See official entry at FilmFreeway.com for Isle Royale National Park – Wilderness Island.
Update – Video by Jannet Walsh from Isle Royale National Park was accepted Oct. 15, 2016 into the official selection of Cinephone, Barcelona, Spain. All video entries were created with a Smartphone. Here is a link to my official entry. Facebook for Cinephone
The Voyageur II ferry dropped me in the middle of Lake Superior at Isle Royale National Park and I couldn’t be happier.
Ferry passenger boarding for Isle Royale National Park started at 6:45 a.m. in Grand Portage, Minnesota, about six miles south of the Canadian boarder, with a destination to a remote wilderness island only accessible by ferry, seaplane or private watercraft.
I decided to take sea sickness pills as I wasn’t sure how I’d handle the waves. I’m glad I did, as the waves were rough and strong during the two and half hour ferry crossing, sleeping almost the entire journey until the captain announced our arrival at Windigo, the ranger station located at Washington Harbor, nearest to Minnesota.
Just the facts
Isle Royale is the largest island in Lake Superior, measuring about 45 miles (72 km) in length and 9 miles (14 km) at its widest point. The island received its name from French Jesuit missionaries visiting the island in the 1600s in honor of their king. Isle Royale has been a National Park since 1940 and is officially part of Michigan. Volcanos formed the island and glaciers helped sculpt the geography. There’s evidence copper mining has ancient roots on the island, along with more recent abandoned mines you can include as part of your visit. The Ojibwa from along the North Shore of Lake Superior are known to be some of the earliest visitors to the island, mining and fishing. Learn more about the Ojibwa in Grand Portage.
This short film has been accepted into the official selection of Cinephone, Barcelona, Spain. Facebook for Cinephone
- View short promo video about Isle Royale National Park, 51 seconds.
- View 20 second video promo created for Instagram.
- View featured video about Isle Royale National Park, over 5 minutes.
Photos by Jannet Walsh, jannetwalsh.com ©2016 Jannet Walsh. All Rights Reserved.
Packed
I didn’t have the typical luggage associated with travel, but did have a 65 liter backpack with everything I’d need for six days, July 13 – 19, 2016. This included clothing, tent, sleeping bag, dehydrated food, water filtration kit, hiking poles and other gear. Learn more about transportation to Isle Royale National Park and view a map of the island and view the Google map listed below.
Sturdy footwear needed
You won’t need your car on the island as there’s no roads in the backcountry and vehicles are prohibited, except wheelchairs. You might consider bringing your canoe or kayak for your wilderness adventure as the ferry can transport it for you along with your backpack. Sturdy hiking shoes and boots are needed. I wear a double layer of socks to avoid blisters, with a thick hiking sock and a thin liner sock. The socks will rub together instead of the socks and your skin to help prevent blisters. This system works great for me as I did not have one blister during my stay.
A cow moose eating and swimming in the Washington Creek at Isle Royale National Park, viewed from campsite 6. Photos by Jannet Walsh, jannetwalsh.com
©2016 Jannet Walsh. All Rights Reserved.
Moose, wolves and no bears, oh my!
If you want to see moose, there’s about 1,300 on the island, but there are currently only two wolves. A diseased domestic dog that was released on the island by a camper in the 1980s is thought to be source of the decline of the wolves, according to rangers during an evening event I attended at Windigo. Learn more about the wolves and moose at the National Park Service and Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale websites. You might even be interested in a moose watch expedition. The island does not have bears, likely as it too far for them to swim from the shores of Lake Superior.
iPhone, sketch books packed
I planned to document my trip with only my iPhone6S, using extra battery packs and a solar panel to keep my iPhone powered, used mainly as a camera and GPS for the reminder of the trip as there’s no cell phone connection. The ranger station and the Windigo store allowed me to charge my iPhone and extra batteries, so I was never low on battery power. My tripod was very small, the type that can twist and turn, attach to almost anything, was vital for shooting video that was steady.
I also brought my sketchbooks with ink pens and watercolor paints. The paints stayed at the camp during my hikes as the humidity on the island made the drying time far too slow. I didn’t do as much sketching as I planned, but skill worked in a few rough sketches, including action sketches of the moose swimming by my campsite.
Rare Pink Lady Slipper at Isle Royale National Park. Photos by Jannet Walsh, jannetwalsh.com ©2016 Jannet Walsh. All Rights Reserved.
Take a hike
Each day I ventured out on day hikes to locations I heard from the rangers or other campers, like the Pink Lady Slipper I found on the Feldtmann Ridge Trail. The typical visitors backpack to specific locations or even the entire island, but I was only doing day hikes.
In the 6 days during my visit, I walked 22 miles, that’s according to the free Pedometer app on my iPhone. The most I walked in one day was just short of 7 miles in search of a Blue Flag Iris, but didn’t find, missing the flowers by about a mile, on the Minong Ridge Trail and a portion of the Huginin Cove Loop.
Shelter and tents
Campsites on the island can’t be reserved, first come first served. After I went through the orientation with the rangers at the ferry dock on the island, was permitted for camping, I headed to the Washington Creek Campgrounds in Windigo. There’s incredible shelters you can pitch your tent inside if you want, great for the rain or you can select a regular site for tents. I lucked out and found campsite number 6 with a shelter, situated on Washington Creek that flows into Lake Superior. The view from my campsite would become the location for spotting moose eating and swimming at my camp’s front door, along with a view of sunsets, morning mist, kayaks and canoes. There is a lodge on the island located at northeast end of the island at Rock Harbor.
Photos by Jannet Walsh, jannetwalsh.com
©2016 Jannet Walsh. All Rights Reserved.
National Park Service Centennial 2016
The National Park Service is celebrating 100 years, so visiting a park this year is extra special, so don’t miss out on the beauty of our National Parks. Learn more about the National Park Service Centennial year and visit Isle Royale National Park and beyond!
This short film has been accepted into the official selection of Cinephone, Barcelona, Spain. Facebook for Cinephone
Story and photos by Jannet Walsh, jannetwalsh.com© 2016 Jannet Walsh. All Rights Reserved.
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