>>819633Wolf pack may be gone soon. Numbers are way down.
I had the /out/ing of my life 4 years ago. Took two 15 y.o. daughters for 7 days. We started at Rock Harbor, had a water taxi take our canoe us and the canoe to Chippewa Harbor. Portaged to Lake Ritchie. Stayed on the Island in Lake Ritchie that you can only get to by canoe. Got fat eating Northern Pike.
Portaged to Moskey Basin, then back to Rock Harbor.
The portages were hard because there is not an even step on Isle Royale. On our 3rd day, doing the portage from Chipewa to Lake Ritchie wiped us out. Hardest thing I've done in many years.
We made it to the Lake but couldn't go on to the Island before dark so we set up camp on the trail head. At some point in the night we start hearing wolves howling and it's obvious they are on the move. That got the loons going crazy and they are making those loon calls. Then we hear moose crashing thought the woods and splashing into the water - it sounded like it was 10 ft. from the tent.
In the morning we find wolf scat 50 yards up the trail. The most intense /out/ experience ever.
As soon as we wet the paddles in Lake Ritchie that morning we came upon a moose cow and her calf.
I will return. I have to return.