New Game and Park Guide Book

www.binkink.com

December 1, 2016

2nd Edition of Trekking the National Parks Board Game

The Good News: The first edition of our award winning game Trekking the National Parks officially sold out in early November.

The Better News: We have received in our shipment of 3000 copies of the new 2nd edition of Trekking. (As of May 1st, 2017...there are 1624 copies left of the 2nd edition.)

The Best News: The new edition of the game comes with a better price, a few minor tweaks to the rules of the game AND and all new 64-page Park Guide Book! (Click to view the Guide Book)

The new Park Guide Book is filled with information about each of our country's 59 major Parks. The purpose of the Guide Book is to help readers broaden their understanding of each of these treasures and enrich the player or visitor experience -whether trekking to a park on the game board or in the family car.

Much of the information contained in the Guide Book comes from our personal experiences while we've trekked about them. We've included information about the key features of each park, unique elements  and what qualified each to achieve "National Park" status.

Other segments of the Guide Book include the following:

Getting There: Not all parks are accessible by automobile! This section will help you understand where the park is located and how to get there.

When to go: for most parks, the summer months are typically "high season" attracting the largest crowds. This section will help you determine the best time of year for you to visit.

What to do: This part of the Guide Book offers you a listing of the many activities available when you visit. Much of this section includes Day Hikes we took when we visited.

Where to stay: Here you will find information regarding camping and lodging options once you arrive.

Wildlife: This section highlights the animals you may encounter while visiting the park.

Trivia: We have been asked numerous times if the game contains a trivia element. We play-tested a park trivia component for 6 months and found out that very few people could answer even the simplest of questions. So instead of incorporating Trivia into the game, we included a section to it!

Experience These: At the bottom of each page, you'll find a checklist of things that we highly recommend you consider doing when visiting a park. Check them off as you complete each activity and add your own experiences as well!

The Park Guide Book comes inside every game of Trekking. We do have a limited number of Guide Books for sale in the event you already have the game. To order a copy, visit our website at:  www.binkink.com/shop.


Happy Trails!

Wupatki National Monument

www.trektheparks.com

September 4, 2016 - We begin our Four Corners park exploration. 

First stop - Wupatki National Monument

 Lomaki Pueblo

Lomaki Pueblo

Lomaki Pueblo

Wupatki Pueblo

Wupatki Pueblo

Wupatki Pueblo

Wupatki Pueblo

Wukoki Pueblo - Phantom Ship of the High Desert

Wupatki National Monument – Sept 4, 2016

Today, we begin our Four Corners treks. These trips will take us to the National Monuments, National Historical Sites, National Parks and other sites managed by the National Park Service within the four corner states – Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado.

We’ve lived in AZ for the past 24 years and have passed by all four of the parks we will visit today over these years, never to have stopped to pay them a visit! You see, we were on a mission of “grander scale!” We set out to trek about all 59 of the “majors.” We’re talking about the Yosemite’s, the Yellowstone’s, the Grand Canyon’s and such. The big ones. We didn’t find the time to visit the monuments or the historical sites or our national seashores. Or perhaps, we didn’t make the time.

Now that we’ve ticked off 57 of the 59 “majors”, we’re making time to take in the “lessers.” So we pack up the two dogs and head north to Wupatki NM on the Labor Day Weekend Holiday.

What a pleasant surprise! We will soon discover that these “lesser” are every bit as impressive as most of the majors! Our first stop, Wupatki National Monument, is located about a half hour north of Flagstaff, AZ. Nine hundred years ago, the Sinagua people built impressive masonry dwellings that have survived the ages. The photos above are of three of the dwellings found within the park borders.

It ceases to amaze me how well constructed these dwellings are when one considers the tools and technology of that era. As I take in these ruins, I wonder if any part of the home I currently live in will still be standing nine hundred years from now! Perhaps the cement slab?

