Lake Superior Beckons, Again

The Camp Clow counselors are getting excited. We've added a gas grill to the back deck and it is learning how to prepare lake trout. Room for lots of burgers and brats as well.

Looking forward to the reunion of old timers and welcoming the newbies.

Hank and Pat
 
Mary and I will be coming up from AZ to Grand Portage to join the group. Is July 5th the launch day or the day before launch? Are all required permits available there? This will be our farthest trip North ever, very much looking forward to this adventure.
Alain and Mary
Deja La
 
Hi Alain
You’re in for a treat at Isle Royal. At the very least it will be cooler than Arizona. We will stop in Windigo to register after we cross from Grand Portage. If you have a National Park Senior Pass the daily fees are waved. Look forward to seeing what you’ve done with your boat.

Tom
 
Alain, I'm hoping they are just launching on the 5th, then heading over on the 6th. At least that was my plans. Also regarding costs. It's $7 per day you are in Isle Royal. Or you can buy an annual Isle Royal Pass for $60. or better yet. Get the annual National Parks pass (if you don't already have it) for $80. If you are younger than 62, it's only good for a year. If you are over 62, it's good for the rest of your life! There are some rules you should be aware of in Isle Royal. No waste or gray water discharge. NO Dogs! (or cats). Very few locations where you can run a portable generator. Only two places to get gas in the park, and it's going to hurt. (Last year I think it was $4.65/gal or something like that at Rock Harbor.) Driving up, a town before Grand Portage, you will lose all cell service. Including Canada. And only one or two spots on all of Isle Royal where you might get service. (And I believe that was US service.) The casino at Grand Portage does have free wireless, or did last year. I do have an AIS transponder on my boat, that my wife was able to track the whole time I was out there last year, except for a short distance between Grand Portage and Isle Royal. If you have family that you want to know where you are, you can tell them to google any AIS tracking sites, and look for Midnight Flyer. That's assuming we all stay together. lol. All that said, Isle Royal is a beautiful place, and I had a great time there last year with Tom, Lee and their spouses.
Enjoy your drive out. I'm in North Dakota now, on my way back from boating the Inside Passage east of Vancouver Island. What route are you driving up? My folks live in Phoenix, and I've always used 40 to Tuccumcari, then cut up thru the Texas Panhandle and eventually thru Liberty Ks I believe. I'll have to look at my routing later. Enjoy your drive, and have safe travels! Colby
 
The plan is to drive up to Grand Portage on July 5 and motor over to Windigo on the 6th and register. Weather Permitting. We may break up into two groups depending on numbers. More later...time to go fishing. Tom
 
Thank you Tom & Colby. I appreciate all the info. I assume fuel will be available in Grand Portage? Colby, you mention "no gray discharge' while in the Park waters, this means no use of the galley sink whatsoever?! sounds pretty drastic.
Looking at the Grand Portage website I see there is a campground/Rv near the marina, is that usually crowded that time of year requiring reservations? What about fishing permits? Thanks again, Alain
 
Thank you Tom & Colby. I appreciate all the info. I assume fuel will be available in Grand Portage? Colby, you mention "no gray discharge' while in the Park waters, this means no use of the galley sink whatsoever?! sounds pretty drastic.
Looking at the Grand Portage website I see there is a campground/Rv near the marina, is that usually crowded that time of year requiring reservations? What about fishing permits? Thanks again, Alain
Click to expand...

Alain, you will need a Michigan Fishing license, if you plan on fishing. You will also need a Great Lakes trout stamp for any Salmon you catch, which is probably the main fish to catch! :D ( I believe that is the case anyway, I'm from Wisconsin. LOL. Tom can correct me if I'm wrong!) The park rules say no discharge. I operate in the mode of reasonable and prudent. IE, just don't dump a lot of suds or food particles thru your drain! The ramp we launch at also has a campground. Last year we were there in August, and barely room in the marina. I'm not sure if Hank or Pat have made any contact with the marina about having 6 boats, and storage for 6 rigs. However, if last year was any indication, I don't think parking the rigs will be a problem. I believe it was $5/night last year. And I forget what the launch was, but reasonable. Google Isle Royal, and you can download or read a copy of the Greenstone Park newsletter. Let me see if I can find a link for you real quick....

Here you go:

https://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/boating-guide.htm

Here is one for the marina.

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/water_access/harbors/grand_portage.html

And yes, fuel is available at a gas station just as you turn into the marina. In fact, fuel there was cheaper than at the town earlier before we got there. However, gas was cheapest several towns earlier. I just don't remember which one. It's the job of the first person to arrive to note all the gas prices on their way in and report the cheapest station to the rest of us! lol! (Except, that your cell phone will stop working before you get to Grand Portage! No service!)
 
Quick update....

I let our sink drain like normal at Isle Royal. We are conservative with our soap and water anyway. I’m thinking they are concerned with “black water” discharge. As noted pump outs are available at Windigo and Rock Harbor.

I use only non-ethanol fuel and they had it at the marina at Grand Portage for a reasonable price last year.

I buy my annual nonresident Michigan fishing license online. They do sell daily licenses on the Island. Unlike Wisconsin where you buy trout stamps, the license covers all fishing.
 
