Monday, April 7, 2014

Isle Royale traverse

A friend of mine here locally, who knows that I'm an avid outdoorsman and hiker, and considers himself someone who's also very interested in picking up the hobby while he still has boys at home who are both old enough to successfully do it and young enough to be at home to do it, has suggested that I might be interested in doing an Isle Royale traverse with him.  Isle Royale is a large island in the northern part of Lake Superior, and the entirety of the island (as well as numerous much smaller islands) make up a National Park.  The island is a long, thin island about 45 miles long, but the trail length is closer to 60 miles from end to end.

I've also got some other "local" hikes scouted out; places I'd like to see, and maybe even take my kids, that aren't far away in the mountain west.  Along with the Isle Royale hike, I'd like to do a traverse of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, I'd like to go back to Hocking Hills and explore some more, I'd like to explore Cuyahoga National Park, and I'd like to hike the Art Loeb Trail and the Roan Highlands section of the AT.  These are actually hikes that I could concievably do--or do portions of, at least--this year, in addition to my existing plans. 

I was going over summer plans with my wife.  Because she's going to be recovering from rotator cuff surgery much of the late summer, and unable to take time off work for the fall, I could be looking at as much as a week of still unplanned vacation later this year.  Rather than fritter it away on days where I stay at home for a day or two at a time, I'm thinking I'd rather do a second smaller, and probably closer, backpacking trip.

Or... I could go back out to southern Utah in the fall and hike Coyote Gulch. 

I dunno.  I'm feeling like I might yet have more options this year for another hike beyond just my High Uintas one.  I don't really want to try and spend so much time on the road; I'd rather spend more time on the trail.  But, given my long furlough from the hobby of backpacking, I've got a major backlog of places I'd like to do, and a lot of pent-up demand.  With additional time to spend on the hobby, I might yet get a second trip in this year.  Candidates include:
  • Isle Royale with my friend
  • Pictured Rocks
  • Hocking Hills
  • Roans Highlands
  • Coyote Gulch
  • Art Loeb Trail

1 comment:

  1. Don't know if this will happen. This same friend who wants to do this in 2015 also wants to hike the Sawtooths in Idaho in 2015. He's unlikely to get both of them.

    Either way, there's a good chance I'll go with at least one of my younger boys along for the ride if he does. Both are on "my list"--especially the Sawtooths.

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