There are several ruins to explore in this 35,000-acre park. Our first stop was to take a peek at the Box Canyon and the Lomaki pueblos. These homes of the Sinagua people were constructed from slabs of sandstone slabs, limestone blocks, and chunks of basalt all found locally. To hold the blocks together, these craftspeople developed a clay-based mortar that has stood the test of time.

One major resource lacking in the region was water! The name Sinagua comes from the Spanish word meaning “without water.”  These industrious people lived in the high desert “sin agua” for hundreds of years before disappearing from the region as did the Anazazi’s (Anazazi’s are now referred to as Ancestral Puebloans. Apparently, the word “anazazi” is a Navajo swear word!)

Built along the edge of a small canyon, the Box Canyon and Lomaki Pueblos are the first two dwellings we explore. After completing the ½-mile Lumaki Pueblo Trail, Terry, Aimee, Bella and I ventured on to the Visitor Center to examine the Wupatki pueblo community.  Home to an estimated 80-100 people, this section is the highlight of the park. Take the ½-mile round trip Wupatki Pueblo Trail and get an up close look at the well preserved 104 room dwelling, its ball courts and the unique geologic blowhole!

During its time, the Wupatki Pueblo was perhaps the regions most influential pueblo and served as the central hub for this growing agricultural community. From all accounts, it was the regions largest dwelling and served as a trade center and meeting place for people of the area.

By around 1250 A.D., the Sinaguans had moved on and abandoned their prized abodes leaving behind a cultural treasure that us moderns can enjoy and reflect upon. 

Blowholes. One of the unique features found at Wupaki is the blowhole found at the end of the Wupatki Pueblo interpretive trail. A blowhole is a small opening in the ground through which air blows out or is sucked in - a kind of natural vacuum.


Year Wupatki became a National Monument - 1924

Average Elevation: 5,220’

Weather: Wupatki is located in the high desert with elevations ranging from 4,280’ to 5,720’. Seasonally, here’s what you can expect:

Summer: Dry and windy. Thunderstorms common from July-September. Daytime temperatures range from 90° to over 100° F. Lows in the 50s.


Fall: Very pleasant, mild to warm daytime temperatures, some precipitation, light winds.


Winter: Mild daytime temps. Nights often below freezing. Occasional snow showers.

Spring: Unpredictable, and often windy. Mild to warm days, but occasional rain or small snow showers.

When to Visit: Open year round. See Weather

Entrance Fee: $20 per car.

Visitor Center Hours: 9 am – 5 pm. Closed December 25^th.

Where to stay: Lodging can be found in nearby Flagstaff. Camping is available at Bonito Campground.

What to do: Explore the Pueblos. Sign up for the 2-day Crack-in-th-Rock, Ranger-led backpack trip. Take a Guided Tour (October thru April) or a Discovery Hike with an Interpretive Ranger. Take the 35-mile scenic drive on the Loop Road between Sunset Crater and Wupatki.

Pets: OK on a leash and only in the parking lots. Not allowed on trails leading to the pueblos. 

NP# 57 - Voyageurs National Park

www.trektheparks.com

August 22nd -
Voyageurs National Park - #57 

 Terry booked us for a three night stay at The Pines of Kabetogama Resort.

 Excellent accommodations!

 View from our cabin porch!

 Typical sunset over Kabetogama Lake.

 Terry riding the Walleye!

 Another lovely sunset!

 Kettle Falls Resort - the destination of our Voyageurs lakes tour. 

 The Bar inside the resort. 

 Notice the slope of the floor. Makes for interesting "sledding" after a few cocktails!

 On our Kettle Falls Tour, we spotted at least six Bald Eagles.

 Another majestic Bald Eagle perched afar in the treetops.

 Terry awaiting another lovely sunset. 

 Ahhh....

 The Beaver Pond Overlook near Ash River Visitor Center.

Alas...no beavers!

Hoist Bay. 

One final sunset before heading back to Phoenix!

