to see a snowshoe hare about 10 feet away sitting on the trail
- Scouts target Three-Mile via Lake Richie and the Rock Harbor Trail as the days goal. This will put us a full day ahead of schedule. They establish  a new goal and motivation…beat both Team Wolf and Moose back to Windigo for “bragging rights”. I have a secret that will prevent this but I was unwilling to share at this time.
- Departed at 0645 hours for 3-Mile via Lake Richie. Trail was fast and dry. Only had a ½ load of water because we were stopping at  Daisy Farm for lunch and Andy maintained they had “pump water” at Daisy Farm by the dock. I had my doubts.
- As we were approaching Lake Richie campground, spotted a cow swimming from one island to another. Took an extended break on the large, flat rock area near the Richie group sites. There was bull moose out in the water (300 yards away) eating by the island…it ate the entire time we were there. Met 3 guys who had come in from Chippewa Harbor. They were there to fish…had full size rods and tackle boxes. They had been catching small northerns but releasing them. About that time one of them walked up with a 24-28” northern on a stringer. I was envious! Looked like a good shore lunch was coming .
- Pulled into a picnic shelter at  Daisy Farm for lunch. Stayed about an hour. Sitting on a picnic table was really nice. Shared the shelter with a father and daughter who had day hiked from 3-Mile. When the scouts explained our plan of end-end-end, his main comment was that it was "aggressive". Several other times during the trip the scouts talked to folks about the plan and they assumed we were on a 2 week trip. To a person, everyone was surprised when the truth was eight days.
- Ate lunch and then looked for the pump water. There was none. So we pumped water from the dock to take us to Three-Mile. Asked a ranger at the dock for a weather report. He said thunderstorms are due in that afternoon. Andy and Hank moved out strong in front. David’s blisters started to slow him down, and I was glad he had excellent training, conditioning, and mental toughness as a cross-country runner.  Tom and Matt brought up the rear. The section of trail with its exposed roots and rocks is my most disliked on the entire island. You need to constantly look down. I could hear thunder, but no lightning, behind us. The wind started to pick up blowing on our backs, and the skies behind us were threatening. I just wanted the weather to hold for another hour !  The weather held, no rain or lightning. Did pass about ten people coming from RH from the afternoon boat going to  Daisy Farm. I had my doubts about getting a shelter that time in the afternoon at Three-Mile.
- Arrived Three-Mile  at 15-1600 hours. Stayed in a shelter just down from the Group sites. It was nice and there were still empty shelters that night. Sponged bathed at the beach. The water was so cold my hands hurts just washing them. Later we heard that Team Wolf had swam here 2 days before !  I read down on the beach, the Scouts played baseball…using sticks to hit rocks into the water. We ate dinner, and pumped water from the dock. The original plan was to day hike the 6-mile round trip to Rock Harbor so they could say “Yes…end to end to end “ But that would have been a 20-mile day. There was a concern on David’s blisters, it was getting late, and there was still a threat of rain. The Scouts opted to not go. Good decision, so I would not have had to say no. To avoid a let down, I explained that going to RH would have been a symbolic gesture with no real purpose (who wants an ice cream cone or flush toilets in the middle of a wilderness adventure?) -Windigo to Three-Mile to Windigo is still end-end-end in my book. And we had accomplished the first leg from Windigo to 3-Mile in just 3 days . We had 5 days to get back. The scouts targeted E. Chickenbone as the next day’s target. I knew that McCargoe was a much better choice but they were making the decisions and to date, they had made good decisions so I allowed them to continue to lead. The actual return route… Greenstone or Minong was still undecided.
- Just as we snuggled down for the night at  sunset, it started to rain. Apparently it was a pretty good storm with thunder and lighting and winds…but I slept right through it. Matt did get wet….he slept on the valve to his water bladder.

15 Jul 03   DAY 4
- Up at 0500 hrs.. the scouts a little later.
