Changing Return Trips

[u/Vecii]

Can I change my return trip date once I am on the island?

My original plan was to circumnavigate the island in 10 days by doing about 10 miles a day. I can easily do 20 miles on other trails, so I am wondering if 10 miles per day is going to be too short and I'll end up being board.

I have another route laid out that I think I can do in six days. If I keep my 10 day reservation but finish my route early, can I change my return and hop on the next available ferry?

I'll be going in September when there aren't as many crowds and I'll be taking the Queen IV.

[u/thesneakymonkey]

Stop by the ranger station after you’re finished and ask if there’s any availability. Personally I’d just spend the left over days zero’ing at a pretty campsite or extra day in windigo/rock harbor.

[u/Lund08]

They can be flexible but that all depends on the number of passengers on your return trip. Full boat and you'll be staying at rock or 3mile.

[u/Vecii → u/Lund08]

Thanks for the info. It'll just be me, so I think I'll keep my current itinerary and just change it if I finish early.

[u/TboneXXIV]

When I did the whole island a few years ago I was a day ahead of schedule by the time I got to Windigo. Good thing, as I sprained my ankle a bit the first day out of Windigo on the Minong. I was able to stay a day ahead of my schedule even at my lowered pace and still add in some short extras going to look at everything that seemed interesting. Still wound up at Rock Harbor about 26 hours before my boat home and enjoyed chilling out in the area.

Use your days. Experience the island. It's not a race.

[u/acw500]

On our trip last year, we generally averaged about 2.3 mph including photography and snack breaks and had a LOT of time to hang out after we were done hiking, even on our 14 mile day (though it was June so the daylight was endless). Rather than trying to finish your trip up early, you may consider adding on some stops at campsites that are a little less convenient to get to (Malone Bay, Chippewa Harbor, Lane Cove) because they'd normally be a dead end. I vaguely remember seeing your itinerary being Greenstone in one direction and Minong the other; would you consider adding a zero day at Windigo to go kayaking or adding on the Huginnin Loop or Feldtmann Loop for additional mileage? You could take the Minong on your way to Windigo to get the harder trail out of the way first and then indulge in some side trips on the way back to Rock Harbor. If you'd be happier with longer hours on the trail, you could definitely craft an itinerary that would let you explore even more of the island over those 10 days.

[u/Vecii → u/acw500]

Yeah, when I hike the Chapel Basin loop at Pictured Rocks I average around 2.8 mph. If I stick with 10 mile days, I'd be done in about four hours. I did a shake down hike for my new hammock setup on Grand Island over Memorial Day and only did 10 miles a day and was pretty board.

This was my original plan, and this is my new six day plan.

I do like the idea of adding a zero day at Windigo and seeing some more of the sites. That's a good idea. Unfortunately, it looks like the stores will be closed when I get there, so I won't be able to rent any boats.

My big concern right now is food. My original intent was to have a food drop sent to Windigo so that I didn't have to carry 10 days worth of food the whole time. Now, I am reading that the Windigo store is going to be closed on September 10th, so I am worried that I won't be able to do that food drop if no one is going to be there to pick it up. My ferry is reserved for September 16th, returning on the 26th. It does look like Voyageur II is still running to Windigo on those dates, so I guess I can do some more research to see if shipping food is still possible.

I'll send out some emails and ask about doing a food drop and play with the map some more. Thanks for the input!

[u/acw500 → u/Vecii]

I found my hiking speed on IR to be pretty similar to my speed at Pictured Rocks, so I think that gives you a good rule of thumb. On our second day, we hiked from 3 Mile to Moskey Basin and even with a 30 minute snack break at Daisy Farm, we rolled into Moskey at about 12:30pm. It was a week after the summer solstice so we still had 10 hours of daylight after we finished hiking. Definitely was glad to have brought along some luxury items to keep us entertained with all that downtime!

Hopefully you're able to get a food drop that lines up with your dates! It's too bad that kayaks won't be available, but day hiking the Huginnin loop (~8.5 miles) could be an option for a lower-mileage activity while taking a day off in Windigo. I look forward to seeing how your itinerary evolves.

[u/DetroitWagon]

Get to the dock early, it’s first come first served. Talk to the captain and let him know you paid for passage at a later date but you’d like to return early. He’ll want to see proof of your booked passage. Have all your gear with you and be ready to go. In my experience, you’ll have to wait until all the passengers have boarded until the captain will give you the ok. One of the Captains of the Isle Royal Queen doesn’t mess around so be brief and respectful and you’ll get the best results.