The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1945-08-27
Michigan
Mirror
Gene Alleman
Continued from Page -

NOOllLlIlueQ lIOIn rage ~
persons each. Rock Harbor lodge
likewise is to be expanded.
There are no roads on the island.
No automobiles, no horses, no bride
paths. Travel is limited to foot and
water. Because pedestrian travel is
slow, you may prefer to use a boat
to get around and visit places. The
long harbors and hundreds of
islets provide many inner water
ways, safeguarded from the lake
Travel is by rowboat, cupboard mo-
tor craft or canoe.
IL you expect to gaze upon the
forest primeval with virgin timber
towering high, you'll be disap-
pointed. Isle Royale has been swept
repeatedly by fire.
Prehistoric mining pits, dug by
Indians, show traces of wood fires
During the past 100 years much OF
the island was ravaged by forest
fires, the most recent conflagration
being in 1886.
Yet despite the absence of huge
white pines and hemlock, such as
you will find in parts of the Por-
cupine Mountain area and along
the PreSque Isle and Black rivers
near Lake Superior, Isle Royale
possesses a peculiar beauty and
charm Of its own. 1t is derived by
a combination of slender, ford
like deep harbors, running inland
like fingers of the hand; an album
dance of barren rocks and numer-
Gus ridges; and great variety of
confer and deciduous trees with
their contrasting shades.
Slender harbors Of green-blue
color. picturesque islets. rocks and
trees-yeS, that's the Isle Royale
Wilderness.
Trained rangers and naturaliStS
are available to conduct organized
tours and give Illustrated lectures
Foot trails are well marked by
diamond shaped. orange colored
metal tags placed high on trees
and thus easy to discern against
the forest green background.
Two aerial surveys last winter re-
vealed the presence of approx
mately 500 moose. There are no
deer, bear. porcupines and poison
Gus snakes.
The island is patrolled through
out the winter by two rangers who
hike on Snowshoes over a l20-mile
circuit each month, staying over
night at cabins spaced about ten
miles apart. The rangers watch for
poacherS in quest of valuable furS.
Tne snowfall last winter was 2O7
inches. The rainfall this summer
was the least in eight seasons, and
lack of humidity created a danger
Gus explosive conditions in the
woods for several weeks. Camp fires
were banned; travel inland was
prohibited.
Tent campers may want to visit
Isle Royale, rent "a boat and out
board motor and go to one of the
camp sites under a park service
permit. If so, first write to Sup
erintendent Baggley address
above).
Isle Royale Is one of the few re-
naming wilderness areas left in
Michigan where an outdoor lover
can hike inland, his own camp in
side a ruckpack and a sleeping bag,
and spend literally days or weeks
beyond sight of civilized life as We
know it today.
Quick airplane service will remove
the risk Of seasickness in crossing
the lake. But even that hazard and
inconvenience should be well re-
paid.
We don't know whether you'll like
Isle Royale. AT least, you ought
to visit it and find out for your
self during the next few years.
Personally, we want to return tc
this wilderness island just off the
Canadian coast of Lake Superior.
Like you. we want to know more
about our own wonderful Michigan
and our own United States.