pete edisen fishery

Staying at Rock Harbor Lodge from Friday afternoon to Monday, the only activity available was the Edisen Fishery/Rock Harbor Lighthouse. It was a 3 1/2 hour tour and basically nothing else to do in the area, unless you wanted to hiked 5 miles or go boating in 3 ft. waves. About a 20-30 minute boat ride to the Fishery, it's interesting for 5 minutes, but there are other areas to visit on that part of the island. The boat ride was nice, but they could have skipped the 10 minute stop over at "Daisy Farms Campgrounds" as it felt like an infommerical.

The fishery and Light house were alright . What they do not advertise is that a short hike from there is the Wolf and Moose Research facility. It was both fun for my son and educational for all of us.

took the boat tour over to the Edisen Fishery which included a visit to the Wolf/Moose research station run by the Petersons (known globally for their research which spans 50 or so years now). really worthwhile!

First of all I should note that I first went to Isle Royale in 1972, and visited regularly until 1983. During the early years I knew Pete Edisen quite well. He was then in his 70's and lived in the fishery in the summer with his wife. Subsequently, she passed away-I was on the island when she became ill and had to be evacuated to their winter home in Minnesota. Pete did not come back that summer, but in subsequent years he continued to stay at the fishery in the summer until his death several years later. I think he looked on the personnel of the National Park Service and the tourists as his family. I'm not sure if he ever had children of his own. He was really a piece of living history. He had commercially fished around Isle Royale for 40 years and spent several winters there. In the early years he still fished, and I had to be careful of his nets when using a fishing boat. He was always friendly, talkative and eager to share his stories, which were many and marvellous. My son was a preteen when we first visited and they became good friends. The highlight one summer is when we arrived on a large wooden schooner, courtesy of a sailing friend of mine who was touring Lake Superior. Pete claimed he hadn't seen a vessel like that since leaving Norway as a young man. Following his death, the fishery became the property of the National Park Service, and it was undergoing extensive restoration using traditional building methods when I last visited. The lighthouse had also undergone extensive restoration, even though it is no longer a navigation marker and the optical equipment had been removed. Isle Royale is a special place, magical for the right people. It's one of my favorite places on earth, with wildlife viewing that is often better than Alaska, though less varied. It lacks many creature comforts, but at least in the lodge is hardly primitive. Camping is of course the best way for getting the feeling of the place, but don't avoid it even if you are not up to camping. The lack of bears on the island makes camping easier, though foxes and racoons can be mischevious. The wolves are heard occasionally but rarely seen. The trails are rocky and rough with many hills. Backpackers with more experience than me have found the trails to be quite tough. In recent years Scuba diving has become quite popular on the many island shipwrecks, but it is tough cold water diving, which I haven't tried, even though open water certified. Getting there is somewhat difficult, but an adventure in itself, whether you go by float plane (in my opinion the best way), or by boat. It is worth the effort. I hope to visit again soon.