Wise Old (Wo)Man Guides Plan Four Excursions
We are open for reservations for 2024 with one Chippewa Harbor, one Greenstone Ridge, one Daisy Farm Loop, and one Minong Ridge excursion on the books for 2024.
The Chippewa Harbor excursion is scheduled for the 14th to the 20th of June 2024. We are at a hotel in Copper Harbor on the night of the 14th and depart on the Queen IV on June 15th. On the evening of the 15th, we hike out to Scoville Point via the Stoll Trail. We catch a hop to Chippewa Harbor on the 16th and day hike in Chippewa Harbor and over to Lake Mason. On the 17th, we traverse the Indian Portage Trail to Lake Richie and take the Lake Richie Trail to Moskey Basin where we awake to an awesome sunrise over the water. From Moskey Basin, we hike the Rock Harbor Trail to Daisy Farm where we can enjoy visiting with others at the dock. From Daisy Farm, we go up to the Ojibway Tower for spectacular views toward the north to Canada and southward over Lake Superior. From the tower, we hike on the ridge over to Mount Franklin and down into Three-Mile Campground for the night of the 19th. Then we hike into Rock Harbor on the final day for shopping, lunch at the Greenstone Grill, and boarding slightly after 2:00 PM. If we start early from Three-Mile, we may have time to hike out toward Scoville Point.
The challenging Greenstone Ridge excursion is scheduled from June 28 to July 8, 2024. On the 28th, we are at a hotel in Copper Harbor for departure on the Queen IV on the 29th. On the evening of the 29th, we hike out to Scoville Point via the Stoll Trail. On the 30th, we catch the Voyageur II to Windigo for evening moose watching in Washington Creek. July 1, we hike to Island Mine for the night. That evening, we can hike over to the Island Mine Ruins. On the 2nd, we hike past the highest point on the island at Mt. Desor and camp at the South Lake Desor Campground. On the 3rd, we will stop by the Ishpeming Point fire tower on the route to Hatchet Lake. We spend the 4th of July in solitude at West Chickenbone Lake Campground. From Chickenbone, we hike into Daisy Farm with an optional side trip to the Ojibway Fire Tower. From Daisy Farm, we take the short hike into Three-Mile with an optional day hike up to the Mt. Franklin Lookout. We spend the night of the 7th in Rock Harbor for a July 8 return to Copper Harbor on Queen IV. Again, with an early start from Three-Mile, we may have time to complete a day hike to Scoville Point.
If a shorter excursion is your thing, we have a Daisy Farm Loop from August 15 to 19, 2024. We spend the night in Copper Harbor on the 15th, and take the Queen IV to Rock Harbor on the 16th and proceed directly to Three-Mile Campground with a stop at Susy’s Cave. On the 17th, we hike to Daisy Farm to catch the Wolf-Moose presentation if available. On the 18th, we hike up to the Ojibway Tower, over to the Mt. Franklin Lookout, and back down to Three-Mile Campground where we have time to wade in Lake Superior. On the 19th, we hike back into Rock Harbor. We can take an optional hike out toward Scoville Pt., returning in time for boarding shortly after 2:00.
The final scheduled hike is a strenuous Minong Ridge Trail excursion from August 30 to September 9, 2024. On the 30th of August, we are at a hotel in Copper Harbor for departure on the Queen IV on the 31st. On the evening of the 31st, we hike out to Scoville Point via the Stoll Trail. On the 1st, we catch the Voyageur II to Windigo with evening moose watching in Washington Creek. On the 2nd, we complete the longest and most difficult leg of the hike from Washington Creek to North Lake Desor Campground. On the 3rd, we cross the steep elevation changes between Lake Desor and Little Todd Harbor. On the 4th, we complete one of the most pleasant sections of the trail into Todd Harbor. From Todd Harbor, we hike into McCargoe Cove to enjoy a pleasant evening with the option of a campfire in the community fire ring. We schedule a zero day at McCargoe Cove to set aside for bad weather with an optional hike to the Minong Mine. On the 7th, we will hike into Daisy Farm and spend the evening on the dock or swimming in Lake Superior. From Daisy Farm, we hike into Three-Mile Campground and take an optional day hike up to Mt. Franklin. On September 9th, we hike into Rock Harbor for lunch and shopping prior to boarding for the return trip just after 2:00 PM.
There is one other Daisy Farm Loop that can be scheduled on demand, but only one, so if you have a plan, reach out before any flexibility is gone. We love, love, love to hike Isle Royale, and we feel good about supporting hikers in safe excursions across this rugged island.
We can be reached via email at wiseoldmanofisleroyale@gmail.com or by phone at 906-201-1588. Return customers receive a coupon for $150 off any booking. Because Queen IV’s booking is not open at this publishing, email to reserve your spot with us. We will contact you when we can process your reservation so that you can complete your booking via our website. Remember, if you want to hike, we can help, regardless of whether you book with us. Isle Royale is our thing.