Sunday was going to be an easy, relaxing day since there wasn't any hiking to do and the Wenonah


wasn't scheduled to depart Windigo until 3:00 p.m. I woke up at
8:30 a.m. and took my time repacking my backpack. After
breakfast we walked over to a building near the ranger station
and used the coin-operated showers to clean up. We went back to
camp, took care of the last minute packing and then swept out the
shelter so it was dirt-free for the next occupant. A last check of
the camp site and we were on our way back to the store/ranger
station to kill some time before the boat arrived. I browsed
through the store, picked up a souvenir for each of my kids and
talked to a couple of hikers and a park ranger.
We learned some interesting facts from the ranger during our conversation with him. The most recent
studies placed this year's moose population at roughly 900, while the wolf population numbered 19 in
several packs across various territories on the island. Another interesting piece of trivia related to
the

meaning of the word "Windigo". It turns out that Windigo is an Indian term for a mythical
creature that roams the north woods in search of lost people. Legend has it
that if you turn a map of Isle Royale
upside-down you can see the face of
the mythical 'windigo'. If you look closely, Feldtman Lake forms the eye,
Cumberland Point forms

the nose, Washington Harbor forms the open
mouth and the rest of the island forms the body.
One final point made by the ranger was about the
National Park Service plan to eventually remove all the treated wood from
the island. Apparently the chemicals used to treat the wood leech out and
contaminate the water and soil and harm the animals and the environment.
This meant that many of the planked areas that helped us avoid swamps and
marshy areas would no longer exist. He also explained that the bridge over the Siskiwit River would
eventually be taken down, forcing hikers to remove their backpacks, hoist them over their heads and
wade through the river. How soon this would happen, if at all, was unknown.
Before we knew it the Wenonah was tied off at the dock and it was time to load the gear and board
the boat. When we left the dock at Windigo the captain headed for Washington Harbor where we
dropped off a single man and his supplies. The house apparently belonged to his grandfather and he

was staying there to make some repairs. Prior to leaving the harbor the
captain pointed out several old homes and another old building, which used
to be a hotel. They were remnants of a much different time, a time when
Isle Royale was bustling with activity from large passenger ships and it's
use as a resort get-away, a time far removed from it's current status as a
biosphere reserve, the backdrop for scientific studies of it's animals and
environment and a place for people to escape the hustle and bustle of their hectic lives. On the way
back to Grand Portage the captain took the boat past the Rock of Ages lighthouse, explained a bit of
its history and slowed down for us to take pictures.
We arrived back in Grand Portage at 6:00 p.m. The sky was very overcast and it was quite windy.
After the boat was unloaded we asked one of the crew members for a ride back to our car which
was at the Voyager's dock a mile or two away. We were very grateful that we didn't have to make a
final hike to get back to the car. We thanked him for the ride, put our gear in the car and went in
search of something to satisfy our craving for fast food and sweets.
Miles covered today: .3
Total trip miles: 32.3
This page last updated on 02-25-2016 @ 11:23 AM