NP#57 – Voyageurs National Park

8/22 – After a somber and restless nights sleep, we get up early to begin our 7-hour drive to Voyageurs NP. Today, our destination is The Pines at Kabatogama Resort...the ewe'll stay for the next three nights. We got an hour back in time when we crossed from MI into WI so we arrived at the Pines at 3:15 pm. Jackie checks us into cabin #3 – a newly remodeled 2-bedroom cabin overlooking Lake Kabatogama. Nice digs! Comfy bed!

First order of business...pick up our Park Pin. The Kab Visitor Center is literally 3 minutes from our cabin. However, I take the long route, which takes us 7 minutes! Elizabeth is the Ranger on duty. I ask her if they have any park pins left, as there are none on the display rack. She checks back stock and finds none. The Kab Visitor Center is small. She suggests we go to the Rainy Lake VC up by International Falls. She says they should have them there. We will head up there on Wednesday as tomorrow we are scheduled to take a cruise up to Kettle Falls. 

We decide that rather than eating at restaurants, we'd head up to International Falls to do some grocery shopping. The Falls is about a 40 minute drive from our cabin and we eventually find a supermarket off the beaten path. The Super 1 grocery store seems to be our best bet. We load up with goodies and look around the store for some vino! Lo and behold, we discover that grocery stores do not carry liquor! The state of MN has decided that liquor must be sold separately! Liquor can only be sold in liquor stores in MN! Why, you ask? Nobody had a good answer!

The corner store just down the street from our cabin has a "green door" that provides access to their Liquor Room!  We purchase a couple bottles of vino and head back to the cabin to make dinner. Salmon, rice and salad to go along with a fairly decent bottle of Pinot Noir!

8/23- I get up at 5:45a in hopes of shooting a decent sunrise. My vantage point does not present good photo ops so I head back to the cabin and brew up a cup of coffee. I'll try for a sunset shot this evening. Ranger Liz suggests either shooting from the Woodenfrog Campground or at the end of the Blind Ash Bay hiking trail. 

Before we depart for our Kettle Falls Cruise, which will expose us to the many lakes of Voyageurs, Terry and I cook up a fine breakfast consisting of petrified cantaloupe, strawberries and cheese omelets. The cantaloupe was imported from a faraway land ( California) and needed a few more days to ripen!

At 10:00am, we board the pontoon boat called Borealis skippered by Ranger Gary. Ranger Liz will serve as our interpretive guide. Our final destination is The Kettle Falls Resort...21 nautical miles from our home port at Kabetogama Bay. The outbound trip will take us 2 hours, as we will be stopping to see the sights. 

First up, Liz points out a bald eagle nest high up in the White Pines. Ranger Liz informs us these huge bird abodes can weigh up to 4000 pounds. No birds in sight near this nest.  After a couple of more nest sightings, we come upon a majestic bird perched on the upper limbs of a pine snag.  We would be fortunate to view at least half dozen or more bald eagles as we make our way to Kettle.

Our next stop is to a small island on Namakan Lake where, in the early 1930’s, IW Stevens built his Pine Cove Resort. Ranger Gary and Liz give us an informative narrative about this hearty individual who lived on the island picking berries, skiing into town, baking cakes, running his resort and writing in his journal. He lived there until he was 94 when he finally decided to head back to the mainland. There he lived another 10 years.

We floated by Mica Island...where they mined mica and landed at the Kettle Falls marina at noon. Lunch at the Resort was very pleasant. The lodge's Lumberjack Saloon features a floor that has at least a 2-foot slope to it! Notice how the pool table has been leveled in the picture above!

Liz took the group on a tour of the Kettle Falls Dam, which was built to help the lumbermen move logs more efficiently. Standing on the dam overlook, Liz pointed out that we were situated at one of a few places in the continental US where you actually look south into Canada! 

