Day 2
Saturday August 14 1999
Slept soundly. Jeremy the human alarm clock woke us at 5:00am. Too early. Discovered a boy scout troop from Crystal Lake Illinois (northwest Chicago) in the site next to us. The 10 in their group arrived form Isle Royale late in the night. The ferry was delayed due to high waves. They were originally two groups on the island until their scoutmaster had a heart attack and was air lifted out. He is OK in a hospital in Thunder Bay Ontario.
7:00am Mr. Hartmann met us at the campsite with our gear. We left our food and gear in his truck. This is a beautiful clear morning as we board the boat we watch the ducks and Canadian geese swim about. The ferry Isle Royale Queen III is full, about half backpackers the others are sea kayaks. Their kayaks are colorful. Everyone is excited and looking with anticipation at the horizon for the island. All we see is deep blue sea and powder blue sky. Behind us is the forest green of Copper Harbor and the Kewannee peninsula, as we were leaving the harbor about even with Ft. Wilkins we saw a den of red foxes at the forest edge by the water and fallen log. The fox pups were playing running up and down and all over. Our captain -Don is losing his voice so he said he wouldn't talk long, as he proceeded to talk for 15 minuets he is funny. The crew Jeremy and Keith are college students. It would take 4 minutes for a penny to drop to the bottom of lake superior here (1000 feet). Uneventful passage over. Cooler seas sun and no wind just beautiful. We paid our $4 user fee per person per day on Isle Royale total 6 people x 8 days x 4 = $192. 80% of fees go toward trail / site maintenance. Keith
The ferry ride took a millennium and a half. (sorry, yes, I misspelled ferry, O.K.! adjust.) The walk was kinda longer than I thought too. The current time I am writing this is 7:51pm, Jeremy is presently playing medieval tea party with Keith's chess pieces and everyone else is at the waterfront for the program put on by the rangerettes. I'm glad this day is finally over. (Amen) Ryan Simmons
Day 2 Mr. and Mrs. Hartmann
Dear Keith, Lalasa, Jeremy, Ryan, Arius and Ben:
Hope this finds you all dry, well rested and full on nourishment. At this point, your feet should not be hurting and you could run for miles with your packs on your backs. Well, okay - maybe a few steps. I hope that while you are walking through the wilderness this week, you think about the things in life that are important. As you grow older, the race of life gets faster and faster. Remember the following: I knelt to pray but not for long, I had too much to do. I had to hurry and get to work, For bills would soon be due. So I knelt and said a hurried prayer, and jumped up off my knees. My Christian duty was now done, my soul could rest at ease. All day long I had no time, to spread a word of cheer. No time to speak of Christ to friends, they'd laugh at me I'd fear. No time, no time, too much to do, that was my constant cry, no time to give souls in need, but at last the time the time to die. I went before the Lord, I came, I stood with downcast eyes. For in his hands God held a book; It was the book of life. God looked into his book and said, "Your name I cannot find. I once was going to write it down... But never found the time."
Happy trails to you!
So, hope you know which way to go!
See you all on the 22nd!
Happy hoofing ---Mom & Dad Hartmann, Amy and David too!
