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The Publisher's Blog
Dispatch from the Isle Royale
by Paul and Cindy Hayden
 FROM ABOARD THE RANGER III (Sunday, July 27,
2008) - We’ve been to a few 50th birthday parties lately, and usually
the celebrant is anything but happy to admit that they’ve reached that
golden plateau. This weekend we got a chance to experience an
especially remarkable celebration, one where everyone in attendance
came from somewhere else and was more than happy to admit that they
were part of the endeavor – the anniversary of a research study. Fifty
years ago, the unique Isle Royale Wolf-Moose predator-prey study was
begun that has since become the longest running such study in the
world. And since there hasn’t been a study like it before, and probably
won’t be one like it again, the birthday party was held at Rock Harbor
on the island.
In case you’re not aware of it, Isle Royale lies in the
waters of Lake Superior, closer to the shores of Minnesota and Ontario
than Michigan, to whom it rightfully belongs. By boat, it’s generally a
three- to six-hour trip from the Keweenaw in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
(we’re aboard Ranger III returning to Houghton). Other transportation is available aboard Isle Royale Queen III from Copper Harbor, and the Voyageur II
from Grand Portage, Minnesota. There’s also fly-in service from
Houghton. Rock Harbor is the main “town” on the island, where most of
the housing and support for visitors is located, although Windigo, at
the southwest end of the island, is also a demarcation point,
especially for hiking.
A significant group of folks assembled in Rock Harbor for the 50th anniversary celebration of the Wolf/Moose study.
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Whenever you write about a research study, you are
challenged with the ho-hum reaction of “who wants to read about someone
else’s research?” Other than revealing what gives this island
laboratory its unique place in the world of animal research (isolation
from outside influences, significant contributions to understanding of
the grey wolf’s genetic viability, discovering the complexity of a
simple isolated ecosystem and its ramifications on the world at large),
what’s there to talk about? Well, there really is a whole lot to talk
about, and over the year’s we’ve done it many times in Lake Superior Magazine
articles. We won’t repeat them all here, so you can relax. But we will
say one thing. None of this would have happened without the people. The
people made the difference. If only for one brief moment, which will
never occur again, all of those people were brought together on the
island for a celebration of this effort as hasn’t been seen before. Not
only were the researchers and support teams present, even the pilots of
the hundreds of flights over the island were there. It was truly a
once-in-a-lifetime gathering to recognize the amazing accomplishments
of the study.
The Isle Royale Wolf-Moose Study began in 1958 under
the direction of Durward Allen of Purdue University. When Allen started
the project, the belief was that a few years of study would reveal all
that was needed to put this piece of the puzzle together. It didn’t
take him long to realize that there was a lot more to the project than
a simple counting of the moose and wolves on the island. That was the
easy part. What was discovered is that there is a balance that is
maintained that affects every other species in the biosphere, including
the trees and vegetation. It was clear from the beginning that it would
require an additional commitment from the researchers beyond the
original parameters of the study. Today, Rolf Peterson and John
Vucetich serve the cooperative effort between the National Park Service
and Michigan Technological University. Rolf and his wife, Candy, still
spend eight months out of the year on the island and the other four on
the mainland (Houghton). During the winter, there is almost weekly
travel to the island for air surveillance.
Rolf Peterson, wolf researcher, shares his experiences at the 50th anniversary celebration of the study.
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From the beginning, it’s required a commitment of more
individuals than a body can name in a short blog. It’s a remarkable
undertaking, when you consider that there’s real cooperation between
the government and university. It’s not lip service. The support is
real. The study never stops. It’s been funded, which for research is
the best of all. Even while we were celebrating the event at Rock
Harbor this weekend, the living laboratory was hard at work providing
information for the study. Although it was hard to define whether it
was an actual wolf kill (the term used to describe the interaction
between the wolves and any moose that ends up on their dinner plate),
one of the campgrounds on the island had to be closed due to an
incident last Monday. It’s a fact that wolves seldom have direct
interaction with humans. And humans on the island go out of their way
to avoid confrontation with the study’s subjects. In this case, the
rangers vacated the campground and allowed the process to unfold
naturally. The campground just happened to be the stage for the
occasion. Accounts of the kill indicate that it was a very social event
for the wolves, not at all unnatural or out of bounds, as far as they
are concerned. As the rangers say, they were in charge and the rangers
let it be that way.
Isle Royale’s Superintendent Phyllis Green organized the special 50th anniversary celebration on the island.