Another bit of meaningless trivia Liz shares with us as we view the Dam is that the famous Hamm's beer commercial...."the land of sky blue waters..." Ad was shot just off the point where the Kettle Falls Dam sits.

On the return trip, we stopped by Hoist Bay, an area where loggers used to unload or "hoist" the fallen timber onto train cars. Hoist Bay had an old Ice House still standing. Before refrigeration, loggers would cut huge chunks of ice from the frozen lakes and store them in Ice Houses. To keep the ice from melting when the weather turned warm, they'd pack the ice in sawdust. This would keep the ice intact until the following winter!

We also were treated to a Loon sighting. The Loon is MN's state bird. Loons mate for life and do much better in the water or in the air as opposed to on land. Because of the way their legs are positioned on their bodies, they do not fare well on land. In the water, they are capable of holding their breath for up to 5 minutes. As for getting airborne, the Loon needs a 150-yard runway in order to get their bodies out of the water. Once airborne, they are capable of reaching flight speeds of 75 mph. 

Another bit of trivia I found fascinating is the fact that all of Voyageurs lakes flow north into Canada and eventually into Hudson Bay. In this land of sky blue waters, there once lived millions of beavers. It is said that the North American continent once was home to between 60 and 400 million beaver! These furry critters were almost hunted to extinction (like many other species) to satisfy the lust Europeans once had for beaver pelt hats.

On our Kettle Falls cruise, we met two other "Park Trekkers."  Gail was visiting her 50^th national park and had many questions about those we've visited that she has not. The other lady from Oregon was on #37. Ranger Kevin (Kab Visitor Center) told Gail that earlier in the season, a gentleman had made Voyageurs Park #59 in his quest to visit all 59 of our country's natural outdoor cathedrals.

The evening of Aug 23rd. We seek out potential sunrise/sunset photo ops which takes us up to Woodenfrog State Park just north of where we're staying. Nice park with decent photo potential. From there we wander down to Ash River Visitor Center to check out a site I saw when we returned from our Kettle Cruise. This site proved to be idea and I set up camp out on the rocky point.

To idle away the time before sunset, Terry and I try to reenact the Voyager as portrayed by Rilus Graham  and Roy Mosel during our crossing of the Grand Canyon. Our pose did not turn out nearly as humorous as that of Roy and Rilus...nevertheless, we got a few giggles out of our futile effort!

The evening sunset turned out to be a decent photo op. Snapped off a bunch of flicks and feel confident there's at least one or two keepers in the bunch.

8/24 – To get the most out of this park in the summer, you must get out on the water. Today, we have not sought out any means of getting out on the lakes so instead, we drive up to Rainy Lake Visitor Center to seek out our park pin! Voila! Just as Ranger Liz had suspected. Rainy has them in stock! 

After purchasing our pin, we take one of the few hiking trails found in this park.  The Oberholtzer Trail meanders through a wooded area. The first 3/10 of a mile is wheelchair accessible. After that, the path narrows considerably and breaks off in two directions. One path will take you to an overlook staring at Black Bay and a field full of cattails. The other section of the park takes you deeper into the woo where you’ll find another bench overlook.  Good to get out and stretch the legs…however, not much in the way of memorable scenery!

Back at our cabin, I teach Terry a game that every Minnesotan and Wisconsinite knows how to play – Cribbage! She catches on fast, gets dealt ideal cards and proceeds to skunk me on the first game we play!

Not ready to call it quits, I talk Terry into going back to Ash River Visitor Center for one more evening photo shoot. She agrees and we head back to the rocky point where we reenacted the voyager pose the night before.  Tonight, the sunset is even better than last evening. But before we begin the photo shoot, we decide to see what the Beaver Pond Overlook is all about. Not much to it. No beaver in sight. Mostly an overgrown swamp of a lake trying to become a meadow!

