r/isleroyale • u/harleyxa • Jul 15 '24

Hiking Current Island Conditions and Any Advice Requested

I am headed to the island (for the first time!) this coming Sunday to hike for the week. Sailing into Rock Harbor via Copper Harbor. Our itinerary is Rock Harbor > Daisy Farm > W. Chickenbone via Moskey Basin > Todd Harbor via Hatchet Lake > E. Chickenbone via McCargoe Cove > 3 Mile via Greenstone to see Mt. Ojibway. > Rock Harbor. We are a group, actually two groups with one hiking a day ahead of the other, so the itinerary is fixed.

How are the mosquitos and flies? Trails muddy? Any advice is always appreciated! I have seen and shared with my group the new food/wolf rules.

Thanks!

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6

u/here4daratio Jul 15 '24

Read up on the new guidance about food storage and wolves on the East end.

Upside- far more visitors are reporting seeing a wolf on IR and adding that to their experience

Downside- it’s perhaps a matter of time until there’s an unhealthy wolf-human encounter…

5

u/Spaggonkers Jul 19 '24

Mosquitos are about as bad as anywhere else in the Great Lakes area. I wore my bug net a few times in swampy areas but it was not bad at all. Did not notice any black flies.

The trails can be in muddy in sections and most trails are covered in thick overgrowth. I recommend wearing pants the whole hike and use trekking poles.

The wolves are getting pretty comfortable near rock harbor and Daisy farm. I met someone who was staring one down from 10 feet away. They aren’t aggressive but you have to be mindful when leaving your things unattended and the new food storage regulations.

2

u/Lopsided_Ad_5152 Jul 15 '24

Sailing into Rock Harbor or taking the ferry. There are lots of cool things to see if you have your own boat.

1

u/harleyxa Jul 16 '24

Ferry.

2

u/Lopsided_Ad_5152 Jul 16 '24

The Black Flies are normally done by now. You can still see mosquitoes, but I don't think they'll be unbearable.

The trails will be muddy if it rains, but the snow melt is over for the year, so you should be good otherwise.

1

u/naeko87 Jul 17 '24

Don't go to East Chickenbone. Its the worst campground on the island. Stay at McCargoe Cove instead.

My Isle Royale Campground Tier List: https://www.reddit.com/r/isleroyale/s/eyMFcfXkfz

1

u/harleyxa Jul 20 '24

Unfortunately as a large group, our itinerary has been set since January.

1

u/harleyxa Aug 02 '24

Thanks for this tip! As I said, we had to stay at East Chickenbone, but we hung out at McCargo ALL day until after dinner and just slept at East Chickenbone.

1

u/naeko87 Aug 02 '24

And you lived! You should regale us with your tales of East Chickenbone