And we’re off! The Feldtman Lake Trail is listed at just under 9 miles from Windigo and we have no real good idea how our group will perform. How many stops will we need? What pace can we maintain? Our goal is to get our camp set up before dark reaches the island. It was almost noon when we started and sunset was about 10pm on the island so ten hours to make it there. On our last Isle Royale adventure in 2012, we averaged 1.5 miles per hour. That was seven years ago though. If we can maintain that average we should be able to complete nine miles in six hours which would get us to the campground about 6pm. Plenty of time to get set up and cook food before the sun falls below Lake Superior.

The first two miles of this adventure were familiar because on the first day of our last Isle Royale trip we explored the area to an overlook on this exact trail. I knew there was a fairly steep climb leading to the overlook for our first nice challenge. The overlook would be a good spot to rest with the packs off for a short time and let us know where we are for speed. Fortunately our energy was high and the trail was beautiful with plants at peak flower causing me to forget about the weight on my back from time to time. There were even a few different types of orchids in bloom which was really exciting to see. After the first mile we began to head up in elevation causing us to really become warm after shivering on the boat ride to the island. Now I get to see if all of my preparations to be physically ready paid off. There was a bit of a strain on my legs in this section of the trail and my breathing became quite labored just before reaching the summit but all in all I felt pretty good. Like I could make this hike reasonably well.

Reaching the overlook, I checked the time and saw our pace was at my expectations. And the nice part was the rest of the trail is downhill. Finding a spot to set our backpacks down, we grabbed a drink of water and admired the view (photo at the top of the post). After a few minutes of scanning the island from this high point we sat for a few minutes and found some food to keep our energy levels up for the remaining seven miles. Feeling good and a little anxious to see what lies ahead, we hefted our heavy packs back on top of our shoulders and continued on. There were a few ripe wild strawberries in the are so I  harvested a couple for a nice little fresh fruit on the trail. Quite tasty although barely the size of a pea. It would take a lot of these for a nice meal. Up on the ridge the temperature was estimated to be in the upper 70’s Fahrenheit so it was warm and we were now hiking in the sunlight.

Thankfully the shade of trees arrived a short distance later helping to keep us cool. Although they also became obstacles from time to time which we happily overcame. A downed tree was a great place to lean against and take much of the backpack weight off of our shoulders from time to time revitalizing our legs and backs before continuing on. Over the course of the afternoon we would stop every couple of miles to remove the heavy weight being carried on our backs, grab something to eat quickly, and sip some water making sure to ration so there was enough until we could refill. About halfway to Feldtman Lake, the thimbleberry bushes began their attack. These are fairly tall bushes with stiff branches and large leaves which continually ate at our legs leaving behind some nice gouges for us to remember them by. As we continue to move we only encountered one other hiker headed towards Windigo and two hikers on their way to Feldtman Lake. They passed us during one of our breaks to regain the lead. We caught up to them again right at Feldtman Lake.

I had decided it was time for another break and sat down briefly to find a little relief from my backpack as the weight was really causing soreness in my shoulders and lower back. Also I wanted our group to be rejoined to make sure everything was going ok. A few minutes passed and looking at a clock and miles already hiked told me there should only be a small portion left ahead. That was all the motivation I needed to put the pack back on knowing it should only be for another 20 minutes at the most. As it turned out, I turned a corner and saw the metal sign showing the location of all of the campsites. We had made it! Moving towards the campground, there was an open site but wasn’t right on the lake so we kept looking. There were a few others open but this first one we spotted seemed like the best remaining place to pitch our tent so we walked in the cleared area and set our backpacks down for the last time on this day. What an amazing feeling! It was like I was walking on air or had springs in my shoes without that thing attached weighing me down. And it was just after 6pm so there was plenty of time to enjoy camp yet.

A few minutes after setting down the packs and pulling out the tent, a moose was spotted not far away in Feldtman Lake. We headed to a nice viewing spot to take in some wildlife viewing and relax for a moment. I had hoped we would see a moose or two on this adventure and here one was to welcome us to our first camping spot. After a few minutes, the moose headed back into the woods so we returned to our evening chores of getting the tent set up with sleeping pads and sleeping bags. Once complete we began preparing our one hot meal of the day talking about that days adventures and what we wanted to do with the few remaining sunlit hours. A trip to Rainbow Cove was recommended by multiple people so that seemed like a good way to end our first day on Isle Royale.