Isle Royale - Day 15

Our last morning at Malone Bay was a great one, Isle Royale

Key statistics:
Total miles hiked: 99
Total miles paddled: 0
Total moose seen: 13
​Total foxes seen: 4
Total days with no cell service: 14

​​We awoke to a blue sky, full sun day and were anxious to see if our water taxi would arrive as schedule. The precious day had actually experienced gale force winds and the Isle Royal Queen IV had canceled services to the island due to 8 foot swells.

This is a rare event, and we were concerned this would be yet another time we would be delayed due to weather. We have experienced 3 day waits for sea planes due to fog before, twice, and we know how awful it is to ration your remaining meal or two. However, an hour before scheduled, we heard the zip of an engine coming through Malone Bay, and hustled to the dock to find Marina, our captain, arriving early to avoid any possible additional waves later in the day. She told us how the rollers from the big lake made today’s trip unknown, and she was glad to arrive safely with us ready to load up so that we could ensure fewer waves. Seeing the island front he vantage point of the water taxi was a real treat as Marina called out landmarks and we saw the cliffs  and coves from the water.

Upon arrival to Rock Harbor, we checked on our kayaks, had the celebratory chips and salsa tradition from the store, and soaked up the sun as we waited to check into the house keeping cabin we had rented. There, we cleaned up a week of grime, filth, and sweat, and enjoyed the comforts of soft seating and running water for the first time in 2 1/2 weeks.

Our "after" picture moments after making it back to Rock Harbor, Isle Royale