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We're going backpacking... someone please help ๐ ๐
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Hey Reader Option one: We spend two-plus years planning, coordinating, and obsessing over every detail to pull off something like our trip to Katmai National Park in Alaska where we organized a trip for 15 people to a remote corner of Alaska to watch Grizzly Bears fish for salmon. It was one of the most incredible experiences of our lives and required an almost embarrassing amount of spreadsheets. Option two: We spend an hour or two scrolling Instagram, get the basics down, stop by the Park Ranger station for their suggestions, and just go explore for a day or two. Looking at you Petrified Forest and White Sands. This trip is much more like option one. We got invited by our good friends Adam and Kathryn (@AdventuresOfAPlusK) and Jen and Elliot (@SchoAndJo) to spend 5+ nights on Isle Royale National Park this summer. If you're not familiar, Isle Royale is considered the most remote National Park in the lower 48. It sits on the northwest side of Lake Superior, just a few miles from the Canadian border. The park covers 850 square miles, 99% of which is federally designated wilderness, with 165 miles of hiking trails, 36 campgrounds, historic lighthouses, shipwrecks, ancient copper mining sites, and abundant wildlife. Oh, and it's only accessible by boat or floatplane. Which we are still trying to figure out the best choice! It's as remote as it gets, primitive wilderness surrounded by crystal-clear waters. And we are backpacking it. Us. Backpacking. lol.
Adam, Kathryn, Jen, and Elliot are basically professional backpackers. Joey backpacked a few times in high school. That is the full extent of our experience. So naturally, we have a few questions we're still working through:
Here's what we have so far:
We put together a Rock Porch Locker called "Beginner Backpacking Essentials" with everything we're bringing and everything we're learning about along the way. And if you have advice, real advice, not just "embrace the journey," we want to hear it. Hit reply and tell us everything, or head over to our Instagram Reel and drop it in the comments. We are genuinely, desperately asking. More Isle Royale content (and National Park content) coming this summer. Thank you for being part of our journey! p.s. did I mention there are wolves and moose on Isle Royale!! This email may include affiliate links. If you purchase through them, we may earn a small commissionโat no extra cost to you. We only share what we truly use and love. |
โKatie And Joe On The Go
We help you plan National Park, road trip, and international travel with real itineraries, honest tips, and zero fluff โ based on firsthand experience. Join our list for travel guides and itineraries.
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Hey Reader, We were barely a mile into day one. Our backpacks loaded up pushing 45 pounds each, already struggling, and we looked at each other with the same thought: what did we get ourselves into. This is the story of how we made it to Isle Royale, our 46th National Park in our journey to visit all 63. Quick facts about Isle Royale National Park Located in Lake Superior, a few miles south of the Canadian border city of Thunder Bay The main island is about 50 miles long and 9 miles wide,...
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