Sunday September 21, 2025
L:61 H:72
It was a foggy, rainy night and morning. We drove into town for the 1:15 Cruise. They told us in the office to go down to the yellow line on the docks. We were early, but wanting to sit on the upper deck, we walked down, getting behind a nice family. Soon others lined up. Standing there with raincoat, sweater, a backpack with an extra lens, I got hot. The sun had come out. We felt a bit silly. Others had on shorts and t-shirts.
A cruise lady came down like a cheerleader, asking if we were excited. She said we might be warm now, but it is at least 10 degrees cooler as soon as you get out of the harbor. As the boat came in, the people looked pretty chilly.
We got good seats on the left, front and settled in. Captain Don greeted us and said he was going to tell us probably more than we wanted, but he wanted us to know all about this wonderful place. He is an engineer and has retired three times, but he loves this job and this wonderful place.
There was Madeline Island, the only inhabited island. Well, people still have houses or cabins on other islands. When it was turned into a national park, they bought properties at market prices. If people wanted to stay, they could for their lifetime or that of their children.
All of the islands were timbered, including Basswood Island. Native Americans used inner parts of basswood to make ropes, mats and baskets. Europeans used it for carving, models, prototypes, blinds, puppets and toys.
Hermit Island was inhabited by William Wilson, who didn’t get along well with people. It is also the site of a large brownstone quarry. After the Chicago fire, people were looking for stronger building materials. Brownstone was used locally, like the current Apostle Islands National Park headquarters. It was shipped to new York where it was used for many buildings.
Michigan Island was named because it was closest to Michigan. Stockton Island is a large island of 10,000 acres with a diverse ecosystem of bogs, dunes and beaches. It has many trails, beaches, blueberries and campsites. It also has a lot of bears. The park, in trying to determine how many bears there were, tagged some of them. One especially large male would swim to other islands. In trying to determine why, a young park ranger suggested it is because he had girl friends on other islands.
These islands are not so close together, and signs warn tourists about misjudging distances. People will try to kayak to an island, but they may not be in shape to paddle long distances, or they can’t get back. One sign warned of turning over in 47 degree water. Maybe I should take that kayak roll class again.
Oak Island is the highest island in the park. It has 11.5 miles of trails, diverse sandstone formations, bluffs and sandy beaches, including a unique overlook called Sentinel Rock. It has the highest concentration of black bears in the park. Ojibwe people used the island for maple syrup. There is a shuttle from Bayfiels.(supplemented from Google AI).
We went by Manitou Island, known for its historic Fish Camp. In the 1800’s it was too far for commercial fishing boats to travel every day, so they made a camp on Manitou Island. It has been preserved for visitors to explore. It has a unique ecosystem, featuring boreal forests, spruce bogs and alder wetlands, a result of the absence of deer and moose. (Google AI)
Ironwood Island was known for its very hard wood used for tool handles and mallets. There are no trails, but kayakers can find a single primitive campsite on a sandspit with a food locker and fire ring. Kayakers can explore sea caves and fishing.
Devil’s Island may be the most interesting, being the furtherest north into the vast Lake Superior. There is a beautiful lighthouse that has recently been restored. It is also known for its sea caves. It is named for the sounds of waves booming in the sea caves, interpreted by the Ojibwe as evil spirits. (Google AI). Being so far out, the ice is not frozen solid in winter, so it sloshes against the shores, digging out these unique caves. Captain Don got me on this one asking, “Who wants to see the ice caves? …. Well you will have to come back in winter to see them.”
There are many pictures of these caves frozen and dripping icicles. Who comes out here in the dead of winter? Well, some people do. It made me think about the lighthouse keepers and their families who lived here. To be here in “the storms of November” would be daunting. Ice breakers would deliver supplies….. if they could.
On the way back, Captain Don (I think that was his name) talked about the Ice Highway. When the great lake freezes in winter, the ferry doesn’t run to Madeline Island, so kids can’t go to high school on the mainland and people can’t get supplies. But when the ice freezes enough, they build an ice highway. “You should come and drive it.” Don said. “It can be a bit unsettling to hear the ice crack and see ice bubbles scoot ahead of you, but don’t worry. It is entirely safe. They have been doing this for years, and they don’t open it until it is safe. Toward the end of the season, they close it, but there is always someone who thinks they know better.”
“They might get half way across before their car sinks into the ice, and they can’t get it out. It’s only 2.5 miles across, so they can walk back to safety. But what happens to the car? The state wants to preserve the purity of the lake, so you have to remove the car. Insurance doesn’t pay for it, because you were driving on a closed road. You will have to hire a barge to get it out and dispose of it, and that can be expensive. Now there is a sled with an airplane propeller on the back to ferry folks back and forth. But you should come back in winter and drive the Ice Highway.”
It was a great tour. Captain Don and the crew were great, and the scenery was great. It was so full of information, I couldn’t remember it all. How he drives and talks so much at the same time is impressive. We skirted a couple of squalls, but had to go through another. It was interesting to see how he went around one, then waited for another to pass. We got wet and cold going through one, although we should have retreated downstairs, but we did stand under an overhanging roof behind the cabin, which was heated.
Crazy weather seems common on Lake Superior. It was foggy and dripping rain all morning. The sun came out while we waited for the cruise on the docks. There were rain squalls all around us. Then we hit patches of sun. Yet through it all, it was beautiful, and the clouds were amazing. We were lucky the water was dead calm. Don said it was unusual to be so calm around Devil’s Island.
I talked with the captain as we slowly disembarked. I complimented him on the great job he did. His love for the lake and the islands was evident. Having retired three times, he said, “It’s great to have a job you love and live in a place you love.” We were lucky to spend a couple of great hours with him.