• Friday-What'sUP July 6 - 03:46 pm

If you've never been to Isle Royale, you are definitely missing out on one of the most valuable gems of the Keweenaw (in my humble opinion anyway). It's where you can find calm, quiet, rest and relaxation, while enjoying the beauty of nature at it's finest. Kevin Henriksen snapped these photos, which illustrate the Island's charm and he also gave me a description that explains the draw of this Lake Superior Island for so many, "The Island has amazing depth of character when you consider the scenery, wildlife, the history and the endless things to do like hiking, kayaking, fishing, photography, or just taking in the sights. I'm like a kid in a candy store when I'm there." I'd have to totally agree with Kevin's assessment of a visit to this National Park. Sitting in that chair on Caribou Island is where I'm going to spend my daydreaming hours today!

This really makes me homesick.

I have never been there, but always wanted to go. My Dad and Uncle have some great pictures.

Isle Royale is on my list of places to see before the level of Lake Superior gets too low for unobstructed yacht entry to docks.

It'd be a fine place to visit if I didn't have to take a boat that far out on Lake Superior. I have a healthy respect for that lake.

Anyone know how Mott Island got it's name? Just curious and didn't find any info on the internet. So many things in the Flint area and beyond took the name of local philanthropist and auto pioneer Charles Stewart Mott and his family (Mott's applesauce, for one).

What an absolutely gorgeous place. I have never been there, but it's definitely on my "to do" list!

Our family stayed a few days on Isle Royale in 1993. We enjoyed
many hikes, saw numerous things to photograph and hunted for
Isle Royale greenstones on the shoreline. The dumbest thing we did
while we were out there was to row a boat to Raspberry Island.
Turned out to be very hard, and for me at least, very scary. Deb:
The boat ride over was beautiful, but like you, my awe of the power
of the Big Lake made it a fairly frightening experience. The waves
seemed enormous. Still I'm glad we went and would gladly go
again.

My husband has gone there & enjoyed it but I'll just enjoy seeing it in pictures. I wouldn't be able to hike & you do alot of that over there. The trip over there would probably make me nervous. Lake Superior & boats would make me nervous. I think I'll stick to visiting the other parts of the beautiful Keweenaw & there are many of them.

My son, Capt. Ben Kilpela, has a blog with pictures of Isle Royale. It is Captain Ben's Isle Royale Blog

It is a real introduction to the island.

My dad was a Boy Scout Troopmaster for many years. One of the things he always made sure of was that all the boys got their 50 mile hike patch. We accomplished this by hiking the length of Isle Royale. We rode across from Grand Portage, Minnesota on the Wenonah and then hiked the island and returned on the float plane typically. This island is one of my favorite to visit but I have not been out in many years. Last time we camped out at Daisy Farm and rode the Voyager both ways from the Minnesota side.

Marsha, In Karl Bohnak's book "So Cold a Sky" it is mentioned that Charles & Angelique were hired to guard Isle Royale in 1843 to protect the copper mine claim by a businessman named Mendenhall. They were promised supplies but none came before winter set in. Charles Mott died of starvation, his wife Angelique survived by snaring rabbits with strands of her hair. She was rescued the following spring. Great Book!

You Kilpelas sure know the island. I enjoyed the blog site and
especially the photos. Makes me want to return for sure. My
grandfather, gone many, many years, worked on Isle Royale, I think
during the Great Depression. He built what I think was an older
lodge not too far from the new one. Do any of you Kilpelas know
anything about this topic? Sorry to be so vague, but that's all I can
dredge up from my memory.

How many moose can be seen on the island? I've always wanted to see a moose, but haven't. Probably a good place would be around Newberry or the Tahquamenon Falls area. Are you can tell, I think they're interesting animals.

Thanks, Greg. Definitely not the same Charles Mott!

Nice photos of one of the most peaceful places on earth.....

Mooselover- I've always wanted to see a Moose too...I'm doing my best out in Colorado, looking in the prime spots, but i haven't been lucky enough yet.

I have seen moose just about one mile south of me here in Berkley. Lots of other animals also. My favorites are the giraffes.

Hi, Mooselover
I know Newberry makes the Moose Capital claim, but I'm not so sure. We've never even seen a hint there, and we were at the Seany refuge earlier this week, and they thought there might be one moose in the whole area.
Now we're on Minnesota's north shore--and they are really plentiful here.

Funny, Mikie! So you live about a mile from 10 Mile and Woodward, huh?

I like Mikies Polar Bear neighbors, and the Penguins.

We have been visited by the Peacocks on occaisions and some other animals, once a monkey was in the neighborhood but I never saw it. We also had a parrot visit us and every spring we had ducks on the top of our pool cover. I heard that there even was a deer loose in the cementary north of me.

Just so no one gets the wrong idea about the message from "kosk", it is not legal to collect Greenstones anywhere on the island since about 1997(earliest reference I have found so far)! The Greenstone is Michigans state "gemstone". Of course the state "stone" is the Petosky stone. I know of no restrictions on it.

I do believe that Michigamme, site of the moose transplant project back in 1985 and '87, and Newberry are "fighting" it out to see which town is the Moose Capital of Michigan. Personally, I would pick Michigamme, but then I live just down the road. Just a mile or so down the road from me a lady has had a moose in her pond. They are an awesome animal.

The Seney Refuge would be a great place to see just about anything that is wild in the U.P. It can be seen by auto tour or a bike tour. Both are fabalous!

I'm headed for the Isle this week. I am sure it will be as beautiful as the rest of the Keweenaw. It will be nice to relax.