Geneva Kayak Center

Expeditionary Trips

Isle Royale

Isle Royale National Park
Michigan

Dates: 2013, Dates TBA
Days: 9 days, 8 nights
Price: $1349 (double occupancy) $1549 (with boat rental)
Trip Level:3 - 4
Includes: Guidance, Ferry Transportation, Cooking Equipment, Meals as Described in the Itinerary
Group Size: 5 - 8


Trip Description

In Lake Superior's northwest corner sits an island wilderness archipelago - a roadless land of wild creatures, unspoiled forests, refreshing lakes, and rugged, scenic shores - accessible only by boat or floatplane. Wolves and moose, the wild North Woods forest, ever-changing weather, and the crystal clear waters and rugged shoreline of Lake Superior characterize Isle Royale National Park. Join the Geneva Kayak Center for our nine-day, eight-night kayaking trip along the shores of this beautiful wilderness island as we attempt to "see as much as possible" of Isle Royale. Isle Royale offer's some of the most secluded paddling oppurtunities to sea kayakers - rocky shoreline, secluded coves, a myriad of tiny islands, possible sightings of healthy moose and wolf, and picturesque sunrises and sunsets. Helping you get the most out of your Isle Royale experience, this trip is guided by Geneva Kayak’s owner Ryan Rushton, a Level 5 Advanced Open Water Instructor.

Included in the price of the trip is camping in Copper Harbor, transportation to and from Isle Royale aboard the Isle Royale Queen IV, guidance and instruction, tents and outdoor cooking equipment. Kayaks and basic paddling kit can be provided for a small additional fee, but personal clothing and paddling gear are not included.

This trip is rated a GKC Level 3+ and 4 trip. On Level 3 and 4 trips, participants should be comfortable with skils taught in our GKC L3 Coastal Kayak Weekend and be ready for Level 4 training as outlined in our description of the L4 Open Water Week. Participants DO NOT need to hold their L4 or 4 Star awards to participate, but would benefit from taking our Level 3 and/or Rough Water 1 and 2 trainings before the trip. Please call us for more information or with any questions about our trip levels.


Itinerary

(subject to change due to weather & permit conditions)
Day 1
Trip members should plan on meeting Geneva Kayak Center staff around 4pm CST. We will also make final preparations before heading out to the island the next morning.
Day 2
Following an early breakfast, we'll travel to Copper Harbor to board the Isle Royale Queen IV for our voyage to Isle Royale. Our ship's voyage will take about 3 hours and will cover over 70 miles of Lake Superior. Landing in Rock Harbor on Isle Royale, we will make final preparations and launch our kayaks.
Days 3-8
Due to the nature of sea kayaking on Lake Superior, we will not determine our exact paddling route until the weeks leading up to this trip. Weather predictions and permit availability will dictate whether we paddle on the south or north shorelines of the island to start the trip. While the southern shoreline has more protected bays and in general receives less wind and waves in late July, this is not always the case and the northern shoreline may be a better route for our group.

Trip members should expect to paddle between 15-25 miles per day in order to take in as much of the beauty of Isle Royale's shoreline as we can during our eight days out on the island. We will choose our campsites based on their beauty and accessibility to sea kayakers.
Day 9

Our group will paddle back to Rock Harbor for the return trip aboard the Isle Royale Queen IV. The Isle Royale Queen IV departs Isle Royale at 2:45pm, so trip members should anticipate returning to Copper Harbor in the early evening on Day 9.