17 August 2015 Monday

We are both awake about 3:30 am repacking in our heads. We give up on more
sleep at 5:30. Time to head for the ferry. O’s pack is 16 kilos
without water and mine is about 12.4, although it is not completely
packed yet. The crowd at the marina is cheery. For most of us it is
our first trip to Isle Royale. The two man crew jokes as they load
the packs. Two young men have extremely heavy portage packs. They will
be doing research on water quality and dragonflies. They carry a
cooler of dry ice. The guys on the boat ask if they will be staying
for the whole winter.

Soon we are all on board. O and I break out our pie. There is complimentary
coffee on the ferry, but no other food. We talk to another retired
physician who has been to Glacier National Park many times, and he
offers advice for our upcoming visit there. We arrive at Windigo on Isle Royale and disembark
for our Ranger orientation and to get permits. Then back to the ferry
for the 3 hour ride to McCargo Cove. The older crew member warns me
as I return to the ferry that “no smiling is allowed.”  (I
have not been able to keep from smiling since we arrived at the park.)

McCargoCove is lovely. We hear bird song that is new to us. We also hear our
first loon calls of the trip. Our campsite is visited twice by a
large snowshoe hare.