Date: 2011-08-29
To: Prep#1 Shakedown!
Miles today: 0.0

Well, how do you prepare for a hike of over 2,000 miles? As the philosopher stated, ¢The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.¢ - Lao TzuOur first step was an equipment shake-down week backpacking and canoeing in Isle Royale National Park. Amazing, beautiful, unforgettable, exhausting.After the calmest ride imaginable on the ferry from Grand Maris, MN, we were dropped off at McCargo Cove. Immediately, my illusion of a remote wilderness vanished. All the shelters and all the tent platforms were already occupied. We ended up in the Group Site, where, thankfully, no groups arrived. Over 32 people camped there the first night. The realization of carrying the canoe and our packs across eight portages through eight lakes from the north side of the island to our pick-up point on the south side in a week sank in. Having never portaged a canoe before in my life made that prospect a bit scaryThat night around the campfire, hundreds of dragonflies circled the fire pit, dancing overhead, clearing the mosquitoes, wings reflecting the faint rainbow on the opposite side of the cove. Magic. Later in the night snuggled in my sleeping bag, two barred owls bracketed our tent, calling out to each other. More magic!Two days later, six lakes and miles of hoofing ¢Big Blue¢ between them, a major roadblock appeared. The trail led us to a cove at the downwind end of a seven mile long lake, Lake Sisquit, with two miles of paddling to the next campsite broadside to a gale force wind. The whitecaps had whitecaps. The shoreline was rocky, the water frigid, no rescue nor hot shower in sight if we flipped. Well, it was ten in the morning. Many hours later, with time spend napping and fishing, we crossed the cove to test the waters. Paddling with all my might and watching waves breaking over the bow, eyeing the semi-submerged rocks, I panicked. We crossed the open waters and ducked into a sheltered inlet. It was now six pm and darkness was not far off. First Maddie, then I bushwacked across the peninsula to check conditions on the open waters. Whitecaps were dimishing, but the waters were still gray, choppy and foreboding. I decided to head back to the shore we had left and hunker down for the night. On a whim, I turned the bow into the waves once more and called to Maddie,¢Let¢s go for it!¢ Once again she took the brunt of the spray. We cleared the shelter of the cove and headed south to duck behind the many small islands scattered at this end of the lake. A bald eagle soared above the tall trees. Even in the middle of this frantic effort to reach the campsite before dark, the surrounding beauty was breathtaking. Quartering the waves and ducking between islands, we finally swung into a sheltered inlet leading to Wood Lake. Up on the cliffs, a fellow adventurer waved to us, confirming that we had made it to the campsite. Three gentlemen kayakers helped us land the canoe and showed us around the campsite. Extraordinary! On one side, steep cliffs overlooked the vista we had just crossed. On the other, smooth, clear, still waters just ripe for a moose to appear. Alas, no moose obliged, but the loons were plentiful and called out thru the night. I had promised Maddie a cup of coffee when we had camp set, so I lit the alcohol stove and boiled up some water for a cup of joe. No better brew was had on the island that night.For the next three bodies of water, we found creative ways to wind-power the canoe. We also did some hiking, fishing, bird watching and berry picking. No moose.The gear we¢ve selected worked great. A few tweaks to fine tune, but for the moment, a thru hike of the AT seems possible. On we go!