8/25 – Up early for our 5-hour drive back to Minneapolis.  Terry has worked her “standby” magic once again and soon we’re heading back to Phoenix. Our pursuit to experience all 59 of our country’s amazing parks is coming to a close. We’ve got but two more to check off the map to complete the mission. It’s been a magical experience for me.

NP#56 - Isle Royale National Park

www.trektheparks.com

Our 56th park visit along our quest to trek about all 59 

of our country's major national parks. 

August 17th - Sunset at Copper Harbor, MI the evening before departing for Isle Royale National Park - our 56th park visit!

 Sunrise from atop Brockway Drive.

 August 18th - Rock Harbor location map!

Isle Royale Queen IV - the transport vessel from Copper Harbor to Isle Royale.

 Shoreline along Rock Harbor on our hike out to Scoville Point. 

 Driftwood along the coastal waterway.

 Terry's one happy trekker! 

 Intriguing coastline as we hike to the tip of Scoville Point.

 Almost out of real estate as Terry makes her way to the Point. 

 Enjoying the sunshine at Scoville Point. A 4.2 mile round trip loop from Rock Harbor most to the end of the trail. 

 Typical Isle Royale coastline.

 Lovely sunset - August 18, 2016

 August 19 - Trekking to the top of Mt. Franklin - a 10-mile hike. 

 Kayakers paddling Rock Harbor.

 Avoiding the swampy grounds. 

 Terry checks out Suzy's Cave.

 A smooch atop Mt. Franklin!

 Time for lunch!

Lily pond but no moose! 

We heard them in the woods but they did not present themselves to us!

 More lilies on the pond! (Lake Ojibway)

 August 20th - Edisen Fishery and Rock Harbor Lighthouse Tour. 

A view of the fishery as we are about to dock. 

 Rock Harbor Lighthouse. 

 Fishery NET house.

 Terry inside the Nut hou....er Net House!

 Makeshift buoys. 

About a half mile west of the Fishery you'll find the basecamp for the longest continuous study of a predator/prey relationship - the moose and wolves of Isle Royale. Pictured above is the wolf bone yard. Below, the moose bone yard. 

NP#56 – Isle Royale National Park

Aug 2016- Getting there! Isle Royale is located in Michigan. Actually, it’s located in Lake Superior much closer to Canada and Minnesota than it is to Michigan; however, somewhere along the way, the powers-to-be decided this island was a part of The Wolverine State!

For our visit to our 56^th park, Terry has scheduled us to fly into Minneapolis-St. Paul via American Airlines. We’ll be going “standby.” Not my favorite mode of transportation; however, we had no problem getting a seat. 

We land at MSP (code for the airport) around 8:30pm.  MSP is a very large airport with a pretty decent hike to the rental car depot. We pick up our Jeep and attempt to navigate out of the airport. That takes us two tries as the little lady inside my phone who is giving me directions steers me back around into short-term parking!

Once we escape the confines of MSP, we're on our way to the Hampster  (Hampton Inn) in Chippawa Falls. By the time we reach Chippawa, all local restaurants have closed up shop. Dinner this evening consists of microwave Veggie Lasagna and nasty cheap bottle of Merlot we bought from the night shift guy at the Hampster.

8/17- The next leg of our trek takes us from Chippawa Falls to Copper Harbor where we'll be staying the night at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. Today’s drive to Michigan’s UP (Upper Peninsula) will take us about 6 hours. Like Isle Royale, I’m not sure how the UP became part of MI since this landmass is connected to WI!

Along the route, we stop at the Isle Royale Visitor Center in Houghton, MI to get our park pin...just in case the Visitor Center on the island doesn't have them. On our drive to Copper Harbor, the northernmost point of the UP, we pass through the tiny town of Phoenix! A tad smaller and a whole lot greener than home!

The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge sits up on a hill about a mile south of the dock we will be departing from. We are assigned Rm #29- a motel unit that will do the job of housing us for the night. Dinner at the Lodge is surprisingly good! We/I had a decent Pinot to go along with my Veggie Lasagna. Yep Veggie Lasagna two nights in a row!

