Isle Royale - Day 16

Floating in Rock Harbor, Isle Royale

Key statistics:
Total miles hiked: 102
Total miles paddled: 4.6
Total moose seen: 13
​Total foxes seen: 4
Total days with no cell service: 15

​​Today was a perfect day for Lake Superior paddling. We woke up to a light breeze, blue skies, and gentle water forecasted all day. We immediately decided today was a day for boats. We loaded our gear into the boats and put into Snug Harbor by 9 a.m.

​A quick, clam paddle took us into main Lake Superior which the day before had 1-2 foot waves and gentle rollers. Feeling the lake lift and carry a boat underneath you is an unnerving sensation to say the least, especially for a couple of Hoosiers. Even on our short paddle, you could feel the cold wind coming off the 38 degree lake, and there is zero room for error. We hit the dock after about 10 minutes of paddling. Raspberry Island is a small island that looks relatively flat from Rock Harbor, but once stepping foot on Raspberry, we could see that it had a very interesting shoreline with beaches, rocky outcroppings, and amazing overlooks. The vantage point of the island allowed you to see so many iconic Rock Harbor spots from a totally new perspective. 

​We spent about an hour scrambling over the rocks, taking pictures, and exploring. The trails look much like most of Isle Royale, but the shores of Raspberry offer all the best of the best expected of places like Stoll Point. After taking many many pictures, we loaded the boats and paddled safely back to Snug Harbor, with another bucket list item checked off the itinerary.

The rugged coast of Raspberry Island, Isle Royale

​We then portages the boats over into Tobin Harbor and made our way all the way to the end of Tobin into big Lake Superior past Smith Island until we could see Stoll Point poking out into the lake. The cold air and deep blues changed upon entering the open lake and the swells of water lifted our boats gently. We looked through Red Rock Point into Merrit Lane where we had paddled 3 years before. We didn’t leisure long before heading back to Tobin.Along the way we saw bald eagles perched in pines, loons fishing and diving, ducks mates cruising the shores, and schools of fish 20 inches long.

Damage from the 2021 Horne Fire, Toblin Harbor, Isle Royale

The most interesting part of the paddle was paddling past the remnants fo the Horne Fire. This fire, started by a lightning strike,  has radically Altered the ecosystem, and burned about (360 acres). The park service worked hard to balance keeping the park a wild and natural place and preserving historic structures and recreational opportunities. ​

​The Lookout Louise trail was just recently cleared for reopening and we were fortunate to get to hike it. It was like hiking through Middle Earth. The understory had been burned out and all that remained was the rock and boulder chunks of the island, reminding hikers that Isle Royale is mostly rock. It made the hike take on a completely new feel and experience.

After paddling all of Tobin, we put the kayaks back and celebrated with a dinner of fresh salad from the Greenstone Grill.

Walking Lookout Louise Trail, after the Horne Fire, Isle Royale

Views from the top of Lookout Louise, Isle Royale