As our first day on Isle Royale was coming to a close we decided to take others advice and head to Rainbow Cove on the eastern edge of the island to watch the setting sun to the west out over Lake Superior. After hiking 9 miles with heavy packs on our backs, hiking nearly another mile might seem a little too ambitious. Surprisingly, after a little time sitting at camp, the soreness in my legs and back disappeared although the energy level was still low after a long day getting to the island and getting to Feldtmann Lake were we were camping for the night. This was probably the only chance to catch a sunset here so if we didn’t go we would miss the opportunity even though we were actually staying in this area for two nights. The next night clouds were expected to cover the sky with possible rain showers or even a thunderstorm so off to Rainbow Cove we went. Without all that weight resting on our shoulders it actually was a nice hike over beautiful terrain.

Along the way we enjoyed all of the blooming flowers, smell, and scenery of the north country trapped in Lake Superior. At one point during a conversation I turned to look back at my cousin who was walking behind me and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something didn’t seem quite right. Quickly looking back I realized we were being watched by a moose. I kept walking until there was a larger tree between me and this moose which was just standing there watching as we passed by. Now having a little protection, the question was to keep going as we were really too close to this animal or stop and watch and possibly capture a photo or two. Well, given the pictures above and below you can guess what we did. Fortunately this particular moose didn’t seem real interested in defending her area and just continued to watch us while we watched her back and snapped a few photos. While taking in this lucky encounter, another hiker came behind us. He stopped abruptly once he looked up and saw we were stopped, looking at something in the woods. I could tell when he realized what we were looking at by the surprised look on his face from being so close to this large animal. Moose have been know to be quiet aggressive and with their size can cause substantial harm so we didn’t stay too long. Besides, the sun would be nearing the horizon soon. Back to the trail.

Eventually we made our way to Rainbow Cove and collapsed on the beach. What a great spot to just sit and relax, listening to the gentle waves wash up against the pebble filled shoreline as the sun continued it’s trek toward the horizon. After some time had passed and other hikers began to join us on the beach I decided I should try and capture a few photos since I did drag the camera and tripod all the way here. Wanting to just continue sitting and enjoy the surroundings, I knew I would regret it if I didn’t come back with some pictures to remind me of the experience. Picking up the camera I began to try a few different compositions but my energy wasn’t truly up to the task. There are a few shots that show just how beautiful this area is even still. The setting sun was blocked by several clouds so the colors I had hoped to see, and photograph, didn’t materialize like I’d hoped. It was a worthwhile adventure regardless.

As we were just about ready to work our way back, something appeared to be heading our way along the shoreline. As it approached we could tell it was another moose stopping to munch on some leaves while working its way up the beach. Now what do we do? The best thing to do when a moose is near is find a tree to stand next to and keep still. Here we are exposed on the beach. A moose is a much better swimmer than we are and would be able to out run us into the trees a short distance behind. With nowhere to really go we watched as the moose continued closer and closer. It seemed as though the moose didn’t really care about the National Park Service’s rules about how far to stay away from these animals as this one was clearly in violation of it. Finally, as it got uncomfortably close it heading back into the island. Unfortunately it happened to be close to the trail we needed to take back to our campsite. Waiting for about 10 minutes or so we figured it should be safe to head back as this moose should have moved far enough away from the trail. We were in luck!

Getting back on the trail there was no sight or sound of this large creature. Finding our pace towards camp, I walked past a large group of shrubs and immediately saw the moose again. It was facing away from us while continuing to eat until it saw me at the same time. In a moment it was turned towards me and charging. I quickly moved back behind the shrubs I’d passed and the moose stopped. Waiting another 5 minutes, my cousin decided to see if the moose had safely moved on. He slowly moved to the clearing away from these shrubs looking for the moose. It was still there facing the opposite direction eating. Again it turned quickly and charged a second time. Immediately he retreated behind the shrubs once again and the moose stopped just like before. Now I was getting concerned as it was getting dark and our flashlights were back at camp. We intended to be back before dark overtook Isle Royale. Who expected to be trapped by a moose this long? Another 10 minutes passed and we tried again. This time the moose was gone thankfully. I enjoy seeing these moose but not when one is being aggressive as night is approaching. With just a hint of light still in the air we made our way back to camp for the night and crawled into the tent. What an amazing first day on Isle Royale!

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.