-Put on gaiters for the anticipated wet undergrowth from the rain the night before. Departed at 0630 hours for E. Chickenbone via Mt. Franklin. Skies clear but the rocks were wet and slippery as we left the campground up the Mt. Franklin Trail. The final ½ mile climb to the ridge really smoked me. At my advanced age I need at least 30-45 minutes to get my muscles warm and other parts stretched. I quickly lost contact with the other 5 and really struggled to the ridge…took multiple 30-60 second wind breaks until I got to the top. The Scouts were waiting for me at Mt. Franklin. Extended break for photos and the view. Easy and fast walking along the ridge. Great views of both the southern shore and the northern shore into Canada. Took an extended 45 minute break at the tower at Mt Ojibway. You can nearly go to the top of this tower. Winds were terrific in cooling up top and drying things out. After the break met a pair of hikers coming up from Daisy Farm via the Daisy Farm Trail. They asked how we liked the big storm last night. As stated before, hadn’t really noticed it. They said that many of the folks at Daisy , with shelters facing the water, had gotten really soaked. The scouts didn’t say much but did listen….at our next shelter they worked out a contingency plan to put tent flies up to block wind and rain as needed (was never needed).
- Along the way, the Scouts determined that McCargoe Cove is only another 2 miles past E. Chickenbone. This was the correct choice…not only a chance at a shelter but a much better view and things to do. I had never been to E. Chickenbone but based upon the map, it didn’t appear near water and I thought  it wasn’t.  - Though it was only 2 miles to go to McCargoe, we stopped for a 30 min Lunch at E. Chickenbone. Not only is the water several hundred yards from the campsites but it’s downhill. McCargoe Cove was definitely the better choice. About ¼ mile from the Cove, a cow (as in moose) trotted across the trail about 30-40 feet in front of me. Arrived McCargoe Cove about 1145 hours. There were 2 shelters open,  and a father and son Kevlar canoe team just leaving the shelter nearest the water. We took that shelter. The father and son had just canoed/portaged/fished their way across the island and were heading out the Cove towards Superior. They had started at Chippewa Harbor. They would have left earlier but there were white caps on the Cove. The wind was still blowing hard and the white caps were nearly gone.  Spent a leisurely afternoon washing and drying clothes, reading, etc.
- There was a group of 4 young guys (in their 20’s) who had come from Windigo using the Minong. What a great source of potential information! I asked about the trail conditions. The trail was dry but rugged. I asked how  was the trail from Little Todd to N. Desor. They said tough and that they were all in pretty good shape. It was all up and downs on rocks, or in the woods with skeeters. They said the trail from Windigo to N. Desor was longer but not as tough. I was glad we were hitting this section with near empty packs. The scouts still had not committed on the Minong. I believe they were still discussing crossing over to the Greenstone at Hatchet Lake.
- Did make the run up the trail to the Minong Mine before dinner. There are really two ways into the Mine area. About ¾ mile from the Cove is a post and old steel wheel with a trail leading off to the left (south) This takes you to the tailings and tailing pond. Another ½ mile up the trail, the Minong splits off to the right. Follow the left trail and you go to a mine area where there is a lot of debris, the old mine you can enter, and other neat things. Got back to the Cove and a cow was in the water eating directly opposite the dock.
- Bed time at sunset.

16 Jul 03   DAY 5
- Up at 0500ish. Tom’s 19th  birthday today. We sing to him while he is still in his bag, and deliver a card from his parents. Departed at 0630 for Todd Harbor. We were feeling very good. Walked about 2 ½ hours before the first break. Stopped for another break and knew we were close. A couple came by. Asked them how far to Todd…they said about 5 minutes. Arrived Todd Harbor at 1030 hours. The only shelter there was vacant. Our third straight  night in a shelter…getting spoiled.