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Preparation for the 50-year celebration itself began
more than two years ago when National Park Superintendent Phyllis Green
recognized the need to honor the program. She called together a team
comprised of park people, university folks, the Michigan DNR and even
more volunteers to round up and coordinate the many participants of the
program over the years. David Mech, noted wolf expert, along with Doug
Smith, now conducting a similar study at Yellowstone National Park,
were in attendance. Artists Gendron Jenson and Michael Nelson
represented the art and music constituents. There was also the world
premiere of a documentary by George Desort, “Fortunate Wilderness,” to
multiple “sold out” audiences, which humanizes the study. One of many
highlights of the event was musical entertainment provided by Jeremy
and Trevor Peterson (Rolf and Candy’s sons). The National Parks
of Lake Superior Foundation underwrote some of the costs of the event,
represented by Carol Brady and Tom and Toni Gelb. Immersion in the
wolf/moose study was the point of the event.
But as some have so strongly stated to us this weekend,
especially Grant Merritt, noted attorney and longtime Isle Royale
family member, “There’s more to Isle Royale than wolves and moose.” So
lest you think that the only thing you’ll find there are wolves and
moose, let me set you straight. The experience of Isle Royale is so
much more than a study of the inmates. First of all, it’s a chance to
get out onto Lake Superior. There are only a couple of ways to get
there, by boat or plane. You can’t drive or walk there. One way or the
other, you cross Lake Superior to discover Isle Royale. Once you’re
there, you’re no longer in Disneyland. You are on a remote wilderness
island with an abundance of wildflowers this time of year. The total
amenities of life back on the mainland are no longer available. If you
came to hike and camp, you will be put to the test. Once on the trail,
you go forward or you go back. There aren’t a lot of convenience stops
along the way. You’ll see whether you’re made of the stuff you think
you are.
Of course, not all amenities are missing. You aren’t
forced to camp and hike. If you boat, and have the ability to bring
your comfort with you, there are just loads of spots to dock or anchor
and enjoy the wilderness that is the only island national park. (Over
the years, we’ve enjoyed trips to the island aboard Skipper Sam II,
captained by the late Jim Marshall, who knew the island better than
most. We learned a lot from those expeditions.) You can also stay at
the lodge, Rock Harbor Lodge. There are housekeeping and motel-like
cabins and rooms to rent, with an excellent restaurant to serve meals
(European or American plan), a snack bar and gift shops with a
wonderful selection of island literature. Kim Alexander and his capable
staff of 65 more than take care of your needs. The house wines of
choice include Smoking Loon and Three Blind Moose. Sack lunches may be
ordered and canoes, kayaks and small boats are available for rental.
A nesting loon in Tobin Harbor warns us to stay away.
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Short hikes around Rock Harbor are very easy to take.
The clean air and relaxing lifestyle will more than compensate for the
inconvenience of missing your favorite TV shows or being out of touch
with internet and cell service. A nesting loon near the seaplane dock
in Tobin Harbor mesmerized us. The islands historic sites (read old
mine sites and homesteads) tell their own stories. Look beneath the
foliage for insect life and amazing flora.
You have to remember that it’s a national park. There
are plenty of park rangers around to remind you, but for the most part
they’ll leave you alone if you follow the rules. They even go out of
their way to be helpful, which is a remarkable twist from the days when
their main purpose was to catch you at some violation of the rules. As
you may expect, isolation has its price. Fees and room rates are not
for the fainthearted, both in travel and rental. Just as you close your
eyes to the cost when you go to Disney World, do the same on the
island. If you’re hiking, the cost is mainly getting there and back. If
you’d rather enjoy the comfort of housing, remember that it takes a bit
of doing to get your favorite fruits, vegetables and New York strips to
the park. Enjoy.
It doesn’t always take a special birthday party to get
us out of the office and to one of the lake’s most treasured spots like
Isle Royale, but it was as good a reason to go as any. It reminds us
that as much as we write about the lake, we really need to get out and
enjoy it, too. It’s kind of amazing that the general public can
actually walk through the woods and “play” in the territory that is the
subject of this historic study. In fact, that interaction is not
excluded from the results. If you haven’t put Isle Royale on your list
in the past, we’d highly recommend that it go on the bucket list for
tomorrow. Best time to go? The park is open from late-April through
early October. We recommend late-June through mid-July (to avoid the
crowds). You don’t have to be celebrating a birthday to do it. But,
that’s as good a reason to go as any.
The Edward L. Ryerson crosses our path as we return to the mainland from Isle Royale.
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As we head back to the mainland aboard the Ranger III,
we’re accompanied by a deservingly satisfied Superintendent Green,
pleased with the results of the weekend, but anxious to return to the
challenges of her charge. (These days she’s totally wrapped in the
battle with VHS (viral hemorrhagic septicemia), the debilitating
disease of lake fish.) Also aboard are participants of the Isle Royale
Institute, a weeklong teachers’ seminar. By chance, our path crossed
the downbound traverse of the Edward L. Ryerson, coming out of
Duluth. It charged up the passengers and was a chance to see more of
the heritage of this great lake. No matter how hard we try, we are
always aware that the magazine is not a substitute for getting out and
experiencing the lake yourself.
Take the time to get to know your lake.
-- Paul & Cindy Hayden
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