Spring at Starvation Point

Rock Harbor on a spring day, a couple years back, to be honest. As many know, I am still downstate working at my MSU job until next week. The Queen IV has made several trips to the island already. A cousin of a friend from Cadillac, MI, told my friend that he took his son to IR for a backpacking trip in honor of his son's buddy's graduation from Michigan Tech (or something like that). I am waiting to hear what kind of time they had. Starvation Point, where this photo was taken, is about 4 miles southwest down Rock Harbor from the main dock, where the Visitors Center and the Rock Harbor Lodge are, the main developed area of the park. The RH Trail trail cuts very close to the point, but curls inland just before it. The photo is looking up Rock Harbor to the northeast. That's Mott Island on the right hand side of the photo. Three Mile campground is about a mile up the coast on the left. Can't wait for my first trip to the island. I'll be posting photos from this year soon.

39th Season Opens

The 2009 season of the Isle Royale Queen IV began today with our usual 8 a.m. departure for Isle Royale from Copper Harbor, Michigan. This will be the 39th season that the Kilpela family has operated the service to the island from the tip of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula, the state's closest point of land to Isle Royale. We kept our fare increase low again this year, and we have no plans for any fuel surcharges for now. We have kept our parking charge the same for many years as well, even though we have much higher parking costs. It's a great time to be on Isle Royale. Those long days, beautifully sunny afternoons, the cool nights, the intensely starry skies -- boy, would I love to make a trip right now. This photo was taken by my father, Captain Don Kilpela, Sr., this morning as the Queen IV was getting underway on a fine May day on Lake Superior. We sail two times a week this time of year, Mondays and Fridays.