At dinner, I discover that I had misunderstood our departure time returning from Isle Royale on Sunday. I thought Terry had told me we would be leaving the Island at 8 am, which would get us back to the mainland at around 11:30am. Upon returning to Copper Harbor, we would then make a 6-hour drive to Superior, WI before heading up to Voyageurs. When I found out we would not be departing Isle Royale until 2:30 pm (arriving Copper Harbor at approx. 6pm), I suggested we change or hotel reservation from Superior, WI to the much closer Holiday Inn in Houghton, MI.

That proved to be easier said than done! We soon discover that there is little to no cell service in Copper Harbor and AT&T took out the pay phones years ago. The desk clerk at the Lodge suggested we drive to the top of the nearby mountain where cell service can "sometimes be available!"

After dinner, we hop into the Jeepster and make our way up Brockway Mountain Drive in search of cell service.  “I’ve got one bar,” Terry exclaims as we approach the summit of the mountain. She dials the Holiday Inn and remarkably gets connected to a reservationist….for about 30 seconds. The connection is lost before she’s able to finish changing our reservation!

“We need to get higher,” she pleads….so off we go to the far reaches of Brockway Mtn Drive. “I’ve got another bar!” Terry cries out. I stop the car and she dials the Holiday Inn once again. Success! She gets through and is able to change our reservation. This will prove to be a huge blessing four days from now.

With nothing better to do, we head down the mountain to the coastline and find a spot to photograph the sunset. The skies here in Copper Harbor are beautiful! After a productive photo shoot, we discover a small shop that sells very tasty ice cream. We check out where we will be departing tomorrow...then off to bed!

8/18- We’re up at the crack of dawn (6am) to catch the sunrise.  Another very productive photo op atop Brockway Mountain! At 6:40a, we find a diner open and enjoy a decent breakfast. At 7:10, we drive about 200 yards to the parking lot where we'll pay 30 scoots to park our rental car before boarding the Isle Royale Queen IV, which is the vessel that will transport us to Isle Royale.

Today, Lake Superior is "flat." Barely a hint of breeze as the crew loads a dozen kayaks, all the luggage and finally the 80 or so passengers they will be shuttling from Copper Harbor to Isle Royale. As we will discover upon our return trip, the lake can get a bit surly!

There are several transportation options when visiting Isle Royale and driving there isn't one of them. You can depart from Houghton, MI on the National Park Service vessel, which will take about 6 hours to get to the island. You could opt to depart from Grand Portage, MN on a boat that takes about 8 hours to get you to port. You could opt to take a floatplane that will cost you about 300 scoots...and  get you to the island in a half hour. Or you could do as we did and take the 3 1/2 hour cruise on the Isle Royale Queen IV,  which departs from Copper Harbor.

Once on the island, you will find no roads, cars or trucks. Just footpaths and waterways that will allow you to experience this wilderness park in solitude.

After our island orientation, we got checked into our housekeeping unit #220. We had a mediocre lunch before taking the 4.2-mile Loop hike out to Scoville Point. We highly recommend this hike if you visit Isle Royale. The first half of the trail takes you along the rugged and rocky coastline and then out to the tip of the peninsula. This section of the trail is called the Stoll Trail, named after William Stoll, who was very instrumental in getting this hunk of rock set aside as a national park. 

The return portion of the loop takes you back to the lodge adjacent to Tobin Harbor. Rather than suffer through another mediocre meal at the lodge restaurants, we opt to buy brats, rice and a bottle of Ravenwood Zinfindel. Good vino! Terry even had a glass!

After dinner we listened to the Ranger's presentation about how she has connected to the island. Terry fell asleep as the ranger muddled through her slide show featuring none other than…herself! Terry mentioned that they should require all rangers to attend a presentation skills class before attempting public speaking engagements! 

After the show, we wandered out to the dock to take some sunset pix.

