End of June Update

The season is starting to pick up in Snug Harbor. The Queen brings us boatloads of 70-90 (they’ll start running their full schedule, including Sundays, once July hits), the Ranger is filling up, and almost every day brings some exciting new event, whether it be a capsize, an injury, or someone trying to wriggle around the law. (No worries; we’re keepin’ ‘em in line.) Blueberries have appeared and are working their way to ripeness, big white thimbleberry flowers are everywhere, and people have started munching on strawberries. The island is rife with new growth (also mosquitoes and flies.)

Ranger Pete has returned from his stint as a police officer bringing peace to a South Dakota Indian reservation, rendering our little Rock Harbor family essentially complete. (He’ll be leaving us for Windigo for a couple of weeks though.) We’re made even more complete by the return of Lauren-from-IRKPA to our visitor center. She is my favorite new smiling addition to the tiny VC, not least because she knows exactly what to do when you press all the wrong numbers and the register makes that horrible noise.

Wolf sightings continue to be common, both in the Rock Harbor and Lake Richie vicinities. There have also been a number of “coyote” sightings – take that as you will. We tend to take them with several shakers of salt. The wolf sighters, however, have started emphasizing the point that the wolves stood still and watched them until they yelled to scare them away – could it be another bold wolf summer?

In other news, I have officially caught my first ever fish (and also my second ever and third ever – delicious northern pike.) Casey has been introducing the rest of us interp-ers (Leah, Andrew, and I) to the fine art of Isle Royale angling. (It sounds so glamorous put that way, right? Just leave out the mud and the leeches and the flies.)

Speaking of Casey, he told us the other day about his favorite phrase carved into one of the Isle Royale shelters:

There is a saying passed down by Isle Royale fishermen of old:
“F***. It’s still raining.”

And on this beautiful day turned moist, I would like to leave you with that.

Finally, Some Pictures

Ok, so I know all of you devoted readers out there (you exist, right?) have been just sitting on the edges of your seats, awaiting a Snug Harbor Reporter post with pictures, right? Well, you can take a deep breath and celebrate, 'cause it's happening people, right here, right now. Check it out:

Check out these cool kids: Leah, Nick, Casey, and Andrea prepare to meet the Ranger III.

The rocks along Lake Superior offer a lovely spectrum of colors. (Also, I get bored hiking alone...)

A foggy view of Todd Harbor:

Pink and yellow lady slippers have been especially worthy of photo-taking the last couple weeks. We've got pictures of some pretty cool critters:

A toad on the Stoll Trail:

A baby fox, soaking wet, for some reason, at Todd Harbor.

A curious squirrel outside the Rock Harbor Campground:

After the interp staff had our customs training at Windigo, we got a nice look at the Rock of Ages lighthouse on the boat trip home (thanks, Marshall!):

And a few pictures from my hike to Windigo:

- freakin' delicious strawberries

- the trail down to the North Lake Desor campground



and some views of the oh so lovely, dry, and well-marked Minong Ridge Trail (ha.)

And four of us fearless interp-ers chillin' with the Windigo moose.

Stay tuned for more news and photos, and leave some comments! That would be entertaining.

Stay classy, Snug Harbor -

Thunder in the Harbor

Sitting in the blaring sunshine this afternoon, it’s kinda hard to believe that just about fifteen hours ago I was standing in pouring rain on the Ranger dock, watching Rock Harbor be illuminated by fascinating sprays of lightning.

As I’m sure everybody in the area is aware, we had a fantastic thunderstorm last night; something of an Isle Royale rarity, I understand, and for those of us with a nice warm building nearby, pretty darn awesome. I went down to the Ranger dock with my fellow interp-ers Casey and Leah, and we stood in the rain and watched lightning crack the sky on all sides for probably half an hour. All of our hairs were literally standing on end. It was pretty rad.

Another of our interp-ers, SCA Andrew, spent last night in the backcountry, somewhere on his way from Windigo to Rock Harbor; here’s hoping he had a shelter and remained lightning-strike free and reasonably dry.

All of us were in Windigo on Wednesday: the whole Snug Harbor interp staff (minus Andrea, unfortunately, who had to stay behind to man the VC and rescue canoeists, which seems to be a new popular activity in Rock Harbor), along with rangers Marshall, Danny, and Beth, and a slew of other very cool and important people who you’ll have to forgive me for not listing the names of. We had our official customs training, got a tour of Windigo from Mr. Lucas Westcott (I don’t care how gorgeous their visitor center is, I’m staying loyal to Snug Harbor pride), and got to hang with the sweet Windigo crew for a few hours.