I finally found the National Parks Senior passes we got last year at Lake Powell! that's a relief. Lots to do before departure day and you have both been very helpful.
I am not sure yet which way I will be coming up but Tucson to New Mexico and then cut across from Tucumcari to Kansas City seems the most straight forward route, anyone familiar with Highway 54 across Kansas?
If there is such a thing as a short list of "do not forget to bring" specific to the Isle Royale cruise I would be grateful to be made aware of it. Thanks again
Alain
 
Alain, I'll get back to you this weekend about the routing I use from Arizona. (My folks live in Goodyear, on the west side of Phoenix.) The last windows 10 update crashed my laptop while I was cruising in the area east of Vancouver Island, and I still have to upload some of my software, my maps program being one of them. But looking quickly at mapquest. Yes, it's Hwy 54 from Tuccumcari up to Whichita, then 35 all the way to Duluth, then the hwy around Lake Superior to Grand Portage. If you wanted to come thru Madison, you'd be welcome to stop at our place. Just take an get on 80 when you cross it to Iowa City, 380 to Cedar Rapids, and then 151 up to Madison. My plans are to leave here on the 4th and stay at my Inlaws just north of EauClaire, then on up to Grand Portage on the 5th. Hwy 54 is 2 and 4 lane, but a good highway, if not a bit boring. I've driven it several times.

Thanks Tom on the correct information regarding Michigan Fishing licenses covering all species! Would you mind picking me up a paper copy of Michigans Fishing Regs? I downloaded a digital copy, but I still like the paper copies. Colby
 
Looking at the dates for Isle Royal, and reading the first post, it says beginning on July 5th and lasting for about 2 weeks. Assuming we actually head over on the 6th, I'm assuming that means we are looking at being back to Grand Portage on the 19th or 20th. Rosanne will not be coming with me for Isle Royal, but I will meet her at her dad's in Bloomer between Isle Royal, and then our trek to the Apostle Islands. She is off in July from the 18th. Just trying to get a more solid time frame, knowing that cell coverage does not exist once we get to Grand Portage, nor for the most part, in Isle Royal. I think at this point, I'm going to plan on being back at Grand Portage on the 18th or 19th, weather permitting, and then plan on launching at Sand Bay Campground for the Apostle Islands a day later on the 19th or 20th, and staying out until the 29th. Again, anyone else that would like to join us is welcome. Also, as of now, my plans are to leave home on the 4th and spend the night at my father in law's, then on up to Grand Portage on the 5th. I should be there early afternoon. If the water is calm, I may decide to head on over to Windigo. Wondering what time the Clow campers plan to arrive at Grand Portage? Colby
 
Weather permitting, Camp Clow participants will head for Grand Portage on the 5th. Our arrival should be mid-afternoon, but that is always subject to change. We set aside the two-week period to give folks a planning window. Given past experiences on the Island we'll put together a loose float plan and see which way the wind blows. Flexibility is the key to successful cruising on Lake Superior.


Hank and Pat
 
Called the Marina at Grand Portage today to check on fuel. They sell 91 octane pure gas. Said no problem parking 7 or so trucks and trailers. Slips are hard to come by. Only one or two normally but we can head out after launching. Michigan licenses for fishing are available.

As far as things to bring. Bug repellent, food for three weeks, needed medication, peanut oil for fried fish, Mepps number 5 for pike, spoons for lake trout and an adventurous attitude. 😇
Wouldn’t be long now.....Tom
 
Just shy of two weeks away, and looking forward to joining all at Isle Royal, then on to the Apostles. Already have my Michigan Fishing License as well. Piece of cake on line! Northern Wisconsin has some road closures around the south side of Lake Superior. due to all the rains. It looks like highways 2 and 63 have some closures. For the Clow camp coming up, if I read the 511 data correctly, as of today it looks like 2 is closed west bound from 63, and just south of 2 on 63 there is a closure. For my routing between Bloomer and Little Sand Bay (Apostles) I'm planning to use between Hwy 53 and Little Sand Bay, Hwy's B, 27, H and 13. This basically goes thru Brule, Port Wing and Cornucopia. I don't see any closures using the 511 website on that routing, but will check with the Highway Patrol in the area before I leave. However, that is routing I will take between my Isle Royal and Apostle Island trips. I don't see any issues for me coming up to Grand Portage, using Hwy's 53 and 61. If anyone else knows of road closures in this area, please share here. Colby
https://511wi.gov/List/Alerts
http://transportal.cee.wisc.edu/res...rtsFolder/511Flood_Impact_Map_1700_061918.jpg
 
The marina office has some fishing tackle, but not a lot. I didn't drive past the marina/casino last year, and not sure what exists in the main town.
 
Safe travels Alain. Unless you go thru Utah or states west, I don't think you'll have any watercraft inspection stations to be concerned with. But if you have a bilge drain plugs, make sure they are pulled. Also, if you stick to I35 and Hwy 61 in the northern part of your travels, you shouldn't have any problems with road closures. (Been lots of rain up north, and it's washed out a few roads in Wisconsin on the south side of Lake Superior. Colby
 
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