Finally! We arrive at Isle Royale National Park after a long ride on the MV Voyageur II from Grand Portage, MN.
Wildflowers were in bloom all over the island.
Along with the wildflowers were plenty of insects!
Mother loon (Gavia immer) with her two chicks close behind.
A cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) flying low above the water.
A classic Isle Royale image seen from Stoll Trail on our way to Scoville Point.
A moose cow and her calf (Alces alces) spotted on the Stoll Trail at dusk.
Mom’s keeping a good eye on us!
Baby wanders off in search of more tasty leaves.
Mom, following close behind, still remains aware of our presence.
One last look at the grazing pair.
Sunset on Tobin Harbor brings out all of the waterfowl babies in search of their nightly snack – insects perched on plants lining the shore.
These mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) didn’t seem to mind us at all!
The camp fox (Vulpes vulpes) arrives just before dark in search of good will – he gets nowhere with us!
Morning arrives and these mallard babies huddle together to remain warm. They won’t need to for long as temperatures remained in the mid 70s – 80s everyday we were there.
Awwwwww,
aren’t they cute!?
A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) decides to find a better spot as our canoe approaches slowly.
The view from Lookout Louise.
Another great shot of the inland lakes and Lake Superior beyond.
The view of the Five Fingers Area from Lookout Louise.
What a cute couple!
Back in the canoe to finish our 8 mile paddle along the shore of Tobin Harbor.
Wow! Moose bones seen underwater along the shore of Moose Point!
These Goldeneyes (Bucephala clangula) are pretty curious about our canoe!
Mergansers (Mergus merganser) sunning on a fallen log.
More moose remains!
A loon circles overhead.
Ahh. After a long day of hiking and paddling it’s time to enjoy sunset at Tobin Harbor.
The next day we hiked the Tobin Harbor Trail up to Mt. Franklin on our way to Lane Cove Campground. Here is a great view of some of the islands dotting Lake Superior from the peak
A sure sign of beavers on the island along the Lane Cove Trail.
Another view from Tobin Harbor Trail on our way back that afternoon.
We never tired of hearing the loons call to one another.
Mother merganser leads the way for her chicks.
One last view of Tobin Harbor before we ended our 14 mile hike.
A merganser trying to “wake up” while resting on a boulder as seen from Rock Harbor Trail.
A view
from Daisy Farm Campground. The daisies and other wildflowers were in
great abundance this time of year although it is difficult to tell from
this picture.
After departing Daisy Farm Campground we spotted wolf tracks along Mt. Ojibway Trail.
Their paws
are huge! Although we didn’t see or hear them we definitely knew
Canis lupus was around!
The view of Lake Superior from Mt. Ojibway with Thunder Bay, Canada, in the distance.
Another view showing one of the nearby inland lakes.
A great shot of part of the Greenstone Ridge – the backbone of Isle Royale.
A view of Lake Ojibway from Mt. Ojibway Tower.
Oh Canada!
A shot of me as I emerge from Suzy’s Cave.
Here I am standing at the shore of Rock Harbor with Heron Island in the distance.
Pete feels exhilarated that our 21+-mile day hike is nearly over. To really appreciate Isle Royale we had to get out there and live it. A lot of hard work, but definitely a rewarding experience!
The smallest wild rabbit we have ever seen! Found along one last hike on Stoll Trail.
One last look at Rock Harbor Lighthouse from the MV Voyageur II as we leave Isle Royale National Park.