- At some point yesterday or today, the decision had been made to do the Minong to Windigo. After a few hours, the scouts started discussing about just pushing on to Little Todd…would only take about  another 3-4 hours. They agreed not to. I’m glad we didn’t go, though we had never camped or visited Little Todd.  At the pace we were going, if we had done that, we may have finished the trip 2 days ahead of schedule versus just one.  Day was a very  lazy day. Weather was absolutely perfect. Light breeze, sun. Went out to the dock to wash clothes and dry everything out. Did some reading laying on the dock, dozed off, read some more, dozed more….1 ½ hour later went to the shelter and everyone zonked out. Aired out my sleeping bag, Woods 40 Degree. Everything I had got a drying and airing out. This was an excellent time to have some down time on the trip. David’s blisters got a good drying out. By this time Tom and Matt has both gotten some small blisters. I had a small blister on the tip of one small toe about ¼” in diameter. Andy and Hank had no blisters and did not get any on the trip.
- A trail volunteer was at the beach  and we talked a little. He hits the trail for 10 days at a time checking for trail and camp conditions, talking to people, and just being a backcountry helper and watcher. At 1900 hrs, a group of 4 weary hikers came in from the direction of Windigo. They had just came from N. Desor that day. They verified the dry trail. Asked  them what time they had left. They weren’t too sure but about 0930. This was a 9 ½ hour day for not quite 12 miles ! The group were teenagers and a 20-something year old. My anxiety of what was ahead was growing. Later visited the Hay Mine site and the scouts played rock baseball on the shore line past the small waterfall that flows in to Superior.
- Later on while we were preparing dinner, the backcountry ranger/volunteer came by for a talk.  He had been a ranger last year but due to budget cuts he was just a non-paid volunteer this year. Wanted to know where was our final destination. I told him Windigo via the Minong. He said that was a tough and rough trail. I said we were up for it. Wanted to know if we were just going to Little Todd tomorrow. I said no, to N. Desor. You could tell by his facial gestures and after looking at me, he was concerned and had his doubts. He again iterated that the trail from Little Todd to S. Desor was very tough and make sure we took a lot of water. I assured him we would and we wouldn’t have any problems. He still had concerns. He then wanted to know where we had started . We told him Windigo and that we were on our return leg after hitting 3-Mile, and that this was just Day 5 of the trip. Even bragged about the 16 mile day on Day 2. His expression of concern disappeared. He said that he was not easily impressed , but he was now. And that we wouldn’t have any problems completing the trip down the Minong. Needless to say, the Scouts could have finished the 22 miles to Windigo right then and there with that ego boost! A cow came visiting the site just at dusk…about 50 feet from the shelter. Tom called to everyone and we came for a look. He put his eye up to his camera and  started to walk forward for a better picture.  Not a good idea.  He tripped on a log and scared her away.
- Bedtime at sunset once again.

17 Jul 03   DAY 6
- Again up at 0500ish. Departed at 0630 for N. Desor . Trail was once again dry and fast and relatively level. As we passed the trail that leads to Hatchet Lake, I knew that soon we would be at the point of no return and the Minong would be the only way to Windigo. We again went about 2 hours until the first break . Arrived at the spur trail to Little Todd at about 1000 hrs. Spirits were high. Took an extended break knowing we only had 4 ½ miles to N. Desor. But the guidebook said that on this part of the trail we could expect only doing about 1 mph actual speed and the group at McCargoe Cove said this was a tough piece. We left the spur junction and immediately encountered the trail that we had been warned about. We climbed steeply to the exposed rock ridge and saw the “never ending” trail of rock. I was glad the trail was dry. If it was wet, we would definitely have been moving at 1 mph. As it was, we did about 1 ½ mph…took 3 hours to cover this section. Scouts were excited about having done well on this section. Along the way, there were great views of not only Canada but of the Greenstone Ridge.
