Short video
Long video
September 16 – 23, 2024
The lure of new multi-day, multi-sport routes executed through new (to me) areas has increasingly drawn my attention and effort as I continue to advance in my knowledge and risk management abilities. This eight day, 130 mile route through Isle Royale was, from that perspective, one of the most successful trips that I’ve planned so far in my life.
The (long) embedded video provides a fairly comprehensive summary of the trip, so this blog post exists mainly to convey details that aren’t in the video, for those who are inclined to do similar trips in the area. The short video shows just the highlights.
After seeing Travis and Gretchen’s video and article (article requires membership) of their nine day honeymoon packrafting trip there in 2012, Isle Royale has been firmly implanted in my head as a bucket list destination for many years. After seeing it myself, I can strongly encourage anyone who is interested to go do the same, as it does not disappoint.
Route Planning
I had several goals while planning the route. I wanted to paddle Lake Superior and Siskiwit Lake, as well as a chain of inland lakes. I wanted to circumnavigate the island, and I wanted a loop that no one had done before. After reading Jim DuFresne’s excellent guidebook, I also wanted to hike most of the Greenstone Ridge Trail, and see how much of the Minong Ridge Trail I could knock out in one day.
The National Geographic map is great both for overall planning and execution in the field.
Packrafts are an increasingly common tool, and the ranger issuing my permit didn’t blink at mine. The rangers on the island expect most guests will not stick to their exact planned itinerary, and are ok with backpackers making route amendments in response to unexpected conditions. There were over 50 people on my ferry over at this unpopular time of year, and most groups needed to be issued permits at the same time by just two rangers. I was able to rush to the head of the line, as I wanted to hike 14 miles the first afternoon.
Mid to late September offered almost no insects whatsoever, and, I assume, fewer people on the island than most other times of the year. Isle Royale is not open all year.
Paddling
Packrafting the inland lakes is relatively straightforward, and they offer easy bail options in the case of heavy winds as one is able to stay next to shore and then either has the time to wait out the wind, or the inclination to continue forward off-trail. Luckily, the weather was excellent for me and I was able to push westward against occasional slight prevailing winds.
Paddling Lake Superior, though, is a serious matter, not to be undertaken without due preparation and a solid plan B. Weather can change quickly, and extreme winds can make conditions 30 feet from shore very dangerous. Anyone wanting to paddle Lake Superior should have a nearby trail in mind in case the weather doesn’t cooperate. Of course, there are cliffs in places that can prevent a timely landing on shore. A spray skirt is very helpful, and a sponge or cook pot should be kept handy to bail in case of water in the boat. A confident, lightning fast wet reentry helps calm the nerves.
I used my backpack as a boat seat, both to save weight, and to lower my boat’s profile to the wind by removing it from the bow. Wind can ruin your day on Lake Superior. A PFD is mandatory, and a dry suit, paddle leash and/or boat leash should be strongly considered in case winds tip your boat.
When planning, the inland lakes can be paddled in most directions, as they offer more relief from the wind. Lake Superior, though, should probably be paddled in an easterly direction, unless you happen to have good weather conditions. These directions are reflected in my route.
I used an Alpacka Scout for my trip, and, together with the DIY drip deck I made, it was almost perfect. A Ghost probably would have done as well in the water, and been lighter, but I can’t buy a boat for every trip. A Scout, with its small tubes, is lower and narrower than most packrafts. This makes for a smaller profile against the wind, and a narrower profile when slicing through the water. It is noticeably faster on flat water than my Classic, with it’s wider tubes.
I used a paddle with an adjustable feather angle, and alternated between 0° and 45° depending on wind.
Hiking
Most of the trails in the park are at least somewhat overgrown by National Park standards. This never slowed me much, but it’s good to know.
This was my first long trip where I tried a long-long-short pattern in daily mileages, and it worked out great. I actually felt stronger at the end of the trip than at the beginning.