8/19 - Slept in this morning. Today, we are off on a 10-mile hike to the highest point on the island - Mt. Franklin. At an elevation of only 1080', I'm not sure Ben Franklin's namesake actually qualifies as a mountain. Nevertheless, we begin our trek a little after 10 o'clock. The first 2 miles of the trail take you along the coastal Rock Harbor Trail. From there, we hiked up to Suzy's Cave (see picture) before joining the western section of the Tobin Trail.

Just before heading up the trail to the mountaintop, we heard a moose bugling. Shortly thereafter, we ran into an older couple that had just encountered a Momma moose and her calf. The two beasts apparently stood directly in their path, so the geezers chose to head back to camp. I asked where the moose were in proximity to us and the gentlewoman said “about 200 yards ahead off to the left!”

We chose to continue on in hopes of catching a glimpse of these majestic mammals. The geezers must have frightened the moose as momma and child had moved on by the time we had hiked to their said location.

About a half-mile from the summit, we wandered by what I called the Lily Pond. Along this trail I learned about Thimbleberries...a reddish-pink berry that were in full bloom. Tasty little morsels, I must have picked a hundred of them as we climbed and descended the mountain.

The night before, we ordered a couple of wraps from the restaurant that we intended on eating for lunch at the top of the mountain. Like most of the food prepared by the Forever Resorts staff, the wraps were barely eatable. Good thing we’d packed other goodies to munch on. In particular, the Chocolate Brownie Cliff Bars were the best!

The hike to the top of Mt Franklin proved to be the highlight of the day. For dinner we chose to experience the Greenstone Grill. Much to our surprise, the Greek Pizza we ordered was actually very good...as were the two beers I enjoyed! Plenty of pizza...enough for leftovers for tomorrow's tour of The Rock Harbor Lighthouse and the Fish Camp.

8/20 - Slept in again! Got outta our Jammie's around 7:10. Skies are cloudy this morning. Forecast predicting showers later in the day. We pack our rain gear "just in case." First order of business...breakfast! Yesterday, when I went to get a cup of coffee and pick up our soggy wraps, the Greenstone Grill was empty. Today it's packed! We get the last table!

Today we're scheduled to take the Edison Fishery/Rock Harbor Lighthouse Tour. This is a four-hour trip from Rock Harbor to the island's first lighthouse and one of its first fish camps. When we checked into the Lodge on Wednesday, we asked the desk clerk to sign us up for the Lighthouse tour. She told us "no need to sign up today. These tours never sell out. Just sign up on Saturday morning. There will be plenty of seats."

T'was a good thing I insisted signing up the night before as the staff overbooked the trip! With a boatload full of people, the Sandy chugs across Rock Harbor to our destination. We are greeted by one of the park’s VIP's (Volunteers-In-Parks) who gives us a brief history of the Edison Fish Camp. She then sends us on our way to the lighthouse, which is about a quarter mile down the path and recommends we also visit the base camp for the 50 year+ study of the relationship between the wolves and moose on Isle Royale.   

Inside the lighthouse, we learn about the 15 ships that have sunk off the waters around Isle Royale.  As I mentioned earlier, Lake Superior isn’t always calm like it was on our passage from Copper Harbor to Isle Royale. Gordon Lightfoot’s classic song, The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald exemplifies just how nasty Lake Superior can become!

After enjoying the lighthouse, we explored the various buildings of the fishery before wandering down to the site of the world's longest study of Moose-Wolf predator/prey relationships. These people have spent the past several decades studying the dynamics of moose and wolf on Isle Royale. Sadly, we learn that only 2 wolves remain on the island. At one point, there were 50. 

With the wolf population down to next to nothing, the moose population has grown to over 1300. It’s come down to a tough decision: Does the Park Service repopulate the island with new wolves or allow them to go extinct on this isolated landscape? During an evening lecture by the local Park Ranger, we learn that the NPS has been conducting surveys and studies as to what should be done about the situation.  At this time, there are four possible solutions to the problem.

