Featured Trip: Michipicoten Island

Pronounced: Mish-i-pe-cotton.  The floating “Mystic Isle” is aptly named since depending on the clarity of the atmosphere- the island does in fact look like it is floating.  Some days it appears very close, other days far away and sometimes you can’t even see it at all.  It can appear as one island or three and occasionally looks like it has amazingly tall cliffs.

We haven’t offered this trip in a few years since we have had difficulty getting a boat shuttle out to the island.  We’ve got that sorted out for this year now but have to limit the number of participants due to boat constraints.

This trip is a good one to do as a guided trip since there are a few more logistics involved with getting out to the island and not everyone wants to do the 14km crossing.  Here are a few reasons why this is one of my favourite trips to do on Lake Superior:

• Every beach you land on is different than the last
• Amazing geology
• there are 2 lighthouses (one has the only flying buttress on Lake Superior)
• the cool history- abandoned fishing villages and the legend of the cursed copper mines
• tons of caribou, beaver and other wildlife
• shipwrecks and more.
• It has everything all wrapped up into one island package

It’s located about 60km (40miles) off the shore from our base at Michipicoten.  If you were to paddle out to it, you would travel west along the Superior Highlands coast until about Floating Heart Bay and make a diagonal crossing over to the East End Lighthouse.

Guided trip details: Dates are Sunday July 17th to Sunday July 24th.

Skill Level is set at intermediate since this is a very remote trip with no quick evacuation strategy.  Participants need to be self-sufficient and having some experience wilderness camping will make your trip that much more pleasant.

Itinerary- arrive at NSA by 2pm Sunday for on-water training, stroke review, rescue review.  BBQ dinner at our Rock Island Lodge.  Monday morning boat shuttle will take the group out to the island for 6 fantastic days of sea kayaking around Michipicoten Island.  The following Sunday the boat will pick up the group and head back to NSA.

Pricing- $1695 includes all taxes, meals, shuttles, full guiding.  Sea kayaks and tents additional.

More information on this trip…

For more images on Michipicoten Island- visit the gallery.