Isle Royale - Day 25

Closing in on the Beaver Island dock, Washington Harbor, Isle Royale

​Key statistics:
Total miles hiked: 134.9 
​Total miles paddled: 14.5
Total moose seen: 21
​Total foxes seen: 6
Total days with no cell service: 24

​With the weather not as hoped for, we awoke to a weather window on a forecasted stormy day, so we decided to paddle out to Beaver Island and around Washington Harbor and Washington Creek. That way we would be close to camp if the weather picked up.

Floating up Washington Creek, on the lookout for a moose, Washington Harbor, Isle Royale

We put in the wide harbor and took off an out a mile across to Beaver Island. The float plane take off and landing was on the way and we were able to get an up closes and personal view of the plane. Watching them face into the wind and rev up the engine is thrilling, even when you aren’t the passenger strapped in. We peeked around the island and saw the dock. Paddling up to the dock, we could see the 3 shelters and then got out to explore the island. The shelters have an east facing view to help the fishermen who normally stay there wake up early to fish. All the boaters were gone for the morning,  but the island was so quaint and well kept. We shoved off from there and tucked our noses out into the full southwest wind, but the wind was still churning up too much for a paddle to Grace Island, so we circumnavigated the Island and went up Washington Creek. The creek was perhaps the highlight of the paddle . The twists and turns through the c lam water and growth on each side had us hoping to come upon a moose. You could see all the moose paths through the brush.

After our paddle, we decided it was a clear windy day and a good time to check out Huginnin Cove again. We flew down the 9.5 mile trail in great pace with no packs on our backs and a wind keeping us cooled off and the bugs The views of Canada were crisp and the water was absolutely shimmering in the sunlight. We were glad to have added the excursion tot he afternoon, and went to sleep early and slept hard that night.

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Huginnin Cove, Isle Royale