One option is to do nothing and let nature take its course. Another option is to reintroduce a new set of wolves like they did in Yellowstone a few years ago and then let nature take its course. A third option is to reintroduce a small number of wolves periodically over a series of years. The fourth option discussed is to reduce the moose population so they don’t destroy the park’s ecosystem without reintroducing wolves. There are arguments in favor of each of these options. Meanwhile, the two remaining wolves may struggle to survive the upcoming winter.

Rain begins to fall as we depart the wolf/moose study camp. Back to the Sandy (the name of the boat used for this tour) to secure a seat under shelter. A handful of folks will ride back in the rain!

Upon our return to terra firma, we stop by the General Store and pick up a bottle of Ravenswood Zinfandel and a $7.25 box of Triscuits. We play our favorite card game and watch the rain gently soak the landscape. Rain! Soft, gentle rain. Unlike the brief and violent downpours we get in Phoenix.

We didn't see any moose or wolves on this trip. However, as we dined at the Lodge’s main restaurant, we did spot a red fox running about the grounds with his dinner hanging from his mouth.

8/21 - Slept in again! We awoke to scattered clouds. No rain today. After breakfast, we mosey down to the Ranger Station only to find out that the Isle Royale Queen IV will be several hours late due to  high seas and strong winds stirred up by last nights storm. 

To kill time, we take a leisurely 2-mile stroll along the Scoville/Stoll trail. Upon our return, we noodle around the Visitor Lounge. Terry discovers this area has Wi-Fi and finds a message from Barb, our Dogsitter who is caring for CharlieDog while we are away. Terry lets out a cry of anguish as she learns that C-Dawg has died!

Sadness cast a dark shadow over us as we mourn the loss of our good friend and companion C-Dawg! He had a good, long life and will be missed by many. 

Our 2:30 departure time actually ended up being 6:15. We won't be back to Copper Harbor until 10 pm. Good thing we switched our hotel ressie from the Holiday Inn in Superior, WI to the Holiday Inn in Houghton! It saved us a 5-hour drive on dark and windy roads. 

The winds had died down and the seas have calmed a bit. Nonetheless, the boat ride back to the mainland proved to be somber as we both reflected on the good times we had with our shaggy canine, CharlieDog.

Random thoughts regarding: Isle Royale:

Isle Royale is pronounced with a silent "e" as in Isle Royal. I refuse to call it anything but Royale!

There are two ways to get to Isle Royale: (1) via boat, (2) via floatplane. If Lake Superior is feeling ornery, you might want to consider the floatplane option. It will cost you $170 more; however, you will save yourself a minimum of 6 hours travel time plus the hassle of waiting for the crew to load and unload dozens of kayaks and canoes!

 We were expecting bugs and humidity during our visit to the Isle. Not so much! It did rain; however, the bugs never really bugged us. Apparently, the bugs take time off in mid to late August.

If staying in a housekeeping unit at Rock Harbor, plan on bringing your own food. Ignore the ship's 70 lb. max luggage restriction. We saw people load hundreds of pounds of gear including large coolers filled with food.  The two restaurants are decent, yet the housekeeping units are equipped with most everything you’d need to cook up your own meals!

Best Housekeeping unit appears to be #201. Looks like they have a view of Tobin Harbor.

Trivia!

While reading the Keweenaw Traveler Newspaper at the Lodge,  I came across an article about the origin of the saying "What the Sam Hill!" According to the legend, Sam Hill was a mining company agent during the Keweenaw copper mining boom in the 1850's. He was also a very proficient user of profanity! In fact, so colorful was his use foul language, he became famous for it! Sam Hill  became a synonym for profanity! 

When respectable people were about to blurt out an expletive, they substituted Sam's name instead. Those involved in the conversation instantly understood what that meant!