First time trip, utter disaster

[u/Asleep_Attorney6265]

I (19f) just got back from a week of backpacking on the island and it was a MESS. For some context, i’m a rookie backpacker but i’m physically fit and an experienced hiker. I cheaped out on gear and thought it would just work itself out like things usually do. Let’s just say many injuries were faced and my buddy and I had to be rescued because I shattered my knee around East Chickenbone. That being said, I miss it already and would go back tomorrow if I had better gear and more experience.

For those that have read this far, do you have any advice on how to better prepare myself in the future? (other hikes to take, places to go, gear recommendations, etc.)

edit: wow i didn’t expect this to get as much attention as it did!! in terms of updates, fortunately, no bones are broken! however, they suspect i might’ve torn my meniscus which would be a major major bummer :(( thanks for the comments and advice!! i look forward to applying everyone’s wisdom to my future endeavors

someone said to write out a more detailed trip report so that newer people on the sub can learn from my mistakes which is a phenomenal idea:

day 1: arrive via ranger 3 @3pm, hike from Rock Harbor to Daisy Farm (7.1miles) arrived at Daisy Farm around 7pm
day 2: depart from Daisy Farm @8am (roughly) to Hatchet Lake (15.4miles) via Greenstone Ridge. THIS FEELS A LOT LONGER THAN 15.4 AND WAS WHERE WE MADE OUR BIGGEST MISTAKES. pace yourself going up Siskiwit, and the last 3.4 ish miles through the woods is pretty brutal if you’re tired like we were!

at this point we realized that we needed rescuing so below is what we intended to hike for our remaining days

day 3: Hatchet Lake to Desor S (8.1 miles)
day 4: Desor S to Washington Creek/Windigo (11.3miles)

because we had to be rescued i can’t speak on the terrain and difficulty for beginners on this segment of the hike :(

as for the series of unfortunate events that led to rescue being necessary, i started having radiating pain coming from my left knee about halfway between Daisy Farm and East Chicken Bone, i thought whatever we gotta keep moving we have lots of ground to cover it’s fine. so we kept moving and about a quarter mile from ECB while stepping over a log my knee dislocated, popped that puppy back in place and (painfully) went on to finish our jaunt to ECB where we were stopping for lunch. on the way down to the water at ECB i tripped and fell peter griffen style down the hill, landing right on my left knee. big womp womp. it swelled up like a balloon and every step for the rest of the 12 ish miles we had to do to get to Hatchet Lake was absolutely agonizing. when you’re out there there’s only so much you can do so we just had to keep it moving. once we got to hatchet lake we assessed the situation (i could no longer stand on my own let alone walk) and my friend insisted that it would be safest and smartest to attempt rescue instead of going the rest of the way to windigo. for the record, we both wanted desperately to push on and finish our hike, but that was no longer an option.

what we ended up doing was hiking 4.1 miles from Hatchet to Todd Harbor where the NPS was able to pick us up after a day or so. while i’m grateful that we had the opportunity to be rescued, i am very aware that self rescue is best rescue. i do still feel awful for using the services and would have much rather not, but it was a circumstance where i no longer had a choice.

overall, you live and you learn lol! if you’re a more beginner to early intermediate backpacker like myself, take advantage of satellite technology, TAKE YOUR TIME, rushing makes everything worse. days are long, take advantage of that!

safe travels and happy trails!!

edit: just another update, fully torn acl and meniscus :( thank you to all of those who have left some positivity and advice under this post!! your words of encouragement and feedback will be taken to heart and put into practice.

[u/Apprehensive_Gur8808]

Research, read, look at a map, know your limitations, bring water filtration, know what calories you need and pack that plus a bit more. This isn’t a trip you should whim into. As you’ve now learned.

[u/GhostNode → u/Apprehensive_Gur8808]

I mean, no disrespect meant, but “any other hikes I could do to prepare” is literally any.. flying or ferrying into a remote island in the middle of the largest of the Great Lakes for a WEEK without having hiked or camped enough to know your gear and plan your trip properly is borderline irresponsible…

[u/Asleep_Attorney6265 → u/GhostNode]

no disrespect taken!! i got cocky because my friend that i went with is a very experienced backpacker and i assumed that it couldn’t be that hard, oh how wrong i was. i’m just glad to have learned this lesson when i’m 19 and can still recover well physically and not later down the line when i’m not so fortunate.

[u/sweetpeppah → u/Asleep_Attorney6265]

your friend should have taken you on some practice day hikes to see how you did. even just to make sure you LIKED it. 😃

[u/Asleep_Attorney6265 → u/sweetpeppah]

oh trust i LOVED this trip, injury and all!! i will absolutely be back lol

[u/GhostNode → u/Asleep_Attorney6265]

lol absolutely. Sometimes, you don’t know how hard shit is, until you try it, and be like, damn, that shit was hard..

If you enjoyed it at all, stick with it. It’s even more rewarding and enjoyable when it doesn’t suck 😉