Isle Royale - Day 23

Baby loons on Isle Royale, the image is a little fuzzy, don't want to get too close loons like their space, Tobin Harbor, Isle Royale

Key statistics:
Total miles hiked: 125.5 
Total miles paddled: 10.9
Total moose seen: 20
Total foxes seen: 5
Total days with no cell service: 22

​After working through the emotional brick wall I hit, today we awoke to a fresh start and tried to think of this as a phase four of the last stage of our month long adventure. We had cloudy skies and took off for Lookout Louise for the 3rd time this month.  ​Once on a rest day, once with our son, and now once with our friends. The third time was the charm for wildlife on this day trip.

 The loon pair had finally hatched their chicks and they were calmly riding on mom’s back enjoying the calm water and free ride. A moose was putting on a full show for us in Hidden Lake, submerging his head to eat and then popping back up and shaking it off. Snow shoe hairs munched on greens in the trail, and finally, the mosquitos swarmed attempting to eat our souls. Like I said, it was a fine day for animal life. That puts our moose count at 20 for the trip. We paddled the calm harbor all the way out to the mouth and took a peek at Scoville Point. The water temperature plummeted and the low rollers lifted the boats rolling in from about 90 feet deep to 25 deep. Paddling back in, we looked out the little family cabins and watched the bottom rise up in ridges toward our boats just like the main land does while hiking it. In some spots its only 2 feet deep, making me wonder how boaters navigate this crazy island.

Moose on Hidden Lake, Isle Royale

​We enjoyed cooking a semi-fresh meal in our cabins and prepared our gear for our switch to Windigo the next day. Amazingly, everything for me and my husband fits into two backpacks and a paddle bag, which is interesting and unnerving at the same time. I suppose if you pare down the essentials in life, there isn’t quite much you can’t live without. (But man, how I long for the ease of everyday life at home.)

When finding out our weather forecast for the next day, we were shocked to find out 29 knot winds and 3-6 foot waves with 8 foot waves possible were predicted for our morning ferry ride to Windigo. The captain says the boat can take it, and with enough Dramamine, hopefully, we can too.

Floating on the east end of Tobin Harbor, Isle Royale