Photograph Wilderness Found Nowhere else in the Midwest!
Lake Effect Photographic Adventures Presents:
Isle Royale National Park PhotoTour
Monday through Thursday ~ August 16-19, 2009
A Wilderness Island in Lake Superior
PhotoTour with Will Clay & Hank Erdmann
Join Will Clay and Hank Erdmann on our Lake Effect Photographic Adventures Isle Royale PhotoTour this summer for what promises to be a memorable trip.
Isle Royale National Park IS; hard to get to, is wild, is expensive, is wild, is exotic, is wild, has no cars, is wild, the boat ferry limits travelers to 100 lbs of gear (if you can carry that much!) , is wild, is a natural paradise that few of us have experienced…and did I mention that it’s very wild? The wilderness is the attraction and what also makes it difficult to photograph.
We will be staying in cottages. These cabins do have cooking facilities and they do have a store in the marina to buy food. Isle Royale also has a lodge with a restaurant. With the costs of transporting everything by boat a minimum of three hours over the often treacherous waters of Lake Superior, everything is expensive. Using the cottages will save money over the $250 per night room charge at the lodge. However the cottages are primitive lodging at best. The cottages sleep up to five, 1 bed, a bunk bed with two bunks, 1 sleeper sofa, and two roll aways. No bedrooms! 1 Bathroom (with a shower thankfully!) So if you desire privacy this is NOT the trip for you. There will be no guys quarters, girls quarters, just quarters! The cottages have electricity to charge batteries and keep things warm on cool summer evenings. We also get a half day canoe rental per day with each cottage. It will be shared by those in the group who care to do some paddling. Additional canoe and kayak rentals are available at additional personal cost.
This event will be priced per participation. The initial price will be for the first 4 spots. Should we have enough interest and book the second cottage, we will drop everyone’s price which will be reflected in the final payment. The cost of this trip is with the minimum of four participants is $850 per person. If we get 6 participants we’ll drop the price to $800 per person and if we have 8 or 9 participants, the final price will be $750. **Please be aware by registering, you are agreeing to pay the full $850 event fee, prices will be discounted only if we reach minimum participant levels.
Included in the fee is the PhotoTour, 3 nights lodging on the island only, and the Boat Ferry Fee. Extra costs not included are: Food, a daily $4 park fee (x4 or $16 payable in cash or by check only to the park), car parking in the ferry lot while we’re on the island @ $5 per night per car, and hotel lodging the night before we leave. The ferry leaves precisely at 8:00 am so staying the previous night in or near Copper Harbor is probably a necessity, you do not want to be late as the ferry does not wait. There are also campgrounds in town, either way, you will be responsible for making your own reservations for this night. We will provide a list of accommodations in the area to participants.
Other items of note. Cell phones likely will not have coverage on Isle Royale, however there are pay phones in the lodge and marina. You will need mosquito spray, lots of it. August is usually much better than earlier in the summer with regards to mosquito and black flies as temps have already started to drop a bit, but do be aware that we may have to deal with bugs. You will need jackets or sweatshirts and long pants. Rain Gear is a must, need I say more! Good hiking boots will be a must, we will do a bit of hiking as it’s the only way to get around other than quite expensive water taxis. If you want to photograph any of Isle Royale’s lighthouses from less that a great distance, you will likely need to incur such costs. Have motion sickness medication (over the counter or prescribed) with you and take it before you leave if you are or may be prone to sea sickness. Three hours is an awful long time if you are nauseous!
Special cancellation rules beyond our normal policies apply to this event. For this event, any cancellation by the participant will have a minimum fee of 15% of the deposit. If a cancellation drops the participant level, forcing a higher fee for remaining participants, a higher cancellation fee will apply. Basically we’re saying be sure you can go when registering. Trip insurance is advised for this event. Also do be aware that this event has a strict minimum participant level of 4 and a deadline of August 1, 2010 to make that minimum. If we don’t reach that minimum, we will have to cancel the event. If Lake Effect cancels the event we will refund 100% of the deposit.
So if we haven’t scared you off with cost, bugs, motion sickness or primitive accommodations, you may be a candidate for one great memorable trip. Isle Royale is as close as you will get to true wilderness in the Midwest. To photograph it will be a joy is spite of the hardships and cost to get there.
Our PhotoTours are designed for the experienced photographer. We put you in the best photographic locations at the best times to provide the best photo opportunities. We do not include lectures, demonstrations, formal instruction or critiques on these tours. We will on ocassion hold Impromptu talks on technique or critique sessions. Our Photo Guides are always available to answer questions in the field as they photograph along side participants.
Fees: $850 to $750 (see above pricing info) includes PhotoTour, Lodging and Ferry Transportation to and from the island from Copper Harbor, MI.