Being SCA’s, Andrew and I got lucky enough to hike the island; he’s doing the hike back, and I left last week, hiked the Minong Ridge, and met everyone in Windigo. I would like everyone to know that I found some ripe wild strawberries on the trail between McCargoe and Todd Harbor, and they were probably the most delicious thing I’ve had in months. (Levi’s amazing home-prepared (or “cured” or whatever it is) bacon comes in a close second.)

We started our harbor walk programs this week (along with a couple of traditional campfire programs with Wanda), which have been going spectacularly. We have walks on everything from geology to trees to mining to the wolf-moose study. Beginning Monday, we’ll be on to our full schedule, auditorium be damned, with harbor walks and evening programs every day. We have been acquiring some pretty nifty things for these, such as wolf pelts and butterfly finger puppets. I am also learning to love our laminator. Those things are handy.

For now, I leave you on this beautiful and sunny day, so far removed from last night’s tremendous thunder and lightning – get out there and enjoy yourselves, and don’t be afraid to leave us some comments to say hello or inform everybody of whatever cool thing you’ve seen this week.

Adios –
Liz, Snug Harbor Reporter

P.S. I promise these posts will start including photos very soon. You just wait.

Rainy Days in Snug Harbor

The rain is coming down in nice diagonal sheets today, meaning the Visitor Center is swelling with soon-to-be-Queen-passengers, huddling around the bookshelves in their shiny dripping rain gear. Today's a big day, in terms of boats - the Ranger's finally coming in! After its engine mishap last Tuesday, when it had to cancel its trip and we had to scamper around making sure everyone knew how to get here, get back, get their boats home, etc., it will be nice to see that big lady pulling into the dock today. It's bringing us several shipments of various things (GROCERIES, most importantly; I am pretty sick of eating spaghetti for every meal, lemme tell you), so wish us luck in getting that all sorted out...

For any wildflower fans out there, there's an amazing patch of pink lady-slippers right outside of Lane Cove: dozens of them, clustered along the trail. Take a hike up there and check it out. There's also several gorgeous yellow lady-slippers over at Daisy Farm.

Next week marks the official First Week of Interp Programs in Snug Harbor - I feel like we should be making commemorative mugs or something. We'll be doing harbor walks every day except Wednesday (when we all convene in Windigo for a happy customs training/interp reunion!), and Wanda Naylor will be leading a couple of traditional evening campfire programs. Everyone's welcome to come check out the programs, but beware: the audiences this coming week are our guinea pig audiences, and we might flock you for constructive criticism after.

I hope everybody's staying reasonably warm and dry (which most of us probably aren't - oh well) - and at the very least having an awesome time.

Until next week,
Liz
Snug Harbor Reporter

Welcome to a New Season

June is here, the sky is blue, and we're jumping into the swing of a new season in Snug Harbor. My name is Liz, and I'll be taking over the role as "Snug Harbor Reporter" for the summer. Whether you live on Mott or Windigo and want the scoop from the (ahem) most fun place on the big island, or live on the mainland and want to keep up with Isle happenings, this is the blog to read.

As of last Friday, our whole interp staff has accumulated in Snug Harbor. Andrew and I are the SCA interns for the summer, hailing from the Chicago and Detroit areas, respectively. Andrea (our fearless lead interp) and Casey (angler and bushwhacker extraordinaire) are returning from last season. Leah (our very own yooper) and Wanda (all the way from the Redwoods) are starting their first season on the island. With all of our friendly local maintenance guys, and of course the lovely concessionaires and boat crews, we make up a pretty rockin' Rock Harbor team.

A lot has been happening since we all moved in (Wanda just a few days ago, some of us over a month ago.) Casey and Andrea cleaned and organized the Visitor's Center and the residences (we are all forever indebted to them for enabling us to move into a house that was mouse-poop free.) We've had several days of interp training; day trips to the fire tower, Rock Harbor Lighthouse, Raspberry Island, the Peterson's research hub, and Passage Island; MOCC training for all (everybody's motorboat certified this year!); and lots of our own backpacking and kayaking adventures.

Moose and wolf sightings have been coming into the visitor center like crazy. We've had several people fill out wolf reports, including a few sightings right in Snug Harbor and along the Stoll Trail. Apparently we've got a hairy friend hanging out right here with us. The area's abounding with moose cows and calves, naturally. Casey, Andrew, and I saw one bedding down literally beside the auditorium Saturday night (Casey regaled it with a lovely version of "I've Got Friends in Low Places," based on some stellar advice from Captain Don) and Steve saw two cows running up the paved trail about 11:30 last night ("clippity clippity clippity cloppity.")

I'll be hooking up with Andrew soon to actually get some photos on here; until then, I leave you with this brief introduction to the season. We'll keep you posted with exciting interp stories, Snug Harbor sightings, and island events as the summer rolls on. Until then - get off the computer and go do something adventurous.

Yours truly,
Liz Dengate
Snug Harbor Reporter