- There was talk at one of the breaks about just going straight to Windigo that day…making it a 22 mile day and being 2 days ahead of schedule. Besides the physical aspects and doubts for myself, what would we do at Windigo for nearly 2 full days? Of course the Scouts said “sleep”. They then said they would still be there before either of the other two teams by getting there the next day. I then let my “terrible” secret I had been keeping to myself out. We could not go to Windigo the next day. The Park rule is that you can not have more than 10 people from any organization at one campground…this would put us over the limit. I told them they would have to think about an alternate plan. I told them the “why” of not sharing the info sooner. I was concerned they would have lost their momentum and drive, and lost site of the goal of end-to-end to-end if they would have known Windigo was off-limits. Even with this news, the scouts still maintained their high spirits and motivation.
- Somewhere near the end of the day, my left knee started to throb a little. Arrived N. Desor about 1300 hours. 6 ½ hours on the trail. The scouts prepared lunch. After a short break, my knee started to stiffen up. Took a Naproxen and things felt fine. For me this turned out to be the favorite site on the trip. I read for hours laying on the beach…a large flat rock outcrop that slopes into the water. Could see across Lake Desor to the beach at S. Desor…our Team Moose was supposed to be there that night. From the beach , the emerald green of the Greenstone Ridge was silhouetted against a cloudless baby blue sky. From this vantage point, You have a virtually unobstructed , 150-160 degree panorama of the ridge….seems you can see about 10-12 miles of the Greenstone. Mts Desor and Sugar Mountain stand out incredibly well. Saw a pair of loons, a family of ducks, and far in the distance I think a bald eagle was soaring over the lake.
- A red squirrel, nicknamed “Hamsters” by the Scouts, got into Hanks snack bag. They were really aggressive at this site but no other damage, but the “Hamsters” really tried. We were alone at this site.
- That night, I awoke at about 2:00 am to an incredible view.. My tent was facing the lake, the fly was up so you could the full moon slightly above the Greenstone, just to the left of Mt Desor. There was not a breath of air, the Lake was absolutely still with the reflection of the moon on the lake. And there was not a sound of anything…no insects, no wind…absolutely quiet. An hour later I was sleepily awakened to the sound of I think a loon singing.  The next morning the boys said they had heard a wolf howling in the night. If that had been a wolf, it must have been within 50-100 yards of the camp because what I heard was very, very close.  I was partly asleep, and in hindsight, would a loon have been singing at 3:00 am?

18 Jul 03   DAY 7
- Again up at 0500ish. Departed at 0630 for Hugginin Cove. The trail was better with a lot less time on rocky ridges. However, the map profile suggested a saw tooth series of up and downs up ahead. Just before the first break, I feel a blister on my right heel. I thought, what’s that all about after nearly 7 days hiking? At the first break, I remove my socks . Sure enough, a quarter blister has developed. I put on two band aids and no problems. The only thing I can think of is that I had not laced and tied by right boot yesterday and the rocky trail of the Minong created enough foot movement to create a hot spot. A poor mistake ! A few miles later, I hyper extend my knee again. The same way I way I had injured the knee on the Superior Hiking Trail.  The knee feels fine with no pain. But, if it follows the previous pattern, it  will start to stiffen with tendonitis within 24 hours. If it gets worse, possibly the scouts will get their wish to go straight into Windigo today.
 The trail is much better than yesterday. We hit the saw tooth hills and I am quickly reminded of the Superior Hiking Trail…the one section we hiked was aptly named the Sawtooth Mountains. Crossed 3 beaver dams…2 across their tops and a third on a very poor log “bridge” just below the dam. Arrived 1130 hours at Junction Hugginin Cove/Windigo/Minong. Sign posts says “Windigo , left 1.8 miles”, “Hugginin Cove, right, 4.3 miles”. - As soon as I arrive, the scouts, as predicted, hit me with, “Mr. Sparks, Have we got a deal for you”. They would willingly carry my pack the remaining 1.8 miles to Windigo for me.  Also, how about we go there for a few hours then, we’ll go to Hugginin Cove. There were a few more attempts. Matt then said his pack was broken…he was missing a pin connecting the hip belt to the frame. “Luckily” we were able to conduct a field repair so he could continue the hike. Took a 30 minute break and then arrived Hugginin Cove 1330 hrs. Nice breeze and beach. Washed and dried socks and then did some reading. The scouts played cards and built an impressive dam on the stream feeding into the cove. They then built a waterway and raced twig boats…and a slime boat.  Found a moose antler that had washed upon the beach. No one else was at the site…that was 2 nights in a row with no other visitors.  Since leaving McCargoe Cove on the  morning of the 16th , we had seen a total of  about 20 people on the Minong and Hugginin Trails, about 32 miles of trail…all traveling in the opposite direction from us.
- Went to sleep at sunset…actually watched the sunset from inside my tent. Nice view.

19 Jul 03    DAY 8
- Up at 515ish, scouts slept until 0600…departed for Windigo 0700. Scouts were off like propelled from a cannon. I followed with a stiff knee that mostly loosened up by the time I got to Windigo.  Arrived Windigo at  0830 hrs. Scouts had arrived earlier and were actually seen “running” the last ½ mile. I started looking for Team Moose in the first shelter from the trail which I believe is  # 15. Should have predicted it….they were in # 1.  #1 has great access to Washington Creek. There was a cow in the water about 40 yards downstream. Team Moose as expected had stayed the night before. Actually, they had arrived 2 days before from S. Desor, a day ahead of schedule (but that's another story).
- As I was heading to the fuel dock to drop my pack, the scouts were already heading back to shelter # 1 with swim trunks to go wading in Washington Creek. Dropped my pack at the fuel dock and saw 2 moose feeding near Washington Creek. As I sat at the picnic table near the dock with 3 other travelers, one of them remarked about the white moose he was seeing over at Washington Creek. With a chuckle, his other companions then remarked that it wasn’t a Moose but some people in the water. He only offered that he didn’t have his glasses on. I looked over…sure enough, there were the scouts. Since one of the scouts is about 6’3” and 330 lbs,  I could understand the mistake. I did introduce them later on the Wenonah going back to Grand Portage…he was somewhat embarrassed as he looked up into the eyes of the Great White Moose of Isle Royale
- The lead elements of team Wolf began arriving at about 0930 hrs from their morning hike from Feldtmann Lake. The plan had come to near closure. Three teams who went their separate ways 8 days before have now come back together.
- Spent the next several hours talking with other team members, shopping in the store, and doing the nature trail guided tour. Bought a turkey sandwich from the store…best $4 I have spent in a long time.
- Departed on Wenonah at 1450 hrs (versus scheduled 1500 hours)…arrived uneventfully at Grand Portage at 1740 hrs (versus scheduled 1800 hrs). It was cold on the Wenonah and I had only brought my rain parka. Should have brought my fleece top.  Offloaded gear, picked up vehicles from the Wenonah parking lot, and hit the road at 1800 hrs. Stopped for about an hour in Two Harbors for gas, McDonalds, and Subway….12” Sub, chips, and 2 large sodas hit the spot.
- Arrived in the VFW parking lot at precisely, and surprisingly, at 2400 hrs (midnight).... as planned several months before! Got home at about 0030 hours on the 20th. Next morning I had coffee, 6 eggs, and 6 pieces of toast for breakfast….but I was hungry again by lunch !

Reflections
- For me, the trip was everything I had anticipated…and with a little extra. We had an experienced team of six backpackers, who also happened to be scouts and scouters, that had traveled 90 miles afoot in slightly more than 7 days. Not great mileage when compared to an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker doing 30 mile days, but pretty darned good for two 15 year olds, two 17 year olds, one 19 year old, and one 45 year old.
- On our two trips to Isle Royale (2001 and 2003), we have hiked over 150 miles on the Island and have seen great beauty in the animals, plants, and scenic views. But more importantly, this enchanted and wilderness land has given an opportunity for the scouts to mature as young adults. Character does count in life… and is there a better place and method to build character than the physical and mental challenge of planning a trip and then walking on the Greenstone and Minong Trails ?

Written by Keith Sparks
(C)Copyright 2003 All Rights Reserved