The_Beaver wrote on Sep 5^th, 2006 at 1:43pm:

My initial impression is that you need to decide if you are taking a backpacking trip or paddling, not both.

This is mostly true. Many canoe campsites are not reachable by foot. Many interior campsites are along trails that would be difficult to get to by portaging. The book "Isle Royale National Park Foot Trails and Water Routes" by Jim DuFresne has excellent recommendations for both backpacking and paddling trips.


The_Beaver wrote on Sep 5^th, 2006 at 1:43pm:

Reviewing the map it appears you could be portaging your gear and canoe long (by Q standards) distances. True?

Very true! It is difficult to plan a route that is not brutal in terms of portage length or elevation change on the first day or two. Any trail the crosses the short width of the main island is going to be like a roller coaster ride - lots of ups and downs!


The_Beaver wrote on Sep 5^th, 2006 at 1:43pm:

Looks like the N.E. part of the island might be the best place to paddle.  However, I've been told the landing areas along the perimeter of the island can be pretty rough. But it looks like the many inlets and bays, plus shorter portages to inland lakes on the Northeast side of the island, may lend itself best to paddling.

Any place that has a portage trailhead will be relatively easy to get in and out of, although the IRNP shoreline is generally quite a bit rougher then the few BW/Q places I have been to. A look at a topographic map can answer most of these kinds of questions. The NE tip of the island can be a bad place to be when the weather gets rough (but avoids a short but brutal portage).


The_Beaver wrote on Sep 5^th, 2006 at 1:43pm:

Has anyone applied for a received permission to camp offsite of designated sites?  I plan on going either in the spring or fall but am concerned about crowded campsite conditions.

You won't likely be able to get an offhand permit for camping outside of designated sites unless your trip has a planned bushwack to some isolated lake or other undeveloped interior location. Your permit will require that you have each day's campsite planned and chosen in advance (not just an entry point and duration as in the BW/Q). It would be a good idea to have a talk with a Ranger about such a plan. I have only taken the ferries from Houghton and Copper Harbor - The ferry out of Houghton is run by the park and is staffed with Rangers who can help with "difficult" permits during the crossing to the park.


The_Beaver wrote on Sep 5^th, 2006 at 1:43pm:

I've heard the Minong trail is usually a good place to seek for solitude. Any other areas see less use than others?

Minong is tough, so the crowd will be thin, even during the peak season. The same is true with the interior lakes that are more then one portage away from the main routes. Other less used sites are along dead-end side trails. My suggestions are Wood Lake, Intermediate Lake, Little Todd Harbor, Lake Whittlesey, Lane Cove, Duncan Narrows, Lake Desor West, and Pickeral Cove. Some of the sites have powerboat access and you may want to avoid them.

Have fun. No bears, but the fox and mini-bears (red squirrells) will cart anything away